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Majors Softball Rules of Play

Softball – Majors

  1. All players league age 10, 11 and 12 are eligible for the Majors division.
  2. At all times (On offense or on defense), there must be at least one parent present in the dugout. That parent must have cleared a Little League approved background check.
  3. The entire player game roster shall be used as the batting order, regardless of defensive position. Players arriving after the game has started shall be placed in the batting order after the last player named in such batting order. “Free” substitution is allowed.
  4. If playing on a non-fenced field, the home run line will be marked by cones a distance of 200 feet from home plate. A batted ball that passes over the coned home run line on the fly shall be a home run. A batted ball that touches a fielder’s glove, or any other part of said fielder, and passes over the coned home run line on the fly, without ever touching the ground prior to passing the cones, shall be a home run. A batted ball that passes the coned home run line after first touching the ground shall be a ground-rule double, regardless of whether a fielder touched it or not.
  5. If available, a safety base (Flat, rubber base) will be placed next to first base to reduce collisions and to give batters a better chance of running through first base on a ground ball to the infield. In general, the defense is entitled to the inside base, while the batter / runner is entitled to the outside flat, rubber base. Coaches should instruct their players to make plays to the inside base while playing defense, and to run through the outside base while running to first.
  6. Each team must provide a scorekeeper who is not a manager or coach. The home team is considered the official scorekeeper.
  7. The home team is responsible for supplying the home plate umpire for the game. The visiting team is responsible for providing the field umpire for the game.
  8. The game will be played using an 12” softball.
  9. No new inning can be started after 2 hours and 15 minutes. No new batter after 2 hours and 30 minutes. Games not completed after the 2 hour and 30 minute time limit will revert to the last completed inning (Ties are allowed). A time limit shall also apply to all doubleheaders. No new batter after 1 hour and 50 minutes in the first game, no new batter after 2 hours and 15 minutes in the second game. All times start from the scheduled start time.
  10. A curfew shall apply to all games played Sunday through Thursday while school is in session. No new inning may begin after 8:15 pm, and no new batter after 8:30 pm. School is not considered to be “In session” during vacations and holidays.
  11. The modified mandatory play rule is nine defensive outs, with at least three defensive outs being in an infield position is required for each player. Managers are encouraged to give all players their minimum playing time before the end of the fourth inning to ensure compliance in the event the game cannot be completed (Darkness, weather, time limit, etc). It is expected that managers will offer fair playing time to everyone.
  12. Managers and coaches should make every attempt to keep the game moving along at a good pace. Catchers should be identified in advance of their assigned inning, get geared up and be ready to play when their team takes the field (It should be noted that any player wearing a catcher’s mask can warm-up a pitcher). The umpire will remind managers of this requirement as needed.
  13. For safety reasons, players are not allowed to hold a bat in the dugout / bench area, or swing a bat outside of the batter’s box. Practice swings will be allowed in the batter’s box only under the coach’s direction.
  14. After entering the batter’s box, the batter must remain in the box with at least one foot throughout the at bat.
    Exceptions are as follows:
    1. On a swing, slap, or check swing
    2. When forced out of the box by a pitch
    3. When the batter attempts a drag bunt
    4. When the catcher does not catch the pitched ball
    5. When a play has been attempted
    6. When time has been called
    7. When the pitcher leaves the dirt area of the pitching mound, or takes a position more than five feet from the pitcher’s plate after receiving the ball, or the catcher leaves the catcher’s box
    8. On a three ball count pitch that is a strike that the batter thinks is a ball
    Penalty: If the batter leaves the batter’s box or delays play and none of the exceptions apply, the umpire shall warn the batter. After one warning on a batter, the umpire shall call a strike. Any number of strikes can be called on each batter. No pitch has to be thrown, the ball is dead, and no runners may advance.
  15. The entire game will be kid pitch from a distance of 40 feet between the front of the pitching rubber and the back corner of home plate.
  16. A game shall terminate and be declared final if after four or more innings (Three-and-a-half if the home team is ahead) a team is ahead by 10 or more runs.
  17. An end-of-the-year double elimination playoff will be held for all teams, with seeds determined by random draw.

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