H.A.A.A. 2009 Softball Rules
Hempfield Area Athletic Association
10-and-Under (age as of
1/1/11)
I. Introduction
The rules listed below are
additions, modifications, or exceptions to the
current youth softball
rules and regulations for American Softball
Association of America (ASA).
a.
Age Qualifications – A
player’s age as of December 31 determines the age
in which the player is
eligible to play the following year. A player born after
December 31, 1999
is eligible.
b.
Players of younger age
classification may play in older age classifications, but
an older age classification player may not play in the younger age
classification.
II. General
a. Playing Field
1.
The home team shall furnish
player’s benches for both home
and visiting teams. Benches will be set a
safe distance from the
base paths.
2.
The home team is responsible
for having the field lined and any
safety problems (holes, rocks, low
spots) corrected before the
scheduled start time of the game.
3.
Ground rules are to be
reviewed prior to the start of each
gamed with both coaches and the
umpire. The umpire has the
authority to change any ground rule that he
feels is unsafe or will be
detrimental to the game.
4.
A covering such as a tarp or
canvas is to be placed over the
backstop behind home plate at all fields.
b. Equipment
1.
Softballs must be in
accordance with or equivalent to those approved
for play by ASA Rule 3,
Section 3. The official 11-inch ball shall be
used. The 11-inch ball shall
have a ball COR of .470 or under
and a ball compression of 375.0 lbs. or
less. The ball shall have an
optic yellow cover with red-stitch.
2.
Game balls are to be
supplied by the home team – one new ball and
one ball in good condition
are required. Both balls shall be the
same COR, compression, and color.
3.
Bats must be in accordance
with ASA rule designations and
limitations. All bats must be marked
OFFICIAL SOFTBALL. See
the Rules Addendum for additional bat requirements.
4.
Shoes – NO metal spikes are
permitted.
c. Game Postponements
1.
Postponements other than for
weather reasons are acceptable
only due to extreme circumstances or
conflicts with school activities.
2.
In case of inclement
weather, the home team coach is responsible
to notify the visiting team
coach and the umpire
coordinator/assignor (see Softball Rules Addendum) no
later than
one hour before game time.
3.
The decision to cancel the
game at the field is that of the umpire. If
a game is cancelled at the
field after the umpire has arrived or if it is
postponed prior to being an
official game, the umpire(s) are paid half
fee.
4.
The home team coach must
make every effort to schedule a suitable
makeup game within one week. The HAAA board may reschedule
any game if a suitable reschedule has not been
arranged after this
one-week period. The home team coach must contact
the
umpire coordinator/assignor to schedule an umpire.
d. Player Rosters
1.
No players can be added to
the roster after April 23, 2011.
2.
A new player must play for
the area in which they reside or the
area that is closest to their
residence. Any player wishing to play in
a different area must get a
release from their home commissioner.
If the home commissioner will not
release the player, then they
can write a letter to HAAA and the board of
directors will make the
decision.
3.
Final rosters are to be
submitted to the league coordinator by April
23, 2011. To be eligible to
play in playoffs, the player has to have
played in at least half of the
regular season games unless an injury
occurred. A player has to have
played more than half when a team
has played an odd number of games.
4.
A player of either age in
the next youngest age group can move up
to the next older age group as a
fill in player if the team in their
area needs a player to have enough to
play their game. Fill in
players may be used to fulfill a team’s allowed
number of ten (10)
players. If that team ends up having enough of their
regular players
to play the game, then the fill in player can play no more
than 2
innings in the field. The fill in player must bat no more than
once
or must remain in the continuous batting order throughout the
completion
of the game. Once a player serves as a fill in player for
a team in the
next older age group, she cannot play with any other
team as a fill in
player. All fill in players must be a permanently
rostered player from
within the area in which they are rostered.
e. Ejection Rule
1.
Arguing, mistreatment and
harassment of umpires will not be
tolerated. Problems with umpires are to
be communicated to your
area HAAA coordinator for discussion with the
board of directors.
2.
The umpires are instructed
to immediately eject a player, coach,
parent or fan that is demonstrating
poor behavior. Coaches are
responsible for maintaining order with their
players and fans.
Anyone ejected has to leave the premises immediately to
the
satisfaction of the umpire. The umpire has the authority to award
a
forfeit for failure to adhere to this by player, coach, parent or fan.
3.
Other grounds for ejection
include runners intentionally colliding
with fielders, unruly behavior,
throwing objects and/or swearing.
4.
