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All Divisions
For safety reasons, the official rule of play will be the current ASA softball rules as modified herein. Please note that for ASA Tournament play, ASA Official Rules of Softball apply unless modified by tournament host.
General Safety Rules
1. All players, managers and coaches shall wear tennis shoes or molded cleats. No screw-on or metals cleats are permitted at practice or in the games (Exception: Metal cleats are allowed in the 14U division).
2. No jewelry will be permitted to be worn except Medical I.D. (bracelet or necklace), and if worn, must be taped.
3. Long hair must be confined (ponytail or braids) with rubber bands only. Rubber bands must not have any hard surfaces. (ex: No metal clips, bobby pins etc).
4. Jerseys must be tucked in at all times and the number visible. During cold or inclement weather a sweatshirt or jacket may be worn over the jersey. When sweatshirt or jacket is worn, it must be buttoned or zippered up.
5. Protective equipment must be worn at all practices and regulation games. Catcher’s equipment includes helmets with face guard and throat protectors, chest protector and shin guards. Batters, on deck batters, base runners and any player coaching a base must wear helmets equipped with face guards and chin straps at all practices and in all regulation games. Exception: Face masks are not required in the 6 & Under Division but are strongly recommended.
6. Catchers must wear “knee savers” furnished by the league when using league equipment.
7. Sliding shorts and knee pads are mandatory as a part of the uniform. Exception: 6 & Under Division
8. Playing fields should be inspected for safety (holes, ruts, water, etc.) prior to the start of each game or practice session by the designated visiting team.
9. Plastic visors are not permitted.
10. Earrings are not permitted to be worn during practice or games. They must be removed and cannot be taped over.
11. Only players and ASA back ground checked and cleared personnel (manager, coaches, team Mom, Youth Coaches) are permitted in the dugout during games and practices. Players are to remain in the dugout during playing time unless directed by an official.
12. Food is not permitted in the dugout. (Exception: Sunflower seeds)
13. Players returning from an injury after missing a practice or game must have written permission from their parent or guardian, or a medical release from the attending physician if they had received treatment from a physician. No Exceptions
14. Eating or drinking by any adult on the playing field during an official game is prohibited.
15. Smoking is prohibited at all practices, during games and in the dugouts by managers, coaches, team Moms, chaperones and players.
16. Definition of Manager, coach, chaperone, and team parent – A volunteer, who has on file an Adult Application, has completed all league requirements including the ASA background check and has been approved by the current year board of the Cerritos Girls Softball Association.
17. Alcohol is prohibited at all games and league functions.
18. Cell phone use by coaches or player on the field during a game is prohibited.
The Game
1. Regulation game
A regulation game shall consist of seven (7) innings. Should game be called prior to seven (7) innings, four (4) innings (unless the game is a forfeit) shall constitute a regulation game. (Note: 6 innings for 8 & Under).
2. Game Time
To maintain schedule, games must start on time. No infield practice allowed. Give yourself time to practice prior to scheduled game time.
Start time: Forfeit time shall be five (5) minutes after scheduled game time.
Completion time: No new inning will start after the time allotted as outlined under each divisions rules. Note: A new inning starts when the third out is recorded in the previous inning.
Tie game: During regular season games, games can end in a tie. Game is recorded as ½ win, ½ loss for both teams. Only during end of season tournament shall international tiebreaker be used to determine winner.
3. Any game that must be made up shall be completed by the earliest day on which fields and times are available. The date and time will be assigned by the Umpire-in-Chief.
4. Rescheduled Game
Games may only be rescheduled by majority vote of the Board of Directors or E-Board and will also be determine on field availability. Requests for a rescheduled game must be submitted to the Board in writing seven (7) days prior to game time.
The only basis for rescheduling a game shall be that team has less than seven (7) players and the missing players shall be absent because of involvement in an organized church or school activity. If the reasons cannot be verified, the result is forfeit of the game.
5. Nine players will constitute a team; however, seven (7) players must start a game but six (6) players will be permitted to continue and finish a game.
Player Obligations
1. Prior to each game, each manager will submit to the official scorekeeper and opposing manager a complete roster line-up for girls that are present and eligible to play that day. Each girl on the roster line-up will bat continuously in the order submitted (Round Robin Batting).
2. If a player is late for the game, she will be permitted to play, if she arrives prior to the end of the second inning. She will be added at the end of the line up. If she arrives after the second inning is completed, she will be considered as absent in the official scorekeeper’s book. It is the manager’s responsibility to notify the official scorekeeper and the opposing manager.
3. If the manager advises the official scorekeeper prior to the game that a player must leave early, there will be no penalty. If prior notice is not given, an out will be recorded each time that player would have come to bat. It is the manager’s responsibility to play her at the beginning of the game. In the case of injury or illness preventing the player from completing the game, the out will be recorded on the player’s first at bat but not at subsequent at bats.
4. Nine (9) players will play defense at a time (unless only six (6) are available). Exception: In the 8&U division, ten players will play defense at a time (unless only 6 are available). Each player may sit out only one consecutive inning on defense. Suggestion to Manager: As much as possible, players should be given the opportunity to play both outfield and infield positions.
5. Substitutions: Free substitutions will be allowed on defense for all positions except pitcher. Pitchers are subject to pitchers restriction and substitution rules.
6. If a game is called in less than seven (7) innings, four (4) innings or the time limit shall constitute a regulation game. It is the manager’s responsibility to report all player obligations and pitching changes to the official scorekeeper and sign the book. Records shall be kept in the official scorebook to fulfill this requirement. Failure to comply with this rule will result in forfeiture if an appeal is made. If the manager fails to meet his/her player’s obligations, the violated player will play the entire game following the forfeited game.
