Playing Rules
Revised
August 16, 2010
I.
PLAYING FIELD
1.
Pitching
Zone
2.
Home
Plate
3.
Strike
Zone Mat
4.
Bases
5.
Commitment
Line
6.
Scoring
Plate
7.
Pitching
Screen
II. THE GAME
1.
Umpires
2.
Players
and Replacements
3.
Pitch
Count
4.
Pitch
Arc
5.
Length
of Game
6.
Five
Run Rule
III. PLAYERS EQUIPMENT
1.
Bat
Standards
2.
Softballs
IV. PLAYING RULES
1.
Home
Plate and Strike Zone Mat
2.
Scoring
Plate
3.
Courtesy
Runners
4.
Avoiding
Collisions
Where
not specified in the following, all Rules from the current Amateur Softball
Association (ASA) Rulebook will be in effect. Each team manager, player and
umpire affiliated with Nebraska Senior Softball (NSS) shall be knowledgeable of
and abide by the following special senior softball rules:
I. PLAYING FIELD (see illustration on last page)
1.
PITCHING ZONE:
In the
interest of the pitcher’s safety, the pitching area is extended eight feet
behind the rubber. The pitcher may deliver the ball with at least one foot
anywhere within a 2 feet wide by 8 feet long rectangular box immediately behind
the pitcher’s rubber, which is 50 feet from home plate.
2.
HOME PLATE:
A
white-colored, 5-sided plate, which is overlaid by the Strike Zone Mat. It
measures 17 inches across the front, 8 ½ inches down each side and 12 inches
diagonally to a point nearest the catcher
3. STRIKE
ZONE MAT:
a. A strike zone mat will
be used to determine balls, strikes and outs at home plate. It measures 21
inches wide and 35 inches long, with a painted home plate centered at the front
of the mat. The top of the mat will be placed at the top of home plate.
b. A defensive player may
touch any part of the strike zone mat in order to make a force out at home
4. BASES:
First base,
located 65 feet from home plate and measuring 15 x 30 inches will include an
orange colored runner’s safety bag. The white half of the bag will be
positioned in fair territory, while the orange half is in foul territory.
5.
COMMITMENT LINE:
A six foot
Commitment Line shall be marked across and perpendicular to the third base foul
line and placed twenty feet from the back left corner of home plate. A straight
chalk line shall be marked from third base to the Scoring Plate, passing
through the Commitment Line.
6. SCORING
PLATE:
An
additional base identical in dimension to home plate. The back point of the
Scoring Plate is located 8 feet from the left front (3rd base side) of Home
Plate, and lies in line with the first base line.
7.
PITCHING SCREEN:
a. A pitching
screen is available for use, at the pitcher’s request, as an added safety
measure. It will be placed in front of
the pitching rubber at a distance not to exceed 10 feet.
b. Any batted
ball hitting the screen will be declared a dead ball/no pitch. A ball hitting
the screen after being touched by a fielder will be counted as a ‘live ball’
and play will continue. A thrown ball hitting the screen is treated as a live
ball.
c. The decision
to use the screen must be stated to the umpire and opposing manager prior to
each pitcher’s first pitch of the game and that decision will be in force
throughout the duration of his pitching in that game.
d. When used by
only one pitcher, the net will be placed in foul territory beyond that
pitcher’s dugout when his team bats. If not used by either team, the net will
be removed from the playing field.
1. UMPIRES:
The Umpires assigned to work NSS games are
considered representatives of our League and as such are authorized and
required to enforce each and every section and part of the Official ASA
Rulebook, as modified by NSS Rules and Guidelines.
2. PLAYERS AND
REPLACEMENTS:
a. Ten defensive players
constitute a team. However, a team may start a game with no fewer than nine
players.
b. If a team is unable to
field a team with at least the minimum number of roster players permitted by
the scheduled start time, that team will suffer a forfeit.
c. A team with less than 10
roster players available can pick up by random
draw only enough bye or substitute players to make a 9-player team. The 10th
defensive player will come from the opponent as chosen by the opponent’s
manager. He will play only as catcher and will not bat for the receiving team.
The receiving team will bat with a 9-player lineup. This borrowed catcher can
be swapped with any of his original team’s players, at any time at the
discretion of his manager. (Exception:
For the Fall 2010 season, the borrowed catcher will be selected by random draw
from idle players available and willing to catch only. If none are available,
follow the above procedure).
d. A tenth player from the
team’s regular roster may be added any time during the game, after all
replacement players have been replaced, batting in the last position. An out is
not called for the missing tenth player.
