Softball Rules: How To Play, Easy Guide For Beginners

If you want to know about Softball Rules, you have come to the right place. What do you get when you combine heart-pumping adrenaline, team spirit, and an unquenchable thirst for competitive sports? The answer is Softball. Presenting a game that is a fun take on Baseball, Softball is a majorly popular sport in the US, both as a recreational and professional sport. The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) is the national governing body for Softball in the United States. Curious to know how to play Softball? So, let us dive in!

What Is Softball?

Softball is a game that you can enjoy if you want to have fun and let loose. It somewhat abides by the rules of Baseball, but it is played professionally and as a recreational sport, with a few fundamental differences. 

The general softball rules are quite similar to those of Baseball. However, the ball that is used in the game is heavier and bigger than in baseball and has to be pitched underhand (it can be a slow pitch or a fast pitch). Also, the field of play in softball is smaller than in baseball. Today, softball is played competitively across colleges, clubs, and even on a professional level.

Objective

The primary objective of the game is to score higher than the opponent and win the game, following softball rules. This can be achieved in one of two ways: 

1. Score as many home runs or cover as many bases when batting.
2. Restrict the opponent from scoring or get them out as early as possible. 

Therefore, the team with the highest score at the end of the game is declared the winner.

Rules Of Softball

If you’ve been enjoying softball for leisure or recreational purposes, you might wonder about what are the rules of softball? Softball is more than just swinging a bat or pitching a ball. Regulations dictate the flow of the game and how to determine a winner. Therefore, the first step to playing softball is to understand the different rules associated with it. We have categorically divided them in the following order so that you know which rule applies to whom.

If you know the rules of baseball, playing softball will be a walk in the park (with respect to understanding the Softball rules). So, how do you score maximum points in a Softball game? How do you get your opponent out? Read on to find out.

• The rules of softball dictate that a standard game of softball can go on for 7 innings.
• If the game ends in a tie, a tie-breaker will be played until one decisive winner is found.
• Pitchers must pitch within the strike zone (between the shoulders and the knees of the hitter).
• The play is dubbed dead if the ball crosses into the foul area (beyond the first and third bases). A new pitch must be used to start a new play.
• The visiting team bats for the top half of the innings. Then, the sides are switched, and the home team bats for the bottom half of the innings as the visiting team defends runs. This goes on for 7 innings, and at the end of the game, the team with the highest score wins.
• After three outs, the defending team assumes the position of the batting team, and so on.
• According to the ASA softball rules, a ball will be considered dead if: 
• The umpire calls it a dead ball.
• The ball gets lodged in the hitter’s clothing or the umpire’s gear, or it touches a player who is out of play.
• Two teams of 9 players each can play Softball. However, when playing by informal softball rules or a slow-pitch softball game, the number of players can be fewer. 
• A standard softball game comprises 7 innings where both teams take turns in batting and pitching. In smaller leagues, amateur divisions, and informal games, the duration and/or the number of innings can be reduced due to time constraints.
• There are 4 bases in total that the batting order needs to touch or cover in order to score points throughout the game. They are as follows:

1. First Base
2. Home Base
3. Second Base
4. Third Base

To know about the rules and regulations of Softball in detail, click here.

Pitcher

Some rules specific to a pitcher are as follows:

• As per the standard softball rules, the pitcher must get three strikes (when a pitch is within the strike zone, and the hitter misses it or does not attempt it) in order to get a hitter out.
• If the pitcher throws four foul balls (pitches that do not pass through the strike zone and are not hit by the hitter are called “foul balls”), then the batter will be awarded a walk to the first base.
• If the pitcher hits the batter with the ball, the batter gets to walk to the first base (this softball rule only applies to fast-pitch softball games).
• According to the softball rules, if a fair pitch is hit by a batsman who makes it to the first base, the pitcher pitches to the next batter in line.

Hitter

There are some softball rules that a hitter must follow during a softball game. They are:

• As per ASA Softball rules, a hitter or the batter at home base needs to hit the ball into the field or outfield in order to cover the bases.
• The hitter can score a run for his/her team by covering all the bases and coming back to the home base. 
• Hitting a pitch out of bounds when there are fewer than 2 strikes against them can result in a strike against the hitter.
• A hitter cannot strike out on a ‘foul ball.’ If there are two strikes against him/her, the hitter can hit as many foul balls as necessary.
• To score a home run, the hitter needs to hit the ball beyond the outfield and into the Deadball zone (the area behind the dugout fence). Then, he/she can proceed to stroll around the bases and return to the home base.
• A hitter becomes a runner the moment he/she hits a pitch into the fair playing field.

