Division of Student Affairs

Intramural Softball Rules

All ASA rules will be followed in men's, women's and co-rec play with the following exceptions:

1. The game will be started with a flip of the coin. Winner has choice of bat or field.
2. The game shall consist of seven innings or 60 minutes, whatever comes first (no extra innings). Any inning currently in progress after an hour has expired will be completed before the game is called.
3. All base runners and the batter runner are permitted to slide. Players must slide directly into the base. Barrel roll slides or "bowling over" the defensive player (with or without the ball) is prohibited. Players not abiding by this rule will be called out. If their action is judged flagrant, they can be ejected from the game. An offensive player who is obstructed (hindered) by a defensive player (i.e. blocking the base or base path without the ball, or attempting a fake tag) shall be awarded the appropriate bases he/she would have attained if the obstruction did not occur. The defensive player also may be ejected if his/her action was judged flagrant.
4. Three balls will dictate a walk and two strikes will dictate an out. Any batter who fouls a pitch after obtaining one strike is out.
5. A euthanasia rule of 15 runs at the end of five innings will be used. Any team which leads its opponent by 15 or more runs at the end of five innings will be declared the winner.
6. A batter will be declared out if he/she intentionally bunts or chops the ball downward (the batter must have made contact with the ball to be out). A base runner will be declared out if he/she leaves his/her base before the ball crosses home plate. Under no circumstances is a runner permitted to steal bases. All advances will be due to batted balls or walks.
7. A game called by the umpire after 3.5 completed innings (home team ahead) or 40 minutes of play will be counted as complete.
8. A player must bat once and play one time in the field before he/she can be substituted for during the game (except for injury).
9. Substitutions:
   1. There will be free substitution. The only stipulation is that each player must play one full inning and bat before leaving the game.
   2. A player substituting for another must bat in the same batting spot as the player being replaced. The original player and the substitute(s) are locked to that specific batting spot in the lineup.
   3. A pitcher cannot be substituted for until he/she has completed pitching to one batter.
10. Tie Game: If a game is tied at the end of seven innings or time limit, the following tiebreaking procedures shall be used. The team who scored the most runs in the first inning of the game shall be declared the winner. If the score of the game after the first inning is still tied, go to the second inning, and so on. If the score of the game is still 0 to 0, the first team who got a runner to first base (from a walk, hit, or error) shall be declared the winner. (There shall be no extra innings during league play.)
11. In between innings, infield practice shall only be allowed during the first inning of the game. For the remainder of the game, pitchers shall receive two warm-up tosses and the umpire shall call for the batter.
12. Pitching Regulations:
    1. The pitcher shall take a position with both feet firmly on the ground and in contact with the pitcher's plate.
    2. The ball must be delivered underhanded and at a a moderate speed. Underhand means below the hip. There must be at least a three-foot rise from the delivery level before the ball reaches home plate and must not go over 12 feet from the ground.
    3. The umpire shall warn the pitcher who delivers the pitch with excessive speed. On the second such pitch, he/she shall be removed from the mound.
    4. No quick pitch, which is a pitch made by the pitcher with the obvious attempt to catch the batter off balance. This would be before the batter takes his/her desired position in the batter box.
    5. A pitch that does not meet the legal requirements mentioned above shall be declared an illegal pitch by the home plate umpire. This pitch is an automatic ball, unless the batter swings and misses or hits the ball.
13. Batting Regulations: In slow pitch, the strike zone is between the shoulder and the knees. A legal pitch which strikes home plate (or the carpet placed behind home plate) and is not swung at shall be declared a strike. This is the "Carpet Rule."
14. When, in the opinion of the umpire(s), all immediate play is apparently completed, time shall be called. Once time has been called, all play is dead.
15. In the event the scheduled umpires fail to show up for their assigned games, each team shall provide one individual to officiate their game.

Co-Rec Softball Rules

A summer co-rec team consists of:

• 10 players = 3 women and 7 men
• 9 players = 3 women and 6 men
• 8 players = 2 women and 6 men

Teams do not have to alternate male/female batters, or female/male batters. A team may play with more females than males.

If a male player receives a base on balls (walk), AND if a female player immediately in the batting order follows, she will have the choice of:

• receiving an automatic walk, or
• attempting her at bat

Once a choice is made, it cannot be changed.

Defensive positions in the field do not have to alternate male/female (i.e., male pitcher and female catcher, or female pitcher and male catcher.