Gameplay

Gameplay

1. There are 9 players on a softball team.
2. The playing field is divided into the infield and outfield
3. The lines between the bases are 60’ apart and when joined they form a “diamond".
4. Inside the baseline is known as the infield while outside the baseline is known the outfield.
5. Any ball going outside the 1st or 3rd base line is a foul ball ( runners can not advance and the batter gets another try unless the ball was caught in the air, which translates to an out)
6. An official game is 7 innings (a inning is when both teams have had their turn to bat)
- The visiting team bats in the first half of each inning, called the “top of the inning;” the home team bats in the second half of each inning, called the “bottom of the inning."
- There is no set time that an inning lasts; each half of the inning continues until the defense accumulates three outs. If the game is tied after the last inning, the game goes into “extra innings,” and continues until one team holds a lead at the end of an inning.

PITCHING

The pitcher must have both feet on the pitcher’s rubber and can only take one step forward while pitching.
The ball must be thrown underhand.
Both hands must be on the ball at the start of the pitch.

BATTING

Batters must follow the same order throughout the whole game
The batter is out if and when:

three strikes have been called
a fly ball is caught
the batter does not stand in the batter’s box

BASE RUNNING

Runners must touch each base in order
Runners may overrun 1st base only, all other bases the runner may be tagged and called out if they are off the base.
Runners can not lead off a base, they must be on base until the ball as left the pitcher’s hand.
After a fly ball has been caught the base runner must tag the occupied base beforeadvancing to the next base.
One base runner can not pass another base runner that is ahead of them.
Stealing a base is not permitted A runner is out if

they are tagged with the ball before reaching a base
the ball gets to 1st base before the runner
they run more than 3 feet out of the base line to avoid being tagged