Switch Hitting, switching batter boxes. What the Rules?

[Admin]

Can softball switch hitter, switch batters boxes after each pitch?

What are the rules for switch hitting in girls Fastpitch softball?

When I was still Coaching, we played in a softball tournament in Indianapolis, Indiana were the umpire wouldn't let me switch my girl batting back to the other boxes. I ask him why?

He said once a batter has a full count you can't switch your girls back n forth in the batters boxes.

Is that still true?

 

[CARDS]

While I am not sure this is actually a rule and if it is it would most likely vary from sanctioning body, we were playing in a USSSA fall State tournament 4 years ago when a player from the opposing team was called out after changing sides of the plate.
Naturally; the other team coaches were not happy campers...
What the umpire explained was the batter was in the RH box when he gave the signal to the pitcher to pitch. ?Without calling time? the batter walked across the plate to the LH box per her coaches instruction to change sides. The umpire said it was a safety rule and he advised both teams that if a player was going to flip sides to go behind the catcher after calling time?
None of this was discussed in ground rules and I had never had an umpire enforce it in any other event we have ever played in and we have had ladies switch sides regardless of count.

 

[FastPitch86]

I've seen players start on one side then switch to the opposite side and never seen any issues from the umpire. Haven't seen where a player kept switching back and forth, that may be an issue but not sure.

 

[crystlemc]

I believe they can switch every pitch, however, if they set up in one box and don't ask for and receive time before switching, she can be called out.

 

[ApogeeDemon]

Its more fun to try and switch batters boxes after the girl has pitched the ball.

 

[BretMan2]

It's an old rule myth that a batter can't switch sides after some certain count, like with two strikes. I hate to hear that an umpire somewhere enforced that imaginary rule!

A batter could switch sides on every pitch. The actual rule is this: A batter may not step directly from one batter's box to the other while the ball is live and the pitcher is in position to pitch (ie: feet on pitcher's plate per pitching preliminaries). If the batter breaks the rule, the ball is dead and the batter is out.

If the batter wants to legally switch sides, she should either wait until time is called or do it when the pitcher is off the rubber.