The National Collegiate Athletic Association publishes the NCAA Softball Rules and Interpretations as a guide to the official rules and regulations used in collegiate level softball games. These rules define what constitutes a stolen base and when the stolen base should or should not be awarded to the runner. The Amateur Softball Association of America also publishes its own rules and regulations for the game.
Stolen Base
A stolen base is awarded to the runner when she advances to a base, as long as no safe hit, putout, error, force, fielder's choice, illegal pitch, hit batter, base on balls, passed ball, interference, obstruction or wild pitch occurs.
Caught Stealing
A batter caught stealing is thrown out during an attempt to steal the base by the catcher. If the runner overslides or overruns the base she is attempting to steal and is tagged out by a defensive player, she has been caught stealing.
Wild Pitch
The runner is credited with a stolen base if she starts for the next base on the pitchers release and the pitch would be scored as a wild pitch. If the steal is as a result of the wild pitch, only the initial base is scored as stolen even if she advances more than one base.
Rundown
Award the stolen base to a runner who advances to the next base safely after being caught in a rundown. A rundown is an act of the defensive team attempting to put out a runner who is off base and between two or more defensive players. However, do not credit a stolen base to a runner caught in a rundown if an error permits the runner to advance to another base safely.
Batter Interference
The batter may not interfere with the catcher or other fielder from throwing out a runner during a steal attempt --- for example stepping outside the batter's box. If this situation occurs the ball is ruled dead, the batter declared out and any base runners must return to the base the umpire determines was last legally touched at the time of the interference.
Umpire Interference
When an umpire or her clothing interferes with the catcher attempting to throw out a runner on a steal attempt, the call is known as a delayed dead ball. If the runner is ruled out consider the ball live and no interference is called. If the runner is not out, she returns to the base occupied at the time of the pitch.
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