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North Central Seattle Little League

AAA Division Softball Rules of Play

Softball – AAA
  1. All players league age 9, 10 and 11 are eligible for the Minors division.
  2. At all times (On offense or on defense), there must be at least one parent present in the dugout. That parent must have cleared a Little League approved background check.
  3. The entire player game roster shall be used as the batting order, regardless of defensive position. Players arriving after the game has started shall be placed in the batting order after the last player named in such batting order. “Free” substitution is allowed.
  4. If playing on a non-fenced field, the home run line will be marked by cones a distance of 180 feet from home plate. A batted ball that passes over the coned home run line on the fly shall be a home run. A batted ball that touches a fielder’s glove, or any other part of said fielder, and passes over the coned home run line on the fly, without ever touching the ground prior to passing the cones, shall be a home run. A batted ball that passes the coned home run line after first touching the ground shall be a ground-rule double, regardless of whether a fielder touched it or not.
  5. If available, a safety base (Flat, rubber base) will be placed next to first base to reduce collisions and to give batters a better chance of running through first base on a ground ball to the infield. In general, the defense is entitled to the inside base, while the batter / runner is entitled to the outside flat, rubber base. Coaches should instruct their players to make plays to the inside base while playing defense, and to run through the outside base while running to first.
  6. Each team must provide a scorekeeper who is not a manager or coach. The home team is considered the official scorekeeper.
  7. The home team is responsible for supplying the home plate umpire for the game. The visiting team is responsible for providing the field umpire for the game.
  8. The game will be played using an 11” softball.
  9. No new inning can be started after 2 hours. No new batter after 2 hours and 15 minutes. Games not completed after the 2 hour and 15 minute time limit will revert to the last completed inning (Ties are allowed).
  10. A curfew shall apply to all games played Sunday through Thursday while school is in session. No new inning may begin after 8:15 pm, and no new batter after 8:30 pm. School is not considered to be “In session” during vacations and holidays.
  11. Each team will be allowed to use nine (9) defensive players, three (3) of which will be in the outfield. If a team has less than nine (9) players, the game may be played with all of the infield positions being used before the outfield. Outfielders must start play approximately 15ft behind the infield base lines to encourage proper defensive positioning. Outfielders are permitted to cover bases once the ball is put into play.
  12. The modified mandatory play rule is nine defensive outs, with at least three defensive outs being in an infield position is required for each player. Managers are encouraged to give all players their minimum playing time before the end of the fourth inning to ensure compliance in the event the game cannot be completed (Darkness, weather, time limit, etc). It is expected that managers will offer fair playing time to everyone.
  13. Managers and coaches should make every attempt to keep the game moving along at a good pace. Catchers should be identified in advance of their assigned inning, get geared up and be ready to play when their team takes the field (It should be noted that any player wearing a catcher’s mask can warm-up a pitcher). The umpire will remind managers of this requirement as needed.
  14. For safety reasons, players are not allowed to hold a bat in the dugout / bench area, or swing a bat outside of the batter’s box. Practice swings will be allowed in the batter’s box only under the coach’s direction.
  15. After entering the batter’s box, the batter must remain in the box with at least one foot throughout the at bat.
    Exceptions are as follows:
    1. On a swing, slap, or check swing
    2. When forced out of the box by a pitch
    3. When the batter attempts a drag bunt
    4. When the catcher does not catch the pitched ball
    5. When a play has been attempted
    6. When time has been called
    7. When the pitcher leaves the dirt area of the pitching mound, or takes a position more than five feet from the pitcher’s plate after receiving the ball, or the catcher leaves the catcher’s box
    8. On a three ball count pitch that is a strike that the batter thinks is a ball
    Penalty: If the batter leaves the batter’s box or delays play and none of the exceptions apply, the umpire shall warn the batter. After one warning on a batter, the umpire shall call a strike. Any number of strikes can be called on each batter. No pitch has to be thrown, the ball is dead, and no runners may advance.
  16. The entire game will be kid pitch from a distance of 35 feet between the front of the pitching rubber and the back corner of home plate.
  17. Continuation by a runner specifically awarded a base-on-balls IS NOT allowed.
  18. The infield fly rule is in effect. However, since many players at this level have difficulty catching flyballs, and very few know the rules well enough to take advantage of a dropped infield fly, umpires should declare an infield fly only when it appears that the flyball will more likely than not be caught in the infield with little effort. This is a judgment call.
  19. The side retires when there are three (3) outs, when five (5) runs score, or when the entire batting order has batted, whichever comes first. EXCEPTION: If a batter hits a home run over the fence or outfield boundary line, or a ground rule double, all runs driven in by that play will score (Maximum of two runs on ground rule double). During the sixth inning, and every inning thereafter, there is no five run limit, but the number of runs is limited to one rotation through the batting order.
  20. An end-of-the-year double elimination playoff will be held for all teams, with seeds determined by random draw.

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