OBJECTIVE The goal of the Warren Township Girls Softball program is to create a positive softball experience for all girls through the education of the sport, stressing the importance of teamwork, good sportsmanship, and fun!!! Safety is our main concern. THE PLAYING FIELD 1. Only team players and WTGS certified coaches will be allowed on the benches and playing field. 2. Coaches are responsible for their spectators. Spectators who harass the umpires, opposing team coaches, players, or other spectators will be subject to disciplinary action by WTGS. Please see the appropriate Code of Conduct agreed to at registration. Copies are available on the WTGS website. 3. 50 foot bases, 35 foot pitching distance. 4. Short centerfield is not a position. There are 3 outfield positions. 5. The field consists of 10 players. 6. Outfielders must be positioned on the outfield grass until the ball is hit. EQUIPMENT 1. The official softball is the yellow 11 soft dot. 2. Coaches are responsible for all equipment issued to them. If equipment repairs are required, contact the WTGS Director of Equipment to make arrangements for repair or replacement. 3. On offense, batters, runner, and on-deck players must wear batting helmets. If a player chooses to use her own helmet, it must be equipped with a protective face mask that is NOCSAE (National Operating Committee for Standards on Athletic Equipment) certified. 4. On defense players at 1st base, 3rd base, and pitcher positions must wear a defensive face mask. Masks will be provided for the team to share, players may also choose to purchase their own mask. 5. The uniform code must be adhered to at all times. Uniforms consist of WTGS issued team jersey, black softball pants, and WTGS issued socks. Coaches will wear the Coaches shirts provided. 6. No jewelry shall be worn during the game including wristbands. Earrings must be taken out or covered with medical tape. THE GAME 1. Scheduled start time is 6:00 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday for the evening games and 8:15 for night games (if necessary). Coaches and players should try to get to the field 20-30 minutes before game time for proper warm-ups and stretching. 2. No new inning will start after 1 hour and forty-five minutes from the actual start time. A regulation game is 6 innings. The umpire will keep time.
3. In all games, the teams have 10 minutes from the scheduled start time to field the necessary amount of players. The umpires keep the official time. 4. A game called by the umpire due to weather shall be regulation after 3 1/2 innings if the home team is winning or 4 innings if the visiting team is winning. 5. Games that are not considered regulation shall be resumed at the exact point where they stopped. Games, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, may or may not be rescheduled. 6. There is a 5 run maximum per half inning. After 5 runs are scored, that half inning shall be over. The only exception will be in the 6th inning when an unlimited number of runs may be scored. 7. Pitchers should be restricted to 5 warm-up pitches between innings (intent is to keep the game moving). 8. Each team should compare score books at each half inning for agreement. The umpire will settle any discrepancies. 9. The championship game will be played to a full game conclusion- 6 innings. The time limit is waived. PLAYERS AND SUBSTITUTES General 1. Lineups will be exchanged between teams prior to the start of the game. 2. The lower division consists of 3rd/4th graders. 3. Exceptions may be made/approved by the WTGS board of directors. 4. Field to consist of 10 players. 5. All players on the roster bat even if they are not playing the field. Batting order must be rotated throughout the season. All girls are to have equal playing time in the field throughout the season balancing infield and outfield playing time. It must be the intent of the coaches to play each girl evenly throughout each game. 6. Seven players are needed to start and finish a game. There are no exceptions and this is not the Coaches discretion. If Coaches must borrow players to field a team, they must come from a lower division. The players on that team will not have to sit out due to borrowed players helping out. 7. Free substitutions will be allowed in all positions at the end of each half inning. 8. Tournament play increases team competition and coaches may field a more competitive lineup, but all players are expected to play in each game. Conduct 1. A player who throws their bat either on purpose or by accident will receive a warning. A player warned is a team warned and any further infractions will result in the player being called out. 2. Negative chatter by any player on the bench or in the field will not be allowed and subject to disciplinary action by the WTGS Board of Directors. Please see the Player s Code of Conduct agreed to during registration. Copies are available on the WTGS website.
