Faith Softball Association

League & ASA Pitching Rules

Faith Softball League Rules and Regulations

The Faith Softball Association will have a no tolerance rule for the consumption of alcoholic beverages, smoking, foul language, or excessive arguing. There is no place for Non-Christian language or attitudes in this league.

Christian principals and attitudes will be followed during the game and practices. Anyone in violation will receive a warning by his/her coach or by their league representative. If a second offense occurs, the offending player/person will be removed from the game and asked to leave. A meeting between the coaches and league representative will take place to discuss penalties which may include dismissal of the person from the league.

Metal spikes or cleats are not permitted.

The catcher must wear a catcher’s mask and chest protector. Shin guards are optional.

There will be no taking leads or stealing bases allowed. Players must wait until the ball is hit before leaving the base. “This will be a tough rule to enforce as we have only one umpire who will be positioned behind home plate and will be focused on calling balls and strikes”. We are asking for the honesty of the offending team’s base coaches to call their own players out if they leave early or if the opposing team were to challenge the call. Coaches, please stress the importance of honesty and obedience to your players when following this rules.

If the catcher fails to catch the pitch on a called third strike, the batter is still out and the ball is dead. The runners on base may not advance. A foul tip caught by the catcher is an out, but only if it’s the third strike.

In order to qualify for the post season playoffs every player must have attended at least 4 regular season games.

All softball bats must have an ASA 2004 stamp printed on the bat in order to be used in this league. If any bat without the 2004 ASA stamp is used in league play the offending team will be subject to an automatic out, no advancement of the runners, and the bat in question will be banned from league play. Furthermore, if it is determined that the bat has been altered in any way, the bat in quetions may be confiscated and the player may no longer permitted to play in the league according to the ASA and Drifton Softball Complex rules.

All games must be played to completion or within the 1 ½ hour time limit allowed per game, whichever comes first. There is no mercy rule and no game will end in a tie. No top half of an inning will start after an hour and twenty minutes into any game unless the game needs to be extended for completion but that is determined my the officiating Umpire.

The inning is over after the team has batted around or has gotten three outs, whichever comes first. No inning can end with a walk, the next batter in the lineup will bat but the batter must either make an out or hit the ball into play. (i.e. If a team walks the final batter in the batting rotation, the lead-off-man will bat until he/she either makes an out or gets a hit.

No bunting is allowed.

Both score sheets must be turned in within 24 hours of game completion. Be sure that the score cards are legible and readable. Names should be clearly readable; therefore ensuring players get proper credit for participating in games for qualification for playoffs.

Teams may substitute a single player once. Starting players reentering a game must bat in their original batting position. (i.e. A starting pitcher is removed after the 3rd inning and is batting tenth in the lineup. He reenters the game in the fifth inning as a first baseman which who was batting sixth in the lineup. He would return to batting tenth in the lineup and the relief pitcher who was batting tenth would then be moved to the first baseman’s sixth batting position.)

There is no intentional blocking of bases allowed by any defensive player attempting to make a play on a base runner. (i.e. A catcher blocking home plate on a close play at the plate.) The penalty for this offense is that the runner is granted the base and any extra base the Umpire thinks he/she would have gotten in the event of an overthrow.

No running over or into a defensive player in an attempt to break up a double play or trying to dislodge the ball. The penalty for this offense is that the player is automatically out and can be disqualified from the game depending on the severity of the collision. Disqualification is left up to the Umpire’s discretion.

Courtesy runners are allowed, but every batter must first run to first base unassisted. After that a courtesy runner may be substituted and should only be used for an elderly or injured player and not to gain a speed advantage on base. This call is left to the Umpire’s discretion.

A team playing with a minimum of 10 defensive players may re-enter substituted players into a position only due to the injury.

Each team will say a prayer before and after every game. The visiting team will say the opening prayer and the home team will say the closing prayer.

All teams must pick up their garbage after every game.

An extra batter is allowed. (i.e. If a team has 10 defensive players they may use those 10 batters plus one extra batter making it 11 in the batting lineup.) The 11th batter does not field.

Every team must have a minimum of 8 players to start the game.

Players may play in both the Competitive and Recreational divisions in the same season, but they can not play for two different teams in the same division. (i.e. A player leaves his 6:30 p.m. game on a Monday Competitive game and wants to jump in the 8:00 p.m. Competitive game. This is not allowed.)

Make up games will only be played on the day of the week they are originally scheduled. Any cancellation of games will be played at the end of the regular season schedule.

