Competitive softball is played at the youth, high school, college and professional levels. It is a sport that is dominated by pitching and defense. Runs tend to be at a premium, and many games are low scoring. Since so many games are so tightly played, it's in the interest of all players and coaches to know the rules of the game.
Field Dimensions
The pitching rubber is 43 feet from home plate. The pitching rubber is located within the pitching circle. All pitchers must start and finish their pitch from within the pitcher's circle. The field is laid out in a diamond form and there are 60 feet between all bases. Fences are not required in the outfield but if they are in place, they should not be closer than 185 feet from home plate.
Number of Players
Teams can take the field with 10 players in fast pitch softball. The positions are pitcher, catcher, first base, second base, third base, shortstop, left field, center field, right field and and extra fielder that is usually positioned in the outfield. This is not a requirement because the extra fielder can be positioned anywhere in fair territory. There are 10 batters in the lineup. A designated hitter can be used in place of any of the fielders if the coach wants. The DH does not have to bat for just the pitcher, as is the case in baseball.
Protective Equipment
All batters must wear a helmet every time they come up to the plate. The helmet must be made of hard plastic and must cover the head and both ears. A helmet that includes a protective face mask is encourage but it is not required. All base runners must wear helmets as they run the base paths. Players that come into the on deck circle must wear helmets. All catchers must wear catcher's masks, a chest protector and shin guards. The catcher's mask may be a traditional mask with metal bars or a hockey-style goalie mask.
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