Intra-Mural Softball League Rules

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The Field Of Play

The Game

• A game lasts one hour, with an equal number of innings (times at bat) for both teams.
• A point is scored for a team when one runner goes all the way around the four bases, starting and finishing at the home base and touching all the bases.
• A team consists of nine players, at least three of which must be females.
• An inning ends when the team batting accrues three ``outs'', or has had all nine players bat during that inning.
• The order of batting remains the same for each inning. The batting order continues where it left off at the end of the last inning.

Batting

• The batter is to stand just away from the ``homeplate'' so that when he/she extends the arms and bat, the bat will be over the homeplate.
• The batter is to take a full swing, starting with the bat at (or near) the shoulder and swinging it through to the other shoulder. (In other words, if you know what a ``bunt'' is, we'll have none of that here!)
• The batter, upon hitting the ball, must run to ``first base''. You can not choose which hit to run on.
• A batter is ``out'' if he/she accrues three ``strikes'' (see A Strike), or is fielded out (see Fielding).

A Strike

• If the batter swings at the ball and misses then that is a ``strike''.
• If the ball is ``pitched'' so that it travels over the homeplate and is at a height between the batter's knees and shoulders then that is a ``strike'', even if no swing is attempted.
• Three ``strikes'' = ``out''.

A Ball

• A ball ``pitched'' which is not over the homeplate and/or is outside the knee-shoulder range of the batter is a ``ball''.
• Four ``balls'' = one free base (i.e. the batter goes to first base).

Pitching

• The pitcher is to pitch underhand, pulling the arm straight back, bringing it forward then releasing. No windups! No windmill pitches! No overhand pitches!
• If the pitcher pitches the ball and hits the batter without the batter moving onto the ball, then the batter goes to first base.

Fielding

• If the ball is hit into the air and a fielder catches the ball before it touches the ground, the batter is ``out''. All other runners must return to the base they started from. If the ball is hit into the ``in field'' (i.e. within the area of the 4 bases) and is caught before it touches the ground, the batter is out and all other runners must return to the base from which they started without the threat of getting ``out''. If the ball is hit into the ``out field'' and is caught before it touches the ground, the batter is out and all other runners are under the threat of getting ``out''.
• To get a person ``out'':-
  • the ball must be caught before it touches the ground.
  • the runner must be tagged with the ball while it is in the hand of the fielder. To be tagged out, the runner must not be on a base (i.e. either running to a new base, or over-running second or third base).
  • the ball must be securely in the hands of a fielder standing on a base, where the ball has arrived before the runner. This only applies if the runner is ``forced'' to run (i.e. he/she has just batted, or another runner forces him/her off their current base).
  (In extremely close plays and at the discretion of the umpire, the decision will be in favour of the runner).
• A runner may over-run first and home bases only. If the runner does not stop on second or third base, he/she may be caught off base and be tagged ``out''.
• If the batter swings the bat and it ``ticks'' the ball, and the ball continues to travel backwards towards the catcher (i.e. it is not hit forward), it is a ``foul'' ball.
• If the batter hits the ball into the air and it is caught by the catcher, the batter is ``out'', but the ball must rise above the height of the batter's head before it is caught.
• Obstruction of any plays by the batting team, physically, will result in an ``out''. For example, if a runner interferes with the ball after the batter has hit it.
• If the batter throws the bat (dangerous play), he/she will first be warned and upon the next offence will be called ``out'' (at the umpire's discretion).
• The batter can not run with the bat. The bat must first be dropped before the batter may run.

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