3. PITCH COUNT:
a. Each batter will start
with a 1 ball/1 strike pitch count
b. After two strikes, the
batter is allowed one courtesy foul ball.
c. If the pitcher desires
to walk a batter intentionally, he may do so by notifying the umpire who shall
award the batter first base.
4. PITCH ARC
The pitched ball must rise a minimum of six
feet, and to a maximum of 12 feet above the playing surface.
5. LENGTH OF GAME
a. A regulation game is
seven innings. The umpire will keep the official game clock.
b. When 1 hour and 5
minutes has expired, the umpire will stop play and announce to both team
managers that the current inning will be completed plus one more.
c. If the game is tied
after 7 innings, the international tie breaker rule will be used. A pinch
runner cannot replace the second base runner starting an extra inning unless he
is injured or unforeseen circumstances occur.
d. If the game is tied, up to two additional
innings will be played. If the game is still tied, the game will end in a tie.
Each team will be awarded ½ win and ½ loss in the standings.
6. FIVE RUN RULE
Each team may score a maximum of five runs per
inning, or five runs more than their opponent, whichever is greater. In the 7th
or final inning, the visiting team is limited to ten runs, or ten runs more
than their opponent, whichever is greater. No mercy rule will be in affect.
1.
BAT STANDARDS:
Except as noted below,
Nebraska Senior Softball follows the bat requirements of ASA. Each bat must
bear either the 2000 or 2004 ASA certification mark, and not be on the ASA non
approved bat list. Umpires discovering altered or non approved bats will:
a.
If
noticed prior to the batter entering the batter’s box, issue a warning to the
player and to the team. No out is declared. The bat must be replaced.
b.
If
noticed after the batter enters the batter’s box, declare a dead ball out and
issue a warning to the player and team.
c.
If
discovered after the first pitch to the next batter, no out is declared.
Warning is issued to the team.
d.
If
the next batter also uses a non approved bat, above actions apply only to him.
e.
Once
a player is warned, subsequent usage of an illegal bat during the season will
result in ejection from the game.
Exception: Players who will reach the age of 70 or
greater in the calendar year may use any bat with a BPF rating of 1.20 or less.
e.g. Miken Ultra II and Senior Combats are allowed.
2.
SOFTBALLS:
The
official ball shall be of approved slow pitch design, 12-inch circumference, .44 COR, Compression Rating of 400 psi, and yellow
optic in color. Only balls issued by the league will be used. The manager of
the Home team will deliver a new ball to the umpire before the start of the
game. The Visiting team will supply a high quality used ball.
1.
HOME PLATE and STRIKE ZONE MAT:
a. Legal pitches striking
any portion of the Strike Zone Mat shall be strikes.
b. A base runner will be
retired at Home when the defensive player has possession of the ball while
touching any part of the Strike Zone Mat after the runner passes the Commitment
Line, but has not yet touched the Scoring Plate.
c. If there is an attempt
by the defensive team to tag the runner who has advanced beyond the Commitment
Line, the runner is automatically safe.
2. SCORING PLATE:
The runner must touch the Scoring Plate to
record the run. Sliding into the Scoring Plate is prohibited except for
unintentional tripping or falling. Violation results in an out.
3. COURTESY
RUNNERS:
a. Having successfully
reached base, a player may ask for a courtesy runner provided he has not
advanced beyond first base. He may repeat this unlimited times during the game,
however the same courtesy runner may not be used more than once per inning nor
twice in a game. A batter/runner advancing beyond first base may not be
replaced by a courtesy runner unless injured or unforeseen circumstances
occur.
b. Courtesy running is
primarily intended as a safety measure for players with injury or physical
difficulty. Normally the player on base will make the
request. Managers must guard against abuse of this rule such as
a strategy of excessive courtesy running to optimize scoring.
c. Each team will be
allowed no more than two courtesy runners per inning.
d. A courtesy runner on
base when it is his turn to bat will be declared out. The courtesy runner
called out does not lose his turn at bat.
e. Violation of the above
courtesy runner rules result in an out at the runner’s position.
NOTE: Substitute players and Bye players may not
be used as courtesy runners.
4. AVOIDING
COLLISIONS:
a. A runner must make every
effort to avoid colliding with opposing players while running the bases. If a
runner misses a base to avoid a collision, the runner might not be called out
(umpire's judgment).
b. A batter running to
first base shall not touch the white portion of first base if there is a play
at first base.
c. A runner from third base
to home shall be called out when touching the strike zone mat instead of the
scoring plate.
Figure 1 Nebraska Senior Softball Field Specifications
Nebraska Senior Softball Field Specifications:
