Adopted March 2007
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of Emphasis
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The
following rules shall be used in
1.
All games shall be 6 innings with a 60 minute time limit. No new inning will begin after 60 minutes
unless the score is tied. The
tie-breaker rule will be used in the 7th inning or in any inning
that begins after time has expired.
2.
There is a 6 run limit without continuation of the play per inning.
The inning is over the instant after the
6th run scores. The run-rule/mercy
rule will be 15 runs after 3 innings,
3.
All players must be listed on the official line-up before the
start of the game. No player may be
added to or deleted from the line-up after the umpire accepts the line-up at
the pre-game plate meeting. A player not
listed on the official line-up who participates in the game will cause the game
to be forfeited. All players listed on
the official line-up given to the plate umpire will bat.
4.
If a player is not present when it is her turn to bat, an out will
be declared. If a player must be removed
from the game because of injury, sickness or any other reason, an out will be
declared when they are due to bat. Players
may be freely substituted on defense but the batting order will remain the same
for the entire game.
5.
A runner who becomes injured while running the bases may be temporarily
replaced by the offensive player who precedes her in the lineup. If that player is already on base, then the offensive
player preceding her may run for the injured runner. If that player is also already on base, then
the offensive player preceding her may run for the injured runner. However, as per Rule 4 above, if the injured
runner cannot bat at her next at-bat, she will be declared out.
6.
The pitching machine shall be set with the center of the machine
at thirty-five (35) feet. The machine speed
will be set at 35 mph for 8U and 40 mph for 10U. Prior to each game, the umpire will have each
coach feed at least one pitch and obtain a consensus that the machine is set
correctly. The umpire may adjust the
pitching machine any time he/she believes it is needed.
7.
A coach from the offensive team shall feed the pitching
machine. This coach may give advice and
help to the batter only. He/she may not coach the batter-runner or runners.
a.
After a batter hits the ball, this coach shall remain motionless
behind the pitching machine or move quietly away from the playing action into
foul territory away from the play. If a
coach violates this rule or is hit by a batted or thrown ball, a dead ball will
be called and the runner closest to home will be called out, the batter-runner
will be awarded 1st base (unless no runners are on base – then she
is the runner closest to home and therefore out), and other runners will
advance only if forced.
b.
The umpire may restrict a coach to the bench or eject him/her for
repeated violations of this rule.
8.
The batter will receive a maximum of five pitches or three
strikes, whichever occurs first. If the fifth pitch is hit foul the batter will
be called out. The umpire may call a "no pitch" if the pitch is
clearly out of the strike zone and the batter does not swing.
9.
A batted ball that hits the pitching machine shall be ruled dead
and the batter awarded first base. All
other runners will be awarded one base only if they are forced.
10.
A runner may not leave a base until the ball leaves the pitching
machine.
11.
The defensive team must have a minimum of eight (8) and a maximum
of ten (10) players in the field. At the
start of a pitch, one player shall be in the pitcher’s position on either side
of the pitching machine with one foot on or in the 8 foot radius circle. With eight defensive players, two players
shall be shall be in the outfield at the start of the pitch. With nine players, three players will be in
the outfield at the start of the pitch.
With ten players, four will be in the outfield at the start of the
pitch. The outfield is defined as at
least 10 feet outside of the base lines in fair territory.
12.
Defensive players may not move in front of the pitching machine towards
home plate until the ball has exited the pitching machine. Should a defensive player be in front of the
pitching machine prior to the ball leaving the pitching machine, an illegal
pitch shall be declared.
13.
As in normal fastpitch softball, the ball is live after each play
until the defensive team has stopped all runners from advancing and the pitcher
has control of the ball with both feet on or in the pitching circle. At this point the look-back rule goes into
effect and runner’s who are off a base and stopped must immediately go to the
next base or return to the last base without stopping or reversing direction. This rule does not preclude the umpire from
calling or granting time in situations such as when a runner has slid into a
base, requests time, no other runners are advancing, or there is an injured
player. The ball shall be dead
immediately anytime the pitching coach touches a ball thrown to him/her at the
end of a play and all runners will return to the last base touched.
14.
Only one defensive
coach may be outside the dugout. This
coach must remain close to the fence between the on-deck batter’s box and 1st
base. Should a coach move outside this
area, the umpire may restrict him/her to the dugout. If subsequent coaches violate this rule, the
umpire may prevent any defensive coaches from being outside the dugout.
15.
There are four appeal plays: 1) batting out of order, 2) missing a
base, 3) leaving a base before a caught fly ball is touched, and 4)
over-running 1st base and then making an attempt to go to 2nd
base.
a.
The first three appeal plays are live or dead ball appeals. The last is a live ball appeal by defensive
players only. At the end of playing action, coaches may
request time and then make a dead ball appeal.
b.
ALL OTHER SITUATIONS are ‘requests
for help.’ A player or a coach may
make a ‘request for help’ and it may be honored by the umpire at the umpire’s
discretion.
c.
The coach feeding the pitching machine may not make dead ball
appeals and may request help only as it pertains to the pitching machine.
Discussion and Points of
Emphasis for 8U and 10U Machine-Pitch Rules
1.