Pitching Regulations
No girl may pitch over twenty-one (21) outs per week. If three games are scheduled in a week (excluding make-up games), the total number of outs is increased to thirty-one (31) outs with no more than twenty-one (21) outs in consecutive games. After the 21st /31st out is recorded the pitcher is no longer eligible to pitch. A week shall be considered from Monday through Sunday. Should the records reflect a girl pitching more than the maximum permitted for the number of games scheduled, upon appeal from the opposing manager, the game in question will be forfeited.
Exception: The above rule does not pertain to playoff and championship games in which case there are no pitching restrictions.
1. If a game is called at the end of a half inning, pitcher is credited only with physical outs pitched.
2. Innings pitched in make-up, postponed, and suspended games will be counted together with innings that were pitched in the week of the original schedule, and not with the innings that were pitched in the week when the make-up game is played.
3. No pitcher will be allowed to pitch on more than two (2) separate occasions in any one (1) game.
4. No game shall be forfeited if two or more outs occur on any one continuous play and the pitcher is charged with more than twenty one (21) outs. The extra out(s) will not be credited to any pitcher.
5. If pitching distances are marked in error and discovered after play has started, the distance will be changed to the correct distance at time of notification.
Playing Rules
1. Run limit per inning: - No more than 4 runs (8&U and 10&U Divisions) and 6 runs (12&U and 14&U Divisions) may be scored in one inning by the team at bat. After the 5th inning, this rule no longer applies (6th and 7th innings are open).
Exception: 8Under 5th and 6th innings are open.
2. Mercy rule shall apply when at the conclusion of the 4th inning a team is ahead by 12 runs, or 10 runs at the end of the 5th inning or ahead by 8 runs at the end of the 6th inning.
3. Time limits for the 8&U, 10&U, 12&U, 14&U and 16&U shall be a drop dead time of 1hour and 30 minutes.
6 & Under Rules
8 & Under Division
OFFENSE
1. There will be no walk rule in effect. After the 4th called ball by the umpire, the coach will pitch to the batter from the pitching rubber and assume the count. The player must swing at strikes thrown by the coach or be called for a strike. (Example: The batter has one strike when ball 4 is called by the umpire. The coach assumes the count and now the batter has two (2) strike pitches to hit the ball). Coaches will have a total of 4 pitches to pitch remaining strikes. Umpire will call balls and strikes during coach pitch. The umpire will continue to call balls and strikes. If a player is called out on strikes, they’re out. A batter will not be called out on a foul ball hit. If the Coach is hit with a batted ball while pitching, the interference rule applies. Batter is out and runners return to base at time of pitch. This rule is only in effect in the 1st half of the season.
2. The batter may NOT advance to first base on a dropped third strike by the catcher.
3. A base runner may steal a base to advance only one base per pitch.
4. Base runner shall not leave the base until after the ball has left the pitcher’s hand. If the runner has left early, the runner will be called out for an illegal steal when the runner touches the base the runner was attempting to steal.
5. There shall be no infield fly rule.
6. Home plate is closed. No runner can advance on a steal, past ball or overthrow by a player if ball is not batted in play. Exception: If ball it thrown out of play (out of bounds) by a defensive player, runner on third base may be awarded home. Out of play will be determine by umpire at the start of the game.
DEFENSE
7. No more than six (6) players can be positioned in front of the base paths.
8. No player shall start in a defensive position closer than half the distance to home plate at the time of the pitch.
PITCHING
9. Pitching distance shall be thirty (30) feet; bases shall be fifty-five (55) feet apart.
10. Ten inch (10”) official ASA approved softball shall be used.
GAME
11. If the winning team is ahead by twelve (12) runs after four innings it will be considered a regulation game and if the losing team has batted four (4) times the game shall be considered complete.
12. Four run applies, 5th inning and 6th innings are open.
13. Time regulation, six (6) innings or one (1) Hour 20 minutes. No new inning to start after the time limit has expired and (1) Hour 30 minutes drop dead. Exception: Time limits do not apply to playoff and championship games.
10 and Under Division
1. Pitching distance shall be thirty five (35) feet, bases shall be sixty (60) feet apart.
2. Rules per the current year ASA rule Book shall apply. Managers & coaches must be familiar with rules. Read and know the book.!!!!!
3. Drop 3rd strike and infield fly rule in affect.
4. Base runner shall not leave the base until after the ball has left the pitcher’s hand. The runner will be called out for an illegal steal when the runner touches the base the runner was attempting to steal. See ASA Rule 8, Section 4-H
5. Home plate is open.
6. Eleven inch (11") Official ASA approved softball shall be used.
7. Time regulation, seven (7) innings or one (1) Hour 20 minutes. No new inning to start after the time limit has expired and (1) Hour 30 minutes drop dead. Exception: Time limits do not apply to playoff and championship games.
12 and Under Division
1. Rules per the current year ASA rule Book shall apply. Managers & coaches must be familiar with rules. Read and know the book.!!!!!
General:
14 and Under Division
General:
1. Pitching distance shall be forty (40) feet, bases shall be sixty (60) feet.
2. Twelve-inch (12") Official ASA approved softball shall be used.
3. Drop 3rd strike and infield fly rule in affect.
4. Home plate is open.
5. Time regulation, seven (7) innings or one (1) Hour 30 minutes drop dead. Exception: Time limits do not apply to playoff and championship games.
REMEMBER WE ARE A RECREATIONAL LEAGUE, OUR PRIORITIES ARE:
HAVE FUN…….BE SAFE……..
IMPROVE PLAYER SKILLS.