Softball Team Sports

How many innings are there in a softball game?

7

What determines who bats and fields first?

A coin toss

Field Dimesions

Base paths are 60 feet in distance between bases. The pitching mound is 46 feet for slow pitch and 40 feet for fast pitch.

What happens if you are hit by a pitch in fastpitch?

Batter goes to first base

How does overtime work?

If a game is tied at the end of a regulation fast pitch game then the batter making the last out in the 7th inning goes to 2nd base to start the 8th inning. Each team begins their at bats this way until the tie is broken. In slow pitch, play continues as usual.

Postitons

Infield Players: Catcher, Pitcher, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Shortstop Outfield Players: Left, Left Center, Right, Right Center

Can you steal or lead off in slow pitch?

No

What happens if an overthrow goes into a dugout?

Runners advance one base

History of softball

Softball began in the late 19th Century as an indoor version of baseball requiring a much smaller playing area. It soon became popular in parks and playgrounds, and was known by a wide variety of names-kitten ball, mush ball and diamond ball-and had an equally wide variety of rules. The first standardized of rules was produced in 1923.

Softball Synopsis

Softball is a stick-and-ball game played between 2 teams of 9 or 10 players on a field having 4 bases in a diamond pattern. Each team bats in turn. The object of the fielding team is to dismiss the batters, that of the batting side is to score runs by making circuits of the bases. A team's turn at bat (half inning) ends when it has had 3 outs. A full game consists of 7 innings and the winning team is the one scoring the greater number of runs. In order to speed games up, there are 2 other different scoring options. (known as the "mercy rule") Game ends if after 3 innings a team is up by 12 runs, 10 runs after 4 innings, or 8 runs after 5 innings.

What happens if an overthrow goes into the outfield?

The runners can advance as much as they want.

A batter is out when...

a. A fly ball is legally caught. b. A third strike is caught by the catcher (fast pitch) c. The batter misses the 3rd strike. d. The batter hits an infield fly (if there are less than 1 out and bases are loaded or runners occupy 1st and 2nd). If a batter hits a high pop fly that does not go out of the infield, the umpire will signal an infield fly rule and the batter would be automatically out (even if the ball is dropped). The base runners advance at their own risk. e. She hits a foul ball 2x's in foul territory. f. If tagged before occupying a base.

A strike is called by the umpire for each ball pitched into the strike zone (before touching the ground) that the batter misses or at which she does not swing and for each foul tip. A strike is also called, but the ball is dead, and runners must return to their last bases if...

a. A pitch is struck at and missed and touches the batter. b. A batter hits the ball against himself. c. A pitch hits the batter inside the strike zone. d. A foul ball is not legally caught on the fly and the batter has fewer than 2 strikes.

A ball is called by the umpire for each pitch that misses the strike zone and is not struck at by the batter. A ball is also called for each illegal pitch, in which case the ball is dead and runners may advance one base without being put out. A ball is also called and the ball is dead and runners many not advance if...

a. The catcher fails to return the ball directly to the pitcher as required. b. The pitcher fails to pitch within 20 seconds. c. The pitcher takes too many warm-up pitches.

Strike zone: fast pitch

ball is pitched with an underhand throw with the strike zone being between the knees and stomach of the batter

Batting Order

players bat in the order given in the score sheet and substitutes in the order of the players they replace.

Strike zone: slow pitch

the ball is pitched with at least a 6-12 foot loft towards the catcher and is considered a strike when dripping directly behind the plate