Guidelines & Rules for Girls Softball Teams

Rules and regulations that govern girls softball assist in making play both safe and fair. The best way to remain organized and official is through adhering to the set guidelines. Once the basics of the game and its regulations are fully grasped, the rest can be learned on the fly or by observation and participation.

  1. Players

    • Softball has many similarities to the game of baseball; there are nine players per team and three outs per inning, and a batter is afforded three strikes and four balls per at bat.

    Field

    • Despite some similarities to baseball there are also significant differences, beginning with the field and dimensions. In baseball the path from base to base is 90 feet and the distance from the pitching rubber to home plate is 60 feet, 6 inches. In softball, the base paths are 60 feet and the distance from the rubber to the plate is 43 feet. Baseball fields also have a deeper outfield fence and a true pitching mound, while a softball field is smaller and the pitchers pitch from a circular area called the pitcher's circle, not a raised mound.

    Pitching

    • A softball pitcher pitches underhand from the pitcher's circle. The circle is a chalk outline around the mound with a 4-foot radius. When the pitcher has the ball inside the circle and "toes the rubber" (meaning one foot is on the pitching rubber), play begins. If there is a runner on base, she has to stay stationary until the pitch is released. Play is considered dead once the pitcher receives the ball from the catcher or from any other fielder. This means that once a batter reaches base, she is required to have one foot in contact with the base until the pitcher releases the ball. Once the pitch is released, the batter can lead off or advance to the next base. If the ball is put into play, the same general rules that govern baseball are applied.

    Scoring

    • Most scoring in girls softball is the same as in baseball. Base runners who cross home plate safely score a run. Once there are three outs in an inning, the teams switch. Softball games traditionally last seven innings, unlike baseball games, which normally last nine innings.