Amateur Softball Association Rules

The Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA) is the governing body of the sport in America. Founded in Oklahoma City in 1933, the focus of the ASA is to promote the sport and ensure fairness among the millions of participants in organized softball, both male and female, around the country. The ASA played a major role in bringing organization to a chaotic situation when it codified the rules into a single set of universally accepted rules.

  1. Softball Basics

    • Some specific rules and field dimensions vary by age group and by men's and women's divisions, but the basic rules apply across the board. There are nine players on a team: pitcher, catcher, three basemen and a shortstop and three outfielders. Some leagues allow 10 players to include a designated hitter who bats for the pitcher. Three basic types of softball are played: fast pitch, in which pitchers are allowed to windmill their pitching arm to gain speed on the ball; slow pitch, in which an arc is allowed in the pitch to home plate; and modified fast pitch, in which no arc is allowed, but the pitcher is limited in his motion from the mound.

    Fast Pitch

    • Bases are 60 feet apart. The pitching mound is 43 feet away from home plate for women and 46 feet for men. The maximum outfield fence distance is 250 feet for both men and women.

    Slow Pitch

    • The slow pitch field is slightly larger. Bases 65 feet apart and the pitching mound is 50 feet from home plate. Outfield fences are set at a maximum distance of 275 feet for women, 315 for men and 300 for co-ed leagues.

    Youth Softball

    • Field dimensions are basically the same for youth leagues in both fast and slow pitch softball. The only exception is the distance the pitching mound is from home plate. Fast pitch requires a distance of between 35 to 40 feet and the slow pitch distance is usually between 40 and 50 feet.

    Equipment

    • Bats must not be longer than 34 inches, no heavier than 38 ounces, and can be made of aluminum or wood. Several different balls are endorsed by the ASA for the different types of games, including fast and slow pitch, youth, men's and women's. The softballs range from 10 inches to 16 inches in diameter and have leather or synthetic covers. All fast pitch softball batters are required to wear double-eared helmets for protection at the plate and hats or caps are required as part of a team uniform in the field for men, but optional for women.

    Game

    • All games must be at least six-and-a-half innings long. That is, if the team last to bat is leading going into the seventh inning, that constitutes a win for that team. If the trailing team is batting last coming into the seventh inning, a second half of the seventh inning must be played. Games can be called if one team amasses a substantial lead--15 runs after three innings or eight runs after five in fast pitch, 10 runs after five in modified fast pitch or 20 after four or 12 after five innings in slow pitch.