The philosophy behind these rules is to make them as few and as
simple as possible while accommodating the uniqueness of the 8U and 10U age
groups and the pitching machine. Relying
on the ASA Class B 10U Rules will
provide a standard set of rules and will facilitate the transition to the
regular 10U age group for players, coaches, and parents.
2.
“6 Run limit without
continuation of the play per inning” means that there can never be more
than 6 runs scored by a team per inning.
For example if there are 5 runs already scored in the inning, bases are
loaded, and the batter hits a triple, then only one run will score and the
half-inning will be over.
3.
When a team is behind and cannot catch up or go ahead before the
end of the 6th inning or when time expires, there is no reason to
continue the game since they cannot win.
The game will not be continued just because there is time left on the
clock.
4.
Per the ASA Rule Book, a team must have a minimum of 8 players to
begin or continue a game (unless they go from 9 to 8 because a player is ejected
for unsportsmanlike conduct). If a
player is not physically present at game time, the coach may choose to add that
player to the line-up and take an out when she is due to bat and still not
present, or to leave the player off the line-up and not allow her to play in
that game.
5.
The only duties for the pitching machine coach are to feed the
pitching machine and to coach the batter while at bat and before the batter
hits the ball. Limiting the pitching
machine coach to these duties only provides for a more realistic game
environment and prevents the pitching machine coach from becoming a distraction
to the defensive team. The
pitching-machine coach may not make appeals.
The pitching-machine coach may not make a “request for help” unless it
pertains to the pitching machine.
6.
The electrical extension cord from dead ball area to the pitching
machine is considered to be part of the playing field. A batted or thrown ball that touches the cord
shall remain live. If a player trips
over the electrical extension cord, it will be the same as tripping over any
other object that is part of the playing field.
7.
“In front of the pitching machine” means a direct line along the
shortest path from the center of the pitching machine to the 1st
base and 3rd base line.
8.
The defensive team must stop runners from advancing before the
ball becomes dead at the end of a play.
They cannot stop runners from advancing by merely getting the ball to
the pitcher in the circle. The intent is
to use the same rules as for normal ASA fastpitch softball. Following is an overview of these rules. However, the current ASA rule book governs
and should be referenced.
a.
Should the pitcher gain control of the ball with both feet on or
in the circle while a runner is still moving towards a base, that runner may
continue to run whether or not the pitcher makes a play on the runner.
b.
Should the pitcher gain control of the ball with both feet on or
in the circle while a runner is stopped on
a base, that runner must remain on that base unless the pitcher makes a play on
another runner. If a runner stopped on
a base leaves that base after the pitcher has control of the ball in/on the
circle (and who is not making a play on a runner), then a dead ball will be
called and the runner called out.
c.
Should the pitcher gain control of the ball with both feet on or
in the circle while a runner is stopped off
a base or if a runner who is off a base comes to a stop after the pitcher has
control of the ball in the circle, and the pitcher does not make a play on a
runner, then the look-back rule goes into effect and the runner must
immediately proceed directly to the next base or return to the last base
without stopping or reversing direction.
9.
Players must make any live ball appeals on runners who run past 1st
base and then make an attempt to go to 2nd base by tagging them
before they return to 1st base.
At the end of playing action, coaches may request time and make any dead
ball appeals. It is emphasized that
these are the only four appeal plays to which the player or coach has a right
to make an appeal. All other situations are “requests
for help.” If a coach desires to
approach an umpire about a play that s/he disagrees with or does not understand,
s/he must first get time and approach the umpire who made the call. It is entirely up to that umpire whether or
not to honor the request for help.
10.
Following is a summary of ASA 10U Class B rules and are provided
for ease of reference. However, the current
ASA Rule Book should be referred to as necessary.
a.
There is no dropped 3rd strike rule. However the ball remains live and runners (not
the batter) may advance/steal with liability to be put out.
b.
A runner on 1st or 2nd can advance/steal
only one base per pitch. If they advance more than one, they are liable to be
put out. At end of play if the runner is
safe and has advanced more than one base, the umpire will return the runner to the
correct base.
c.
There is no stealing home.
d.
The only way a runner on 3rd base can score is on a batted
ball, by being forced home by a walk or a hit batter, or by being awarded home by
the umpire on an infraction such as an illegal pitch or overthrow into dead
ball territory.
e.
There are
infield flies in 10U. However the fly
must be able to be caught with “ordinary
effort” by an infielder. “Ordinary
effort” must be judged by the umpire and means that some flies in the infield may
not be judged to be an infield fly if catching them would be more than
“ordinary effort” for that age group. In
other words, the same pop-up could be declared an infield fly for 18U and not
for 10U.
f.
Bunting is permitted. A
bunted foul ball on the 3rd strike is an out.
g.
A walked batter cannot advance past 1st base.
8U and 10U Machine Pitch
Umpire Mechanics
Two umpires will be used for District and State
Tournaments if at all possible. One
umpire may be used only when the Tournament Director or UIC determines that a
second umpire is just not available.
ONE-MAN MECHANICS.
TWO-MAN MECHANICS.