Game cancellations are entirely up to the Drifton Softball Complex and are not up to the Coaches or Teams. If there is questionable weather during a game, game play will be dertermined by the officiating Umpire. Any player may call the Drifton Softball Complex cancellation line at 570-636-1212 to see if the games are on or off.

All recreational teams are allowed no more than 4 (four) players from the Competitive Division on their team roster. This rule is mandatory and without exception.

Batting Around Rule (when the opposing team has more players): If one team has more players than the opposing team, the opposing team will be allowed to keep batting in order to match the team with more players. (e.g., Team A with 11 players bats through their lineup, Team B with 9 players also bats through their lineup but is allowed to bat the next 2 batters in line to match Team A's 11 players.)

Insurance Rule: All teams are required to carry insurance and the minimum insurance per team is liability. If any team cannot provide legal insurance paperwork then that team is disqualified from the league and ineligible to play.

Official ASA Softball Rules (Modified Pitch) ASA Umpires Rulebook

ASA Modified Pitching Rules

PRELIMINARIES

Before starting the delivery (pitch), the pitcher shall comply with the following:
1. The pitcher may not take the pitching position on the pitcher’s plate without having the ball in his possession.
2. The pitcher shall not be considered in the pitching position unless the catcher is in position to receive the pitch
3. The pitcher shall take a position with both feet in contact with the pitcher ’s plate. Both feet must be on the ground within the 24-inch length of the pitcher’s plate. The shoulders shall be in line with first and third bases.
4. While on the pitching plate, the pitcher shall take the signal or appear to be taking a signal with the hands separated. The ball must remain in either the glove or pitching hand.
5. The pitcher shall hold the ball in both hands for not less than one second and not more than 10 seconds before releasing it, and both feet must remain in contact with the pitching plate at all times prior to the forward step.
STARTING THE PITCH

The pitch starts when one hand is taken off the ball after the hands have been placed together.
*** LEGAL DELIVERY ***
1. The pitcher must not make any motion to pitch without immediately delivering the ball to the batter.
2. The pitcher must not use a pitching motion in which, after bringing the hands together in the pitching position, the pitcher removes one hand from the ball and returns the ball to both hands.
3. The pitcher shall not make a stop or reversal of the forward motion after separating the hands.
4. The pitcher may take the ball behind the back on the back swing.
5. The pitcher must not use a windmill or slingshot-type pitch or make a complete revolution in the delivery.
6. Position of the ball:
7. The delivery must be an underhanded motion with the hand below the hip and the pitcher’s palm may be pointing downward.
8. Arm, shoulder, hip:
9. The release of the ball must be on the first forward swing of the pitching arm past the hip. The release must have a complete, smooth followthrough with no abrupt stop of the arm near the hip.
10. In the act of delivering the ball, the pitcher must take one step simultaneous with the release of the ball. The step must be forward and toward the batter within the 24-inch length of the pitcher’s plate. The stepping foot must be pointed toward home plate and must not touch the ground in front of, or cross over a straight line between the pivot foot and home plate. It is not a step if the pitcher slides the pivot foot across the pitcher’s plate, provided contact is maintained with the plate. Raising the foot off the pitching plate and returning it to the plate creates a rocking motion and is an illegal act.
11. Pushing off with the pivot foot from a place other than the pitcher’s plate is illegal.
12. The pitcher shall not deliberately drop, roll or bounce the ball in order to prevent the batter from hitting it.
13. The pitcher has 20 seconds to release the next pitch after receiving the ball or after the umpire indicates “play ball”.
INTENTIONAL WALK

If the pitcher desires to walk a batter intentionally all pitches must be legally delivered to the batter.
NO PITCH

No pitch shall be declared when:
1. The pitcher pitches during the suspension of play.
2. The pitcher attempts a quick return of the ball before the batter has taken a position in the batter’s box or when the batter is off balance as a result of a previous pitch.
3. A runner is called out for leaving a base prior to the pitcher releasing the pitch.
4. The pitcher pitches before a runner has returned to the base after being legitimately off that base.
5. No player, manager or coach shall call time, employ any other word or phrase, or commit any act while the ball is alive and in play for the purpose of trying to make the pitcher commit an illegal pitch. A warning shall be issued to the offending team, and a repeat of this type act by any member of the team warned shall result in the offender being ejected from the game.
DROPPED BALL

If the ball slips from the pitcher’s hand during the delivery, a ball is declared on the batter, the ball will remain in play and the runners may advance at their own risk.