If a player is ejected from
a game, she will also be suspended
from the next game played. If a
violation of this occurs, the head
coach will be suspended for the
remainder of the season including
playoffs.
f. Game Record
1.
The home team coach is
responsible to report the game results in
accordance with the Softball
Rules Addendum. The record will
count for the seating of the season ending tournament.
2.
The umpire is to sign both
teams’ scorebooks, recording the
winning team’s score as well as the
losing team’s score.
g. Games
1.
There will be a 15-minute
grace period allowed after the scheduled
starting time for either team to
have enough players to play.
2.
There will be a 15-minute
grace period allowed for an umpire to
show up. If no umpire shows up by
the end of the 15-minute grace
period, a substitute umpire can be used if
both coaches agree. This
substitute must have proper safety equipment. As
a minimum, a
mask and chest protector is required. If no acceptable
umpire can
be agreed upon, the game is cancelled and is to be rescheduled
as soon as possible.
III. Playing Rules
a. 10 years and under:
1.
Pitching rules will be in
accordance with Fast Pitch rules. A fast
pitch (i.e. windmill) or modified
pitch delivery is allowed. Before
starting the delivery (pitch), the
pitcher shall comply with the
preliminary regulations identified for the
method of delivery performed.
A pitcher may not change the method of
delivery during an at-bat. A
change of pitchers may result in a change of
the method of delivery.
2.
A Pitcher may pitch a
maximum of three (3) innings per game.
One extra inning is allowed per
pitcher in extra innings.
3.
Pitching rules: The pitcher
shall take a position with both feet in
contact with the pitcher’s plate
to start.
4.
Catchers must wear a mask,
chest protector, shin guards and helmet.
5.
The batter is entitled to
take one base when hit by a pitch
(regardless of pitching method).
6.
Bunting is allowed.
7.
Batter is out on a caught
foul tip third strike. The batter is still out on
a missed third strike,
even if catcher drops the ball.
8.
Batter/runner must keep
their helmet on until they are out of the
play area or until the umpire
calls time out and has control of the ball.
Helmet chinstrap mandatory.
9.
Runners starting at first or
second base are entitled to advance or
steal one base only per pitch with
liability to be put out. Runners
starting at third base may not steal or
advance home but are liable
to be put out if they come off the base.
Runner advancements and
awarding of bases shall be in accordance with ASA
rules (refer to
current ASA Manual). Base runner cannot leave the base
until the
batter hits the ball or until the ball crosses home plate on a
pitch.
10.
9-10 games are 6 innings.
3 ½ innings constitutes a legal game.
11.
Ten players are permitted on
the field (players positioned in the
outfield shall be a minimum of 20
feet behind the base lines). No
Rover. A team must have a minimum of 8
players to begin the game.
12.
Playing field will consist
of 60’ bases. With a 35’ pitching rubber (a
24” long by 6” wide pitching
rubber is required).
13.
A team is not permitted to
score more than 4 runs in an inning.
This rule is waived for both teams in
the 6th inning and in extra innings.
The 15-run rule is in
effect after completion of 4 ½ or 5 innings.
14.
All players must play at
least 2 innings in the field.
15.
Free substitutions are
permitted in the field.
16.
There will be a continuous
batting order of all players that are at the
game. In case of injury, the
injured player’s spot in the line-up is
skipped until the player is able
to return. There will not be an out
charged when this occurs. A player’s
spot in the line-up cannot be
skipped over due to a player illness. An out
must be taken or the
player may be removed from the line-up and will be
ineligible to return.
17.
Infield fly rule is not in
effect.
18.
A foul ball with two strikes
is not an out.
19.
Over throw at bases – ASA
rules will apply.
20.
A Live ball will become a
Dead ball once the pitcher has possession
and control of the ball inside
the pitchers circle (within an eight foot
radius of the pitcher’s plate)
and all runners have completed their
advancement, at this point the umpire
shall call time. Runners must
be given ample opportunity to complete their
base running
responsibilities. Runners may only advance during a live
ball. In the
umpire’s judgment, if a runner has stopped or hesitated upon
completing their base running and the pitcher has possession
and control
within the pitcher’s circle, then time shall be called
and base runners
will be returned to their applicable base. An
umpire will not call time
while any play is in progress, except
when a player becomes injured and in
the umpire’s judgment needs
immediate attention. An 8’ radius circle
around the pitching rubber
is required and shall be drawn on the playing
field.
21.
Any rules not covered, refer
to current ASA Manual.
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