3. Negative chatter by any coach on the bench or in the field will not be allowed and subject to disciplinary action by the WTGS Board of Directors. Please see the Coach s Code of Conduct agreed to during registration. Copies are available on the WTGS website. 4. Any verbal abuse, intimidation, or harassment of an umpire by a team s coach, parent, or spectator will subject that team to forfeiture of their game and disciplinary action by the WTGS Board of Directors. Blood Rule 1. Players bleeding can call time to have a Band-Aid applied. 2. Anything beyond the application of a Band-Aid will result in the player being removed for proper treatment and being substituted for. 3. Player may return after treatment at coach s discretion. 4. If player continues to bleed, she will be removed for the remainder of the game at the umpire s discretion. 5. Any player suffering from a nosebleed will not be allowed to continue under any circumstances. Substitutes 6. Injured players may be substituted for base running. Last player to record an out will be the designated runner. 7. Players are not allowed to have a substitute runner to start a game, or for the entire game. 8. Players incurring minor injuries during the game and have been removed from the game will be allowed to re-enter when she can continue. 9. The umpire can remove the player for the remainder of the game if he/she feels she cannot or should not continue. 10. A courtesy runner shall be used when an injury occurs or for the catcher with two outs in the inning. The courtesy runner should be the batter that made the last out. BATTER AND RUNNER 1. Bunting is allowed. 2. Infield fly rule is not in effect. 3. The dropped third strike rule is not in effect. 4. No Walk Rule / Coach pitch a. When the umpire has called 4 balls, the No-Walk rule will be implemented. An offensive coach assumes the pitcher s role and throws a maximum of four pitches to complete the strike count OR until the batter is out OR until the ball is put in play. If the batter fouls off the 4th pitch from the coach, she will continue to bat until she is out or gets a hit. The umpire will be allowed to call strikes on pitches thrown by the coach. b. Unless the ball is put into play OR fouled off, the batter is out after the fourth coach pitched ball. c. The coach-pitcher must pitch from the pitching rubber. d. During coach-pitch, a batter is not allowed to advance to first base if a hit by pitch occurs.
e. The player-pitcher should stand on the glove hand side of the coach to field the position even with the pitching rubber with at least one foot inside the pitching circle. f. The coach-pitcher should not attempt to field the ball and remain out of the fielder s way. g. Movement of the coach from side to side will not be allowed and could result in the batter being called out. h. The coach-pitcher is considered part of the playing field during game play. If the ball strikes the coach-pitcher, the ball remains live. i. Stealing of 3 rd base is not allowed on a coach-pitched ball. Lead-offs are still allowed. 5. Stealing of third base is permitted. The runner cannot advance on an overthrow by the catcher. 6. The runner may lead off once the ball has left the pitcher s hand. 7. The catcher is not to play on a runner leading off first or third base since advancement is not allowed. The catcher may play on a runner leading off second base. 8. Sliding is not mandatory but is encouraged. Any runner making malicious contact judged by the umpire will be called out at the umpire s discretion. 9. Batters that get hit by a pitch will be awarded first base if they attempted to make an effort (at the umpire s discretion) to get out of the way. Otherwise, they remain at bat and the pitch will be judged a strike or a ball at the umpire s discretion. 10. Runners are allowed to advance only 1 base on all batted balls that do not leave infield or still in play. 11. If the infielder is fielding the ball inside the base path, the runners will only be allowed to advance one base. On a ball hit to the outfield runners may advance until the ball is returned to the infield, defined as the ball crossing the base path. This can be either in the defensive player s control, or the ball rolling into the infield. Once the ball crosses the base path no further advancing is allowed. 12. Runners are only allowed an extra base on an over throw if the ball is ruled to have gone out of the field of play by the umpire. FIELDER 1. Fielder is not allowed to block the base or base path. Players must be positioned in front or behind the base paths. 2. The fielder has the right to field the ball once it is hit in the base path area. 3. At this point, the runner needs to avoid the fielder in order to not have the batter called out due to interference. 4. A dead ball will be considered when any player has control of the ball inside the 16-foot chalked circle located around the pitcher s mound. Runners that are not more than half way on the base paths must go back to the previous base. Runner s advancement is at the umpire s discretion.
PITCHING 1. Windmill pitching is allowed. Proper delivery according to IHSA rules will be enforced. 2. No one girl will pitch more than three innings in a game. The innings do not have to be consecutive. A pitch thrown in an inning is considered an inning pitched. 3. Pitchers will be removed from the mound for the remainder of the game for hitting 3 batters in one inning or 5 batters in a game. 4. If a pitcher is extremely wild and avoids hitting batters by the batter stepping out of the box or ducking, the coach may be asked to have her removed by the umpire at his/her discretion.