Softball Rule's 101 - Questions & Answers

[Admin]

I'm starting this post after running into a softball Mom around 4:45 a.m. Friday morning.

Jill has two daughters who both play on Fastpitch Travel Teams. You could tell she was very proud of her girls accomplishments in softball.

As we talk she inform me that she was a big fan of the forum and was upset when the forum crash. I explain to her the forum would be just fine.

Then I told her about some plan I had for the site and she love them.

Out of all thing we talk about in 30 minutes or over a cup of coffee. That I thought was really cool!

She started talking about all the different forum members, and that she has five users that have become her favourite and she read everything they post.

She told me she just found out about TheSoftballZone radio show a week ago, and has already listening to three of the podcast.

Jill said she going to try and listening to all the podcast over the next couple of weeks. As she trying to catch up on the show.

One of the thing Jill ask me about is Girls Fastpitch Softball Rules.

And that what this post is all about and I want to thank Jill because this was Her idea.

She ask me why we don't have a section in the forum for ( Her Words not mine ) Rules for dummies?

So as we finish up are coffee and discussion we came up with this.

Softball Rule's 101 - Questions & Answers

So this will be my attempt to give everyone a chance to help people like Jill, that wants to have a better understanding of the rules.

I will ask the 1st question to get the thread started. Once my softball rule question is answers, its someone else turn to ask a question and so on and so on.

We as a group should be able to help make a clear understanding of most, of the common rules and help cut thru some of hard to interpret rules at the same time.

Thanks Jill for the great idea.

 

[Admin]

Testing merge

How can a ball that hit toward third base or first base then rolls left of 3rd base or right of 1st base still be a fair ball?

How can a ball that hit toward third base or first base then rolls left of 3rd base or right of 1st base still be a fair ball?

If it rolls left or right of the base AFTER passing it?

If a fielder touched it before it rolled foul?

If the fielder got down on her hands and knees and blew on the ball to make it roll foul?

If the ball hits the base first?

 

[Admin]

Last two comments were removed! They're Reply's didn't answer the current question up for discussion or was not a question.

This Thread is a Question & Answer thread about Girls Fastpitch Softball Rules

 

[Admin]

Why type of ruling during the game can may daughter Coach protest during a game?

 

[ApogeeDemon]

Why type of ruling during the game can may daughter Coach protest during a game?

hmmmmmm How about if the batter just got a hit with an illegal bat?!

 

[SoCal_Dad]

Why type of ruling during the game can may daughter Coach protest during a game?

A misinterpretation or misapplication of the rules. Judgement calls cannot be protested.

What is the difference between a foul ball and a foul tip?

 

[Comp]

A foul tip is a pitched ball that is tipped by the bat and travels sharply and directly to the catchers glove or hand and is caught.

 

[GeneralsDad]

An answer to the first question could be if the ball was first touched by a fielder in fair ground and then the ball rolls foul. For example, if the ball tipped off a fielders glove. Comp has it right on the foul tip.

 

[BretMan2]

(For ASA rules)

How many different appeal plays are allowed under ASA rules?

 

[BretMan2]

We could just move the "Softball Rules" section up to the top of the forum. It's buried down at the bottom of the page!

 

[Admin]

We could just move the "Softball Rules" section up to the top of the forum. It's buried down at the bottom of the page!

That sounds like a good idea? I will move it tomorrow night.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

(For ASA rules)

How many different appeal plays are allowed under ASA rules?

There are 2 ways of making an appeal - live and dead ball. There are 4 things that can be appealed - missing a base, leaving a base early on a caught fly ball, attempting to advance to 2B after overrunning 1B and batting out of order.

A foul tip is a pitched ball that is tipped by the bat and travels sharply and directly to the catchers glove or hand and is caught.

What is the effect of a foul tip versus a caught foul ball?

 

[BretMan2]

A foul tip is treated, essentially, the same as a swing and a miss. It is a strike. The ball is live. Runners may advance (no tag up is necessary).

If a batted ball that's caught isn't a foul tip (ie: it did not go "sharply and directly" to the catcher, etc.), then it's a caught fly ball over foul territory. Treat the same as any other caught fly ball. Batter out, ball live, runner's must tag up to advance.

 

[Admin]

What the infield fly rule? And why do they have this rule?

 

[AndrewGeorge]

The infield fly rule is a call made by the umpire when a routine fly ball is hit in or around the infield but only when there are at least 2 runners on creating force outs (such as runners at 1st and 2nd, 1st 2nd & 3rd). On the call, the batter is out and all base runners are no longer required to advance. The reason for this is to prevent the defense from abusing the base running rules and getting a double play. This is a judgement call by the umpires. Line drives or anything that is considered not a reasonable play will automatically get this call.

New question:

Who has the right to the basepath between the offense vs the defense?

 

[BretMan2]

Who has the right to the basepath between the offense vs the defense?

It depends!

For most amateur rule sets we deal with...the defense has the right of way when fielding a batted ball, or when in possession of the ball. If the fielder isn't fielding a batted ball, or doesn't have possession of the ball, then the offense/runner has the right of way.

In NCAA softball, a fielder also has the right of way if positioned to receive a thrown ball. But that isn't the case for ASA, high school, NSA, USSSA. etc.

Next question:

Does the run count on this play?

Runners on first and third. One out. Batter hits fly ball to the outfield and it is caught. Runner on third tags up and goes home. The runner on first goes to second, but fails to tag up.

After the runner crosses the plate, the defense throws the ball to F3 who catches it and touches first base, appealing that the runner left early.

 

[Gundog]

Run counts as third out was not a force out.

Question- Runners on first and third no outs. Routine Pop up to first baseman, R2 runs into fielder who drops ball. R1 scores, R2 makes it safely to 2nd, batter makes it safely to 1st. What's the call?

 

[wvanalmsick]

Run counts as third out was not a force out.

Question- Runners on first and third no outs. Routine Pop up to first baseman, R2 runs into fielder who drops ball. R1 scores, R2 makes it safely to 2nd, batter makes it safely to 1st. What's the call?

If the umpire calls interference on R2, then the ball is immediately dead, R2 is out, R1 has to return to 3rd base and the batter is awarded 1st base.

If the umpire did not call interference, then we have the defense's coach being ejected from the game for chest-bumping the umpire during the argument. lol

 

[Gundog]

Same situation, but routine pop up drifts into foul territory and, only because the runner bumps into the first baseman, the ball is not caught.....

 

[BretMan2]

Same situation, but routine pop up drifts into foul territory and, only because the runner bumps into the first baseman, the ball is not caught.....

The answer to this one can actually be different depending on the rule set (ie: ASA vs. high school).