Men's ASA Slowpitch Softball Rules

Men all over the United States get together to play softball under all sorts of conditions. Recreational softball leagues are in virtually every town, and adults can play in competitive leagues and in national tournaments. Two different organizations have established rules for adult softball, but most adult leagues play under the rules set by the Amateur Softball Association.

  1. Pitching

    • The pitching rubber in men's softball is 50 feet away from home plate. The strike zone is established by a round or rectangular mat on the ground. Pitches must reach an arc of at least 6 feet to be legal and cannot go any higher than 12 feet. A legal pitch that lands on the mat is considered a strike. The pitcher must be on the pitching rubber with the catcher directly behind the plate when each pitch is delivered.

    Batter

    • The batter in men's softball generally gets just two strikes to put the ball in play and it takes just four balls to receive a walk. He must be inside the batter's box when he makes contact with the ball, and bunting is not allowed.

    The Field

    • Adult league softball is played on field with 65 feet between the bases, though the rules also allow for 70-foot base paths for leagues who have the fields available and choose that option. The batter's boxes are 3 feet wide and 5½ feet deep.The infields are usually all dirt.

    Home Runs

    • Men's adult ASA softball rules are designed to limit the number of home runs in a game. In the most competitive leagues, a team can hit four home runs in a game and in less competitive leagues, the number drops until it eventually hits zero. A team that reaches its home run limit is charged with an out for each subsequent ball that is hit over the outfield fence.

    Mercy Rule

    • Adult softball games come to an end early when one team establishes a lead that is too large. The mercy rule is invoked at different deficits in the different levels of men's softball, but the general rule in the ASA rules sets it at 25 runs after three innings, 20 runs after four or 15 runs after five innings. If the team that is behind has already batted in the appropriate inning and the required lead is in place, the game is over, and it is ruled as an official result.

    Players

    • Men's softball is played with 10 players on defense, adding a fourth outfielder to the traditional defensive set. A men's softball team is allowed to have an 11th player in its batting order to hit only, but once the team chooses that option, it cannot change it for the remainder of that game.