Softball - Rules

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The rules related to the game of softball are as follows −

  • Before pitching the pitcher shall stand firmly on the ground and one or both feet should touch the pitcher plate.

  • The pitcher is not allowed to stop or bounce the ball in pitching position as it may prevent the batsman from hitting the ball.

  • The pitcher cannot use any kind of tape on the ball. To dry hands he can use powder resin under umpire’s supervision.

  • The pitch delivery shall be in an arc of six to ten feet.

  • No Pitch is declared in the following cases

    • The ball is pitched during suspension of the game.

    • The runner leaves the base soon

    • The return pitch is made quickly

    • The ball slips from pitcher’s hand

    • The pitching arc is less than six or more than ten feet

  • The batting team has to bat in the order given in the scoresheet.

  • The batsman is not allowed to prevent the catcher from catching the ball.

  • A player is suspended for the current season if he or she is involved in a fight.

  • If a player misbehaves with an umpire or pushes, he is ejected from the game.

  • A full match consists of seven innings.

  • A game is completed before seven innings in the following cases

    • A team is ahead by 20 runs in the third innings

    • A team is ahead by 15 runs in the fourth innings

    • A team is ahead by 10 runs in the fifth innings

    • If the home team is ahead and one of the above conditions is met

  • The full duration of the game is 50 minutes.

  • Each team has to provide a scorekeeper.

  • Bats and balls are provided to the customers but they have to bring their gloves.

  • The runners can leave the base after the batsman has hit the ball.

  • Artificial noise makers are not allowed.

Safety Rules

  • Among all the uniforms that players wear, helmets and sliding shorts are very important. Helmets provide security to the head and sliding shorts to the upper thigh. These sliding shorts are basically shin guards that extend usually from the ankle to the knee of the player and it covers all the way around the leg.

  • It protects ankle, knee, shin, calf and thigh from getting hurt or bruised while sliding. In fact, after wearing sliding shorts, players can slide on the ground easily.

  • Those players, who don’t wear caps, have to wear a helmet. The ball used in softball is not as hard as a cricket ball but still it is mandatory to use helmet.

  • As softball is an outdoor sport played under sun and also gives severe physical stress, players have to take sufficient rest before a match day.

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