NFHS Softball Rules

NFHS stands for the National Federation of High Schools, the national governing body of all official high school sports rules. Anything in its official rule book released each year is the final word on a ruling in a specific high school athletic event. While softball is similar to baseball in many ways, there are differences between the rules for the two sports, so the NFHS rules should be referenced when teams play softball or baseball..

  1. Jersey/Garment Requirements

    • According to NFHS rules, there are specific requirements that must be followed for jerseys worn by teams in the field and at bat. A pitcher may wear a white or gray exposed undershirt. In baseball they may not as this hides the ball and is distracting to the batter. Softball pitchers need not wear a hat. No item only on the pitching hand, wrist, arm or shoulder may be worn by the pitcher, though this is ultimately the umpire's call. In baseball, nothing can be worn on either arm of the pitcher. No metal cleats or toe plates may be worn by anyone on either softball team, whereas in baseball metal cleats are allowed.

    Gloves and Bats

    • In softball, the batter in the on-deck circle is only allowed to warm up with two bats, while in baseball there is no restriction. While bats are strictly regulated in length and diameter in both baseball and softball, there is no minimum weight requirement for bats in softball, which gives a real advantage to hitters if they can find a light bat that suits them. Gloves may not be gray or white, as this will distract batters while hitting. This applies to everyone but especially the pitcher.

    Other Different Rules

    • Softball has other basic differences from baseball. All pitches must be delivered underhand, whereas in baseball this is strictly forbidden. In baseball, no players may re-enter game once they have been removed by the coach during or between innings. In softball, a player is allowed to re-enter once. In softball, bases are 60 feet apart, which makes the game much closer and more intense when batters are running the base paths, as opposed to baseball where it is 90 feet and it is easier for runners to be thrown out on infield grounders. This makes softball more of an offensive game, assuming batters hit the ball in fair territory.