Runner

The guidelines for a runner are as follows:

• A runner must avoid being tagged out (using the ball or the glove with the ball) by an infielder when he/she is between two bases.
• According to official softball rules, the runner must reach the next base before a force out can occur.
• A runner can overrun the first base if they turn out of bounds after hitting the pitch and passing the base.
• According to the rules of softball, the runner cannot overrun any other base.
• If a runner overruns any other base and is tagged while between bases, they will be out.

Fielders

The fielders on a team need to be following the rules of softball explained below;

• A fielder needs to get the batsman and/or the runner out.
• If a hitter hits a pitch and is caught by a fielder before it bounces or touches the ground, the hitter will be out, according to softball rules.
• An outfielder can try to get the runner out by throwing the ball to one of the basemen before the runner reaches the base.
•  If a fielder catches a ball that is hit into the foul territory by the hitter, it will be considered an out (unless the ball touches the ground first).
• If a runner is hit by a batted ball when they are not at a base, they will be out.
• A runner will be declared out if they run past a runner that is ahead of them.
• A failed tag-up will result in an out as well.

Softball Positions

The key to a successful game is to understand the positions that each player has to assume and the role that they have to play. On that note, let’s discover the different positions involved in a game of softball.

• Pitcher – The pitcher is the player who pitches or throws the ball at the hitter from the opposite team.
• Hitter – The hitter (also known as the batter) is the player who hits the pitched ball using a bat and then covers the three bases to score for their team.
• Base men—There are three bases (other than home base), and each base has a baseman from the batting or hitting team (three basemen in total).
• Shortstop – The shortstop is an in-field player from the defending or pitching team who is responsible for stopping ground balls, line drives, and pop-ups between second and third base. 
• Catcher—The catcher is the defensive player who stands behind the hitter. He aims to get the hitter out at home base and return the ball to the pitcher.
• Fielders – These are the defensive players who are scattered across the outfield. They are responsible for preventing the hitting team from traversing between bases by throwing outfield balls to the respective basemen to get the hitters out.

Types Of Pitches

As per the ASA softball rules, there are two types of pitches in softball. The first type of pitch is the slow-pitch, in which games are coed, and the ball is lobbed in an arc-like manner. The second type of pitching is a fast pitch, where women primarily play. In a fast-pitch game, the wind-up is large, and the throws are quick.

Important Terms

There are certain terms in softball that you need to be acquainted with. They are as follows:

1. Double play – When two players get out on the same play, it is called a double play. 
2. Steal – A runner cannot run to the next base until the ball has been pitched. If, during a premature run attempt towards the next base, the runner is touched with the ball, he will be out.
3. Tag-up – In the case of a fly ball, the runner cannot leave the base before the fielder catches the ball. If he leaves the base too early, he has to make his way back to the original base before attempting a run to the next base again. If the ball returns to the base before the runner does, he will be declared out, as per ASA softball rules.

Did You Know?

• Women’s fastpitch softball was a professional Summer Olympic sport. Unfortunately, the 2024 Paris Olympics organizing committee removed softball and baseball from the Summer Olympic Games.
• The first softball game was played on Thanksgiving Day, back in 1887, in Chicago, Illinois. 
• The game of softball was invented by George Hancock in 1887.
• Softball is incredibly popular in the United States, primarily because of the flexibility in the rules of the different variations of the game.
• According to statistics, around 14.62 million Americans played softball at least once in the year 2015.
• Softball was originally meant to be played indoors. However, it has two versions now, and the indoor version is called Arena Softball.
• The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) sponsors softball championships for Division I and Division II schools to promote, celebrate, and encourage women’s participation in the sport.

FAQs

Conclusion

Be it indoors or out on an open playing field – softball is a game that appeals to sports enthusiasts across all ages. Pick up your bat, gather your team, put on your safety gear and you are ready to have the time of your life. Now that you know the basics of “how to play softball rules,” how about the rules of another game?

Read More: Do you know how to play [game name]? If not, then you are missing out on something splendid. So, to quickly learn the rules, click here.