Softball Rules

Disclosure: Rules are subject to vary by park, district, and state dependent on their boards. The rules listed below apply once teams make it to Atlanta. Any rules not covered in this document falls back to NFHS Rules.

Classification System

Park Classification Group

  • 0-149: B Classification
  • 150+: A classification

*Based upon age groups 5-12

Age restrictions

  • 5uCP Division: Players born up to January 1st, 2017 are eligible
  • 6uCP Division: Players born on/after January 1st, 2017 are eligible
  • 7uCP Division: Players born on/after January 1st, 2016 are eligible
  • 8uCP Division: Players born on/after January 1st, 2015 are eligible
  • 9u Division: Players born on/after January 1st, 2014 are eligible
  • 10u Division: Players born on/after January 1st, 2013 are eligible
  • 11u Division: Players born on/after January 1st, 2012 are eligible
  • 12u Division: Players born on/after January 1st, 2011 are eligible

Basepath and Mound Distances

6u 30' 55'
8u 35' 60'
10u 35' 60'
12u 40' 60'

USA Softball approved base.

Equipment

Bats

Approved bats only. USSSA BPF 1.15 allowed. USA Bat Standard allowed. Banned Bats: If a bat is on any tournament provider's banned bat list, then it is banned for use in *Braves Country Softball.***

  1. You will be provided with a list of banned bats.
  2. No composite bats: 6u only

Balls

  1. 6u-10u: 11” ball
  2. 7-12: 12” ball

Facemasks

  • 6u-8u: Facemasks required
  • 10u-12u: Facemasks highly recommended
  • Chest protectors: Recommended

Game Topics

Home Team:

  1. In pool play, a coin toss determines the home team.
  2. In bracket play, the higher seed has choice of home or away (same seeds that play each other in bracket play will be a coin toss). The home team keeps the official scorebook.
  3. The visiting team runs the scoreboard where applicable.

Game Time Limits

Game time limits apply to all games, including Championship games.

  1. Coach Pitch, 5u: 60 minutes
  2. 10u: 1:15
  3. 12u: 1:15

Innings per Game

All games for 12u and younger are six (6) innings.

Max Runs per Inning

  • 5 runs per inning for 6u-12u up through regionals
  • No run limit for 10u-12u in championship tournament

Mercy Rule: 9u and older

  1. 12 runs after 3 innings
  2. 10 runs after 4 innings
  3. 8 runs after 5 innings
  4. Mathematical elimination for all coach pitch

Forfeits

Forfeits are scored as 7-0

Tiebreakers, Pool Play on Saturday, bracket on Sunday. 5 game guarantee for championship, 3 game guarantee for everything else.

  1. Record

  2. Head-to-head (only if 2 teams are tied. If 3 or more teams are tied, then the first tiebreaking criteria is run differential, and never reverts to head-to-head).

  3. Runs allowed

  4. Runs scored

  5. Coin flip

  6. Bracket protection:

  7. Will not play a team first round that played in pool play.

  8. Will not play a team from their park first round of bracket play.

Extra Innings, Bracket Play Games

Start with the last batted out on 2B, and 1 out.

Final Score Confirmation

All managers/head coaches must meet with the umpires immediately after the game to confirm the score and pitching records.

Official Games: If a game is cancelled due to weather…

  1. For 6u-12u, 3 innings (2.5 with home team leading) is a complete game.
  2. If an official game is suspended in the middle of an inning, then the score reverts to the last completed inning.
  3. If a game is cancelled due to weather, the teams must play the next day. (i.e., if a Sunday game gets cancelled, they will play Monday).

Protests

For rule interpretations only, the protesting team must pay $100 in cash. If the protest is successful, the money is refunded.

Umpire Ejections

The ejected party must leave the field area immediately and not be visible to the game and not communicate with the team. The ejected party may not return to the park for the remainder of the tournament. If the ejected party does not leave accordingly, that person’s team will be disqualified.

  1. Districts hosting the tournament will provide their own umpires.
  2. Region, state, and championship umpires will be provided.

Zero Tolerance Policy

Any coach/player/parent/fan/spectator who is ejected from a game will be out for the entire tournament. Any egregious offenses or a second offense may result in suspension for the year.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct

Any aggression towards umpires, tournament officials, the opposing team, fans, or spectators, is subjected to any or all of the following:

  1. A warning
  2. A restriction to the bench/dugout for the remainder of the game. A coach may leave the bench/dugout to attend to a player who becomes ill or injured.
  3. An immediate ejection
  4. A ban from the remainder of the tournament
  5. A ban from all future tournaments

Pitching Topics

Warmup Pitches

8 pitches if the starting pitcher or a new pitcher; 5 pitchers if a returning pitcher.

Pitcher Removal

After 3 charged conferences (i.e., mound visits), or for any charged conference in excess of 1 in each extra inning, the pitcher shall be removed as pitcher for the duration of the game.

No re-entering the pitcher on the mound.

Hitting Topics

Dropped 3rd Strike

Hitters can advance for 10u and older.

Infield Fly Rule

Only for 10u and older.

Fake Bunt, Pull Back, Full Swing

Not allowed

Missing Batter or Injured Batter

Automatic out unless a legal substitution occurs.

