Many organized girls softball leagues are sanctioned by the Amateur Softball Association. The ASA also provides rules to ensure that softball is a fun game for kids to play and to build friendships with peers. There are numerous rules that regulate game play. Many softball rules are similar to those of baseball.
Pitching
The pitcher throws the ball underhand toward the plate. Both of her feet must be on the rubber (the base on the pitcher's mound) before she throws the ball. A pitcher is only allowed to move forward one step while pitching. Before she throws the pitch, both hands must be on the ball and the ball must be in the glove.
Batting
Hitters must remain in the batter's box for the duration of the pitch, but may step out before a pitch is thrown. The batter will be called out if she does not stand in the batter's box or steps on home plate. A batter is also called out after getting three strikes, having the ball caught before hitting the ground, being tagged with the ball by a defensive player, or if the ball reaches a first baseman who has at least one foot on the base before the hitter reaches the base.
Game Rules
There are nine defensive players on the field during a softball game. The field is divided between the outfield and the infield. The infield, also known as the diamond, is the part of the field that contains the bases. The outfield is the grass outside of the diamond. Any ball hit outside the baselines, which are the lines that stretch from home plate to the outfield, is considered foul and counts as a strike unless there are already two strikes in the count. Games last seven innings unless the teams are tied. An inning consists of both teams getting a chance to play offense and defense.
Base Running
When running the bases, players must touch each base in order (first, second, third, then home). They can overrun first base, but can be tagged out if they overrun any other base. Runners are not allowed to leave a base until the pitcher has thrown the ball. After a fly ball is caught, every runner must tag the base that she started on before she is allowed to move to the next base. Stealing bases is not permitted in some leagues. A runner may not pass another runner. A runner is considered out if she is tagged with the ball, if she runs at least three feet outside of the base line or if the ball gets to their base before she does.
Field Dimensions
In girls softball, the distance between each base is 60 feet. The distance from the pitcher's mound to home plate is 43 feet. The distance from home plate to the backstop must be a minimum of 25 feet and a maximum of 30 feet. The warning track, or the dirt right in front of the outfield wall, must be 10 feet in length. The area from the foul line to the dugout or crowd must be between 25 to 30 feet. The pitcher's mound has a radius of eight feet.
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