Slow Pitch Softball                          

Study Guide

What is it?

Slow-pitch softball is played by two teams of ten players each. The teams take it in turns to bat and field. The batting team is called the offensive team and the fielding team is called the defensive team. Most slow-pitch softball is played by mixed teams, where men and women play together, usually in 5:5. The basics of softball are very simple. One player, the pitcher, pitches the ball to a batter who hits it and runs around as many bases as possible before the ball is retrieved and returned under control by the defensive team. The aim of the game is to score more runs than the opposition, and a run is scored when a player on the batting team advances successfully around all three bases and back to the home base.

General Rules of Play:                                                                                                                                                                                 

• Each game consists of 7 innings; an inning is completed when each team has batted or 3 outs have occurred.
• Batters will be in predetermined batting order, alternating boy/girl.
• If the ball is caught in the air the batter is out and any runners must tag the base they were on before they advance to the next base.
• A batter is out if the ball is fielded and thrown to first base before the runner reaches the base.

Pitching:

• Each pitch should be between the heights of 6-12 feet. The ball must hit the carpet to be considered a strike.
• If the ball does not hit a portion of the carpet it will be counted as a ball.
• Each player is given 3 strikes and 4 balls.
• Bunting is not allowed in slow-pitch.
• If the player is unable to contact the ball on the third strike or it goes foul, the batter is out.
• If the pitcher is unable to pitch strikes the batter may take his/her base after 4 balls have been pitched.

Fair and Foul Ball:

A ball is considered fair if:

• It lands in the outfield (in fair territory) and rolls foul.
• It is hit into foul territory and rolls fair.
• If it hits 1^st or 3^rd base no matter where it goes afterward.

A ball is considered foul if:

• It is hit into the infield (in fair territory) but then rolls foul before it passes first or third base.
• It is hit into foul territory outside the outfield and then rolls into fair territory.

Base Running:

• You are not allowed to lead off or steal a base in slow-pitch softball.
• You can only advance to the next base after the ball has been hit.
• If the ball is caught in the air, the base runner must be in contact wit h the base when the ball is caught before he/she can attempt to take the next base.
• Force on a base
  • If you are on first base and the batter hits a fair ball then you must advance to second base.
  • Only one person may occupy a base at anytime, and the runner behind you may not pass you.
  • On a ‘force out’ the fielder do not need to tag the runner, they only need to have the ball and touch the base before a runner gets to it.

Terminology:                                                                                                                                                                    

Base on Balls or Walk- reaching first base after four balls are called.

Batting Order- the official listing of the sequence of the players to bat.

Fair Territory- the part of the playing field with in or including the first and third base foul lines from home plate to the bottom of the playing field fence.

In-field- the portion of the field within the baselines.

Inning- portion of the game in which a team plays both offense and defense, starting with the first team at bat.

Playing Area: