Updated
SOFTBALL RULE INTERPRETATIONS
Miscellaneous
It has been reported that several member schools are currently
permitting the playing of music prior to the start of the contest, between
innings, between half innings, and between pitches. Music should only be played during dead ball
situations, meaning that music should not be played between pitches.
While inspecting the field before
the game, the umpires notice that there are some important field markings missing. There are no batter’s boxes or on deck
circles. What should the umpires do?
Ruling: Umpires should arrive
early for games and check facilities for safety concerns as well as the correct
field markings. The umpires should
direct home management to correct the situation by putting down batter’s boxes
and on-deck circles. Having the correct
field markings are important from a safety standpoint as well as helping the
umpires to enforce the rules. The umpires should not allow any offensive or
defensive personnel to deliberately remove lines during the course of the game.
Rule
By state association adoption, a
double first base is permitted.
Rule
Gloves/mitts
shall be worn by all fielders.
Gloves/mitts may be two-tone unless judged to be distracting. A glove/mitt worn by players that is entirely
gray, white, or optic in color is illegal.
Gray, white or optic colored circles on the outside or inside of the
glove/mitt that give the appearance of a ball or is judged to be distracting is
illegal.
Apparently, an optic yellow
catcher’s mitt is being marketed to area high schools. Please be aware that this mitt is illegal per
Rule
Rule
The catcher
shall wear a head protector and protective mask with throat protector that is
part of or attached to the mask.
Beginning
The helmet
of the catcher’s headgear should display the NOCSAE certified mark that
verifies the headgear combination. This
mark may be embossed on the helmet, or may be a permanent sticker. Catcher’s equipment that does not display the
permanent sticker or embossment must be sent back to the manufacturer for
certification. It is not permissible for
a manufacturer to send a NOCSAE permanent sticker to a member school.
Rule 2-56-1, Page 27; Rule 5-1-1a, Page 42; Rule 7-2-1a, Page 55
A pitched ball hits B1, who is
crowding the plate, in the left elbow.
Part of the ball was in the strike zone.
The umpire calls the pitched ball "dead" and ruled a "strike"
on the batter. Is this the correct
procedure?
Ruling: Yes.
Whenever a pitched ball hits a part of the body which is in the strike
zone, it is ruled "dead" and a "strike." If this is the third strike on the batter,
she is also ruled out.
Rule 2-57-2b, Page 27
Number 14 is in the line-up, batting
in the second spot in the order. In the
2nd inning, number 2 pinch runs for number 14.
After the inning is completed, number 14 re-enters the game. In the 5th inning the coach tries to enter
number 2 in the line-up in the sixth position, to pinch run for number 35. Is this legal?
Ruling: Illegal.
Number 2 may re-enter the ball game but must do it in the same position
as she was previously in the game. She
may only re-enter in the second position of the order. (Rule
2-57-1, 2-57-2b,
Rule 2-57-3;
The coach of the defensive teams
notices that number 15, the FLEX player, is standing on second base instead of
number 4, the DP. The defensive coach
asks for time and appeals to the home plate umpire that number 15, the FLEX, is
an illegal substitute.
Ruling: This is an unreported substitute, not an
illegal substitute. Since the FLEX player is already in the game by rule, you
cannot penalize her for not reporting. However, the DP has left the game as
soon as the FLEX assumed her position on offense. The DP has left the game and the home plate
umpire should correct the line-up card and inform the official book of the
change. The umpire should issue a “team
warning” to the offending team and the next violator of Rule 3-3-3d would be
confined to the bench/dugout area.
Rule 2-63-1, Page 28
May a defensive coach or catcher
request an intentional walk?
The pitcher has to pitch all four
balls to the batter. Only in slow pitch
softball is the pitcher allowed to notify the umpire of an intentional walk.
Rule
A player who is not listed on the
official line up card is entered into the game as a pinch runner. What is the penalty?
There is no penalty for adding a
girl's name to the roster or entering her into the game when she wasn't on the
roster. Rule
Rule 3-4-1c, Page 34, Rule
In the bottom of the 1st inning,
Team A uses #12 as a courtesy runner for their
catcher. In the bottom of the 5th inning
#12 enters the game as a pinch-runner.
In the 7th inning the coach tries to again use #12 as the courtesy runner
for the catcher. Is this legal?
Ruling: No, once #12 has participated in the game as
a sub, she can no longer be used as a courtesy runner. In this situation, if #12 were allowed back
into the game as a courtesy runner and then was later detected, this would be
considered an illegal substitute. (3-4-1c,
Rule
What is the correct procedure for an
umpire when they believe that the pitcher is deliberately throwing at a batter?
Ruling: This is a very hard thing to
prove, but if the umpire has reason to believe that a pitcher is deliberately
throwing at a batter, the pitcher should be ejected and reported to the state
office.
(
Rule
After seven complete innings, the
score remains tied between Team A and Team B.
Both coaches agree to the tie-breaker rule at the beginning of the
eighth inning. Is this legal in
RULING:
Rule 6-1-2c, Diagram 6, Page 49
As F1 delivers the pitch to the
plate, the home plate umpires notices that the non-pivot foot is outside the
24" width of the pitcher's rubber.
Ruling: Illegal Pitch - The plate umpire should call
an illegal pitch and signal a "delayed dead ball" when the infraction
occurred.
Rule
With R1 is on second and R2 on
first, one out, B3 is batting. B3 swings
at the pitch and pops the ball up about four feet in front of home plate. Before the batter can move, F2 bumps into B3
in the batter's box on her way to make a play on the ball. The ball falls to the ground uncaught.
Ruling: Unless the batter intentionally interfered
with the catcher while still in the box, there is no interference and this is a
"no call." The batter has to
have time to react after hitting the ball.
(Rule
There are two outs and R1 is at
third base. B4 has a 2-2 count and the
umpire calls the next pitch a ball. B4
drops her bat and run to first base thinking this is ball four. The catcher in her excitement overthrows
first base and R1 scores.
Ruling: It is the responsibility of both teams to
know the count. The ball is live and the
defense has the opportunity to throw R1 out if she tries to score. After the play is over the umpires need to
bring B4 back to the plate and the count is 3-2.
NOTE: If the umpire believed
that this was a deliberate act to confuse the defensive team, the umpire could
move R1 back to third and warn the offender or even eject the offender from the
game for “unsporting” behavior. This
would mean the offender would have to sit out another game at this level before
they could participate in a game. (3-6-15c; 10-2-3f; IHSAA By-Laws)
IHSAA
BY-LAWS, RULE 8-3
Any
contestant or coach ejected from a contest for an unsportsmanlike act shall be
suspended from the next interschool contest at that level of competition and
all other interschool contests at any level in the interim, in addition to any
other penalties assessed.
B1 is at the plate with a 1-2
count. On the next pitch, B1 swings and
sends the ball directly back to the catcher’s glove. In the process of catching the foul tip, F2
drops the glove with the ball still in it.
The ball never touches the ground.
Ruling: Foul ball, this would
not be a catch and it does not violate rule 8-4-2f, since the act was
accidental.
GENERAL IHSAA RULES
IHSAA By-Law 107-3
The maximum
number of season games for any team or student excluding the IHSAA tournament
series shall be:
a. 28 and no tournament; or
b. 26 and one tournament
If a player or team participates in more than one tournament
per season, the number of games played in excess shall be included in the 26
games permitted during the season. A player who participates in a game as a pinch hitter, pinch
runner, or courtesy runner, does not count that game toward the maximum number
of game limitation for that player.
Any player who enters a game at the varsity, junior varsity,
or freshman level, excluding entering as a pinch hitter, pinch runner, or
courtesy runner, must count that game toward the maximum number of games she is
allowed. This includes players who participate in junior varsity or freshman
games in which less than seven innings are played.
IHSAA By-Law 9
During the second inning, the
visiting coach notices a man behind the backstop using a radar gun a) clocking
her pitcher, b) clocking the home team’s pitcher. The coach notifies the plate umpire that she
does not know this individual and does not want a radar gun to be used.
RULING: The plate umpire should
inform the athletic director of the radar gun and direct him/her to take care
of the matter. The use of a radar gun is
permitted by a college scout who verifies his affiliation to the host athletic
director, prior to the beginning of the contest. A radar gun may used by the pitcher’s parent,
provided it is only used to clock his/her daughter, and the parent identifies
himself/herself to the host athletic director prior to the beginning of the
contest.