Slung Bat

Player is called out after a warning to that player.

Courtesy Runner

  1. A courtesy runner is allowed for the pitcher and catcher. All other subs must be an eligible substitute.
  2. Can play continuous batting order (CBO) with free substitution
    • Must have a minimum of 8

6u-8uCP (Coach Pitch) Specific Rules

Max Runs per Inning

5 runs per inning.

Mercy Rule

Mathematical Elimination

Pitching Circle

There shall be a 8-foot diameter circle with the center of the circle at 42 feet from the rear point of home plate.

Pitching Coach

The pitching coach shall be an adult at least 18 years of age.

The pitching coach must pitch with at least one foot touching the rubber (35ft). The coach can pitch anywhere behind the 30-foot line. 6u can pitch from anywhere in the circle.

The pitching coach shall not verbally or physically coach while in the pitching position with the ball in hand. First offense of the game- warning.

Second offense of the game - The pitching coach will be removed from the game.

The pitching coach shall position himself as not to be an obstruction to the defensive team on any possible play once the ball has been hit.

  1. Penalty: If a coach violates this rule after the ball is pitched, obstruction shall be called.
  2. Additional penalty: If a coach violates this rule before the ball is pitched: First offense: Warning, Second offense: Removal of coach as the pitcher for the remainder of the game

Pitching Coach Interference: When a batted ball hits the Pitching Coach, the following shall apply:

If in the umpire’s judgment, the coach did not make a legitimate attempt to avoid contract, the batter is declared out and no runners shall advance. If in the umpire’s judgment, the coach did make a legitimate attempt to avoid contact, the ball becomes dead, and a no-pitch is declared.

Defensive Positions

  1. 10 defensive players shall play in the field with 4 outfielders.
  2. The 4th outfielder shall not assume an infield position.
  3. All outfielders shall stay behind the baseline.
  4. The defensive player listed as pitcher shall not leave the pitching circle until the ball is hit.
  5. Penalty: The play continues. After the play has ended, the offensive team has the option of taking the result of the play or no-pitch.
  6. Additional Penalty: First offense: Warning
  7. Second offense: Removal of player from the pitching position for the remainder of the game.
  8. “No rolling the ball intentionally will be allowed”.
  9. No player can sit more than two consecutive innings on defense.

Infield Fly

The infield fly rule shall not be in effect at any time.

Batting Order

  1. The batting order shall constitute all present players on the team roster at the beginning of the game.
  2. Late arrivals shall be inserted at the bottom of the batting order.
  3. Once the hitters cycle through once, players cannot be added to batting order but they are able to play defense.
  4. All players on the roster shall bat before returning to the top of the batting order.
  5. Teams may use free substitution on defense, but the batting order shall remain the same.
  6. The team roster will remain the same from May 15th until after the Championship.

Pitches per Batter

The batter shall receive a maximum of 5 pitches with unlimited foul balls or 3 swinging strikes. The batter cannot be out on a foul ball unless it is caught by a fielder.

Intentional Walks

There are no intentional walks.

Stealing

10u-15u: Runners may steal on the release of the pitch. 

Courtesy Runner

A courtesy runner for catcher of record only the previous inning may be used. The courtesy runner shall be the player that made the previous out. If no outs have been recorded in the game, the courtesy runner shall be the previous batter not on base. If the team batting has not played defense yet and a courtesy runner is used for a player, the player that was run for must assume the catching position the next inning. This scenario only applies in the first inning for the visiting team.

Time Outs

  1. 6u: pitchers must possess the ball and call time.
  2. 8u: defense must stop the lead runner.

Miscellaneous

  1. Catchers must be in full gear when they are in the box.
  2. Any player with a cast must be padded with closed cell, slow recovery foam padding no less than ½” thick.
  3. There may be two defensive coaches on the sideline that must remain in foul territory until the play is over.
  4. 10u-12u: look back rule is in effect. The rule states that when the pitcher has possession of the ball within the 8’ radius circle and is not making a play on a runner, a runner must immediately return to her base or proceed to the next base without hesitation or be liable to be called out by the umpires. No runner may leave a base when the pitcher has possession of the ball in the circle and is not making a play on a runner. If the circle is not marked, the Umpire will approximate the circle radius when making this judgment call. Exception: when a batter receives a walk, runners on 2nd or 3rd can remain off their bases until the batter-runner reaches 1st As soon as the batter-runner reaches 1st base and the pitcher has the ball in the circle, the other runners must return to their base or commit to the next base.

PJL ONLY Rules

  1.  6u - Otherthrow Rule. When there is a batted ball in play, and the defense attempts a throw to first base that gets by the first baseman, the runner may advance to second at their own risk. Once the runner reaches second, time will be called and the play will be dead. There is no overthrow rule for second or third base.
  2. 6u - 8u Catchers must wear a helmet with a facemask while playing the catcher position. However, if the catcher chooses to be in the "catchers box," they must be in full gear.
  3. 6u and 8u- there is no stealing. The runner may push off the bag when the batter contacts the ball or the ball crosses the plate. 
  4. 6u - The batter will be given three pitches from the coach. If they are unable to put the ball in play, they will be allowed one off the tee. However, the maximum amount of bases for both the batter and runners are two when ball is hit off the tee.