Rules

1.1The field

The bases are 60 feet apart in fastpitch and 65 feet in adult slow pitch under WBSC rules; leagues use 60 to 70. The pitcher's plate is in the middle of the diamond at a distance set by the division. The foul lines are fair.

1.2Bats

Only bats carrying the approval mark of the body whose rules the league plays may be used. An altered or banned bat gets the batter called out and removed from the game.

1.3Double first base

Many leagues use a double base at first: the fielder uses the white half in fair ground and the batter-runner the coloured half in foul ground.

2.1Batting order

Each team gives its batting order before the game and must follow it. A substitute bats in the place of the player they replace, and a starter who is taken out may re-enter once in their original place.

2.2Extra players

A team may bat one or two more players than it fields: an extra player in slow pitch, a designated player in fastpitch. Recreational leagues often bat everyone present.

3.1Strikes and balls

A strike is a legal pitch in the strike zone that is not swung at, a swing and a miss, or a foul ball. A ball is a pitch outside the zone that is not swung at. Three strikes is an out and four balls is a walk.

3.2Fair and foul

A batted ball is fair if it settles or is touched in fair territory before first or third base, or first lands fair beyond them.

3.3Infield fly

With runners on first and second, or the bases loaded, and fewer than two out, a fair fly ball that an infielder can catch with ordinary effort is an automatic out for the batter. A line drive is not an infield fly.

4.1Force outs and tag outs

A runner forced to advance is out when a fielder with the ball touches the base ahead of them. A runner who is not forced must be tagged with the ball, or the glove holding it, while off a base.

4.2Tagging up

On a caught fly ball a runner must be on their base when the ball is first touched before advancing.

4.3Avoiding collisions

A runner may not crash into a fielder who has the ball and is waiting to make a tag; the runner is out, and ejected if it was flagrant. A fielder without the ball may not block a base.

4.4Ball thrown out of play

When a throw goes out of play, runners are awarded two bases from where they were when the ball left the fielder's hand.

5.1A regulation game

A game is seven innings. The home team does not bat in the bottom of the seventh if it is already ahead, and a game called early counts once five innings are complete.

5.2Umpires

The umpire's judgment calls are final. Only a manager or captain may ask about how a rule was applied.

6.1Length of a league game

The league sets how many innings its games are and how many must be complete for a shortened game to count.

In this league: A game is 7 innings, with extra innings when it is tied. A game halted before 5 innings are complete is suspended, not over.

6.2Time limit

Leagues that share fields usually stop games on a clock; the league sets it.

In this league: 60 minutes.

6.3Run rule

Most recreational leagues end a game early when one team is far ahead after a set number of innings; the league sets the lead and the inning.

In this league: The game ends early when a team leads by 20 runs after 3 innings, 15 after 4, 10 after 5.

6.4Forfeits

A team that cannot field enough players forfeits. The league sets the score a forfeit is recorded as and what happens when neither team can play.

In this league: A forfeit is recorded as 7-0, and those runs count in the run totals. When neither team can field a side, both take a loss.

6.5Standings

The league decides how its standings are scored, most often by win percentage.

In this league: Win percentage: wins divided by games played, with a tie counting as half a win. .500 is even.

6.6Teams level in the standings

The league decides how teams level in the standings are separated, commonly the results between them and run differential.

In this league: Teams level on win percentage are separated by head-to-head, then head-to-head run differential (each game counts up to 10 runs), then run differential (each game counts up to 10 runs), then fewest runs allowed, then most runs scored, then a coin flip recorded by the league. Head-to-head counts only when the tied teams have all played each other equally.

1.1The arc

The ball is pitched underhand at moderate speed with a visible arc that rises at least 6 feet from the ground and no more than 12. USA Softball's rule caps it at 10 feet; the league's rule set decides.

1.2Illegal pitch

A pitch outside the arc limits, or delivered illegally, is a ball unless the batter swings at it.

1.3Pitching distance

The pitcher's plate is 50 feet from home plate in adult slow pitch.

1.4The strike zone

The strike zone is the space over home plate between the batter's back shoulder and knees in their natural stance. Many leagues use a strike mat behind the plate in its place.

2.1No bunting

Bunting is not allowed; the batter is out.

2.2Foul ball with two strikes

A foul ball always counts as a strike, the third one included, so a foul with two strikes is an out. Leagues that start on a one-and-one count often allow one extra foul.

2.3Home run limits

Many leagues cap the home runs over the fence a team may hit in a game. What happens after the cap is the league's rule.

3.1No stealing or leading off

Stealing is not allowed: a runner may not try to advance on a pitch that is not hit, and must stay on the base until the ball is hit or reaches the plate.

4.1Ten fielders

A team fields ten players and may bat an eleventh as an extra player, or twelve in co-ed.

4.2Run ahead rule

Under WBSC rules a game ends when a team leads by 20 runs after four innings or 15 after five. Leagues set their own.

1.1The delivery

The pitch is delivered underhand, with the hand below the hip, in a windmill or slingshot motion. In a windmill the arm may pass the hip twice.

1.2On the pitcher's plate

The pitcher starts with both feet within the width of the pitcher's plate and may not throw or fake to a base while in contact with it.

1.3Pitching distance

The pitcher's plate is 43 feet from home plate in the women's game and 46 feet in the men's; younger divisions pitch from closer.

1.4Illegal pitch

An illegal pitch is a ball on the batter, and runners advance one base.

2.1Bunting

A bunt, the ball met with the bat and tapped softly into play, is legal. A bunt that goes foul with two strikes is strike three.

2.2Dropped third strike

If the catcher does not catch strike three, the batter may run to first unless first base is occupied with fewer than two out.

2.3Foul with two strikes

A foul ball with two strikes is not an out, unless it was a bunt.

3.1Stealing

A runner may steal, but may not leave the base before the pitch is released. Leaving early is an out.

4.1Nine fielders and the designated player

A team fields nine players. A designated player may bat for one of them, which puts ten names in the line-up.

4.2Tiebreaker inning

From the eighth inning each half-inning starts with a runner on second base: the player due to bat ninth in that half-inning.

4.3Run ahead rule

Under WBSC rules a game ends when a team leads by 15 runs after three innings, 10 after four or 7 after five. Leagues set their own.