Rules & General Guidelines

Steel City Softball League
Rules of Play

The league will adopt Amateur Softball Association (ASA) rules unless otherwise noted below.

Basic Rules of Play

  1. The home team (as indicated by the schedule) will prepare the field for play before each game.
  2. Each team must use league-supplied softballs.
  3. All games have a 65 minute time limit or 7 innings. No new innings shall start after 65 minutes. (revised at the 4/6/2010 manager’s meeting)
  4. If after five innings, a team is ahead by 15 or more runs, the game will end once the home team has batted, unless the home team is the team that is ahead. If at any time after 5 innings the score differential becomes 15, the game is concluded immediately. (section 5-9 in the ASA handbook; p. 59)
  5. There is a 5- minute grace period after the game start time for a team to field a full team. (revised at the 4/6/2010 manager’s meeting)
  6. There will be a 5-minute rest period between games that are past the scheduled start time of a game. At the discretion of the umpire in charge, this can be extended on days where heat is considered to be a safety factor. If a game is over more than 5-minutes ahead of the scheduled start time of the next game, that game may start early if the umpire and both managers are all in agreement. (revised at the 4/6/2010 manager’s meeting)
  7. A team must have at least nine players in order to take the field. Ten players are allowed with four outfielders. If a team starts with nine players, a tenth player may be added as long as the team has not completed its batting order for the first time. If a team starts with ten players, but loses one and must complete play with nine players, an automatic out will occur each time that batter would have been up.
  8. Two extra batters are allowed for each team.
  9. D Division: During regular season each eligible playing member of a team must play a minimum of two innings per game during a double header and at least one time at bat. Ineligible players that are present must be reported to the umpire prior to the start of a game.
  10. Both teams are required to keep score. The home team’s score will be the official score.
  11. Only the manager or the coach represents the team in all discussions with officials and the opposing team.
  12. The distance between all bases is 65 feet. The distance between the tip of home plate and the pitcher’s mound is 50 feet.
  13. All pitches must have an arc of 6 to 12 feet from the point of release.
  14. The Blood Rule: any visible sign of blood must be covered. If there is blood on a player’s jersey, he/she must change it. He/she will also be allowed to wear another player’s jersey or a jersey of the same color.
  15. Verbal abuse or swearing at the umpire or opposing players are grounds for ejection from the game.
  16. Alcohol and recreational drugs are not allowed at the fields or in the stands.

Rules of Play

The SCSL uses the ASA rulebook in addition to the following:

  1. The batter must remain in the batter’s box until the ball passes the plate or is hit.
  2. A batter will be called out if he or she steps on home plate while hitting the ball.
  3. The throwing of a bat can be grounds for ejection from a game.
  4. A foul ball on the third strike is an out.
  5. On a foul or fly ball, a runner may “tag up” after the ball is touched.
  6. The infield fly rule applies.
  7. The batted ball will be considered in fair play until the umpire calls it foul.
  8. Unless a fielder is in the process of going for the ball or making a play, the base runner has the right of way. If the fielder is making a play, the runner must not interfere with the fielder.
  9. If there is going to be a close play at home plate, it is recommended, but not required, for a runner to slide into home. If a collision occurs at home plate, the umpire will decide if the base runner should have slid according to the ASA Collision rule in the ASA handbook. Sliding at second and third bases is recommended to prevent injuries if a play is being made on those running to these bases. If a runner causes interference with a play by not sliding, the umpire will call it and the runner will be out.
  10. After 7 innings and the game is tied, International rules will be utilized, in accordance with ASA rules. It will continue to be utilized until a winner is determined or the time limit has been reached.
  11. The In/Out rule (substitutions): any starting player can exit and re-enter during the same game as long as he/she assumes his/her original place in the batting order.
  12. Courtesy Runners: With approval from the opposing team’s manager or coach, courtesy runners may be used for an injured player. The player must be the person who made the last out unless following some other ASA rule.
  13. Foot Off the Bag Rule: Clarification of the rule as noted in the 2009 ASA Official Rules of Softball (page 92; Section 7/R: The runner is out (slow pitch) when the runner fails to keep contact with the base to which they are entitled until the ball is batted, touches the ground, OR reaches home plate. (new, 2010)Explanation: If there is a swing and miss and the runner steps off the bag AFTER the ball is batted, touches the ground, OR reaches home plate; the runner is safe.  The umpire can call the runner out if they believe the runner left the bag BEFORE the ball reached the front plain of home plate.
  14. Sliding Bag Rule: If any base runner that through the act of sliding into a base, advancing to the base, or rounding a base moves the ‘sliding base’ more than 1 foot from its original position:
    1. If the runner slides into the bag, is considered safe, and ends their slide within contact where the bag originally was, the movement of the base shall not change the safe/out call regardless of the location of the base after movement. Player movement to the moved bag will not alter the safe/out call.
    2. A runner advancing to the bag without sliding – standing up – may not move the bag with their momentum beyond one foot of its original location, or they will be deemed to have over run the bag and they can be tagged out regardless of the continued contact with the moved bag.
    3. If the runner has rounded the bag, or gotten up after a safe slide, and attempted to advance and is now returning to the base, but it has moved, the runner will return to where the base was originally and the umpire will make the best judgment call possible relative to the location of the bag should there be a play on the runner returning to the base. (new, 2010)
  15. Batting and Base Running: Clarification from ASA: A base runner is allowed to overrun first base. They will be called out if after overrunning first base the runner attempts to advance to second base and is legally touched with the ball while not in contact with the white first base bag.Explanation: The wording is direct from the ASA manual and clarifies that the issue for being tagged out is not which way the runner turns by their intent of advancement beyond first base as the reason they can be tagged out.
  16. 11. Runners cannot overrun second or third base.