SEASAC Girls Softball

Rules

SEASAC Softball Rules

All International Softball Federation (ISF) rules apply HERE with the following SEASAC exceptions.

  1. Maximum roster size –
    • Minimum number for SEASAC Participation Points is 11.
    • 13 players and 2 coaches.
  2. All scheduled games in a SEASAC tournament must be played to conclusion, weather permitting. Request for forfeits may not be entertained.
  3. Pitching distances, measured from of home plate to the front of the pitching mound, are as follows:
    • In the Girls Competition Pitchers will have the choice of pitching from either 46 or 50 feet.
    • In the Boys Competition the Pitching Mound must be 50 feet from home plate.
    • The pitcher must have their foot grounded on the pitching mound when they release the pitch.
  4. A strike mat will be used for determining strikes and balls, as well as plays at home plate. The strike mat should be black and made of a durable material (e.g. rubber). The strike mat measurements are as follow:
    • DI Boys & Girls 20 inches wide x 32 inches long.
    • DII Boys 20 inches wide x 32 inches long.
    • DII Girls 22.5 inches wide x 34.5 inches long.
  5. The strike mat will be flush with the front of home plate, and overlap the plate evenly on both sides.
  6. Any legally pitched ball (ISF: 6 foot to 12 foot arc) that comes in contact with any part of the mat is a strike.
  7. A defensive player can touch any part of the mat with the ball in their possession to create a force out.
  8. A 15-foot commitment line from home plate. Commitment line should be extended to an area longer than that of the baseline. This is to allow runners running to the backstop to see this line.
  1. Base distance will be 65 feet.
  2. No tag at home after the runner crosses the commitment line, force play only.
    • Unless ball is thrown behind plate to backstop a tag only but NO body contact should be made. Umpires discretion will determine play outcome.
  1. The official SEASAC softballs are as follows:
    • DI & DII Boys 12” with a maximum 0.47 COR/max 375 lbs compression
    • DI & DII Girls 11” with a maximum 0.47 COR/max 375 lbs compression
  2. #3 and #4 in the batting order will be allowed to be ‘intentionally walked’ (no strikes thrown) only once per game. Each time thereafter when the same batter is ‘intentionally walked’ (no strikes thrown) the batter will be awarded a double.
  3. Recommended field dimensions are as follows:
    • DI & DII  Boys
      • Minimum (65 metres)
      • Maximum (75 metres)
    • DI & DII Girls
      • Minimum (55 metres)
      • Maximum (65 metres)
  4. Only ISF, NSA or ASA bats with accreditation logos can be used at SEASAC tournaments.
  5. All players must wear helmets when batting, running the bases and base coaching.
  6. The use of a double base (Safety Base) at first in required.
    • No sliding at first base
  7. The mercy rule will continue to be used in the interest of good sportsmanship:
    • at the end of 4 innings, a team is winning by 20+ runs
    • at the end of 5 innings, a team is winning by 15+ runs
  8. Mercy rule applies to all matches, including playoff matches.
  9. Batters will enter the batter’s box with a 1:1 count
  10. No bunting allowed
  11. Batters in ALL divisions are allowed to step one foot out of the batter’s box while hitting.
    • Players are NOT allowed to step on the strike mat.
  12. A foul ball with two strikes is not an out. A second foul ball hit with two strikes is an out. (One courtesy foul will be given).
  13. A foul tip is a batted ball which
    • Goes directly from the bat to the catcher’s hands.
    • Goes not higher than the batter’s head, and Is legally caught by the catcher.
      • NOTE: It is not a foul tip unless caught; and any foul tip that is caught is a strike.
    • In Slow Pitch the ball is dead. It is not a catch if it is a rebound, unless the ball first touched the catcher’s hand(s) or glove.
  14. There will be a timed 5-minute warm up for each team before the start of each game. The time should be shown on the scoreboard.
  15. Pitchers are allowed 5 warm up pitches between innings.
  16. A courtesy runner is only allowed if the injured player gets injured at the tournament. Injured players should not travel and then expect to be allowed a courtesy runner.
  17. Preliminary round-robin games will be 7 inning or 75 minutes (whichever is shorter). No new inning will start with less than 10 minutes remaining on the game clock. The starting time and start of last inning should be either visibly written or told to each team prior to start of game.
  18. Tie-break. In the case of a tie at the end of the round-robin section of the tournament the following criteria will be used to break the tie:
    • Head to head result:
      In the case of a draw or multi-way tie, the following shall be applied to break the tie
      • Defensive average of runs allowed against tied teams
      • Defensive average of runs allowed against all teams
      • If a tie remains the tied teams will play a ‘One pitch’ inning as described in the ISF rule book
      • Once the first tie-break in a multi-way tie has been resolved, additional ties will be resolved in the same format using the same sequence of procedures beginning with head to head result
  19. Home & away team rules:
    • Pool matches – first named team home
    • Semi finals – higher ranked team in pool play home
    • Finals – toss of coin to decide home team

ISF rule clarifications

In the event of a tie in a pool game or play off game, additional inning/s will be played. The last batter out of the previous inning will start on second base and the next batter in the order that would be up normally after the last out of the previous inning would be the first batter.

ISF uniform rules will not apply.

ISF amended rule 2004 – 2017.
After the batter first enters the batter’s box they must remain in the batter’s box between pitches by keeping at least 1 foot in the box including while taking signals and practice swings. If the batter leaves the batter’s box, delay play and none of the exceptions apply; the umpire shall call a strike. No pitch has to be thrown and the ball is dead.

Exceptions:

  • if the ball is hit foul or fair
  • on a swing, or an attempted swing, which includes a slap or checked swing provided the momentum of the attempted swing carries the batter out of the batter’s box
  • if force out by the pitch
  • if the pitcher leaves the pitcher’s plate
  • on a three ball pitch that is a strike that the batter thinks is a ball