National Softball Rules

Softball is played by men and women in recreational leagues across the country. The National Softball Association (NSA) has issued a rule book to ensure that the game is the same no matter which league a player chooses to join. Here is a summary of the national rules for adult softball.

Field Size

For men's and women's adult softball leagues, there should be 70 feet between each base. The front of the pitching rubber must be 53 feet from the back edge of home plate. The fence must be no less than 275 feet away from home plate, allowing the outfielders plenty of room to play the ball.

Bats

The bat may not be more than 38 ounces or 34 inches long. Both wood and aluminum bats are allowed under NSA rules. The grip of the bat must be between 10 and 15 inches long and must be made out of cork, tape or a combination of the two. All bats used in competition must be in good shape and free of any cracks, deep dents or other sharp edges that may cause danger to the players.

Gloves

All fielders must wear gloves that fit within the NSA's specifications. The glove cannot be completely white or gray or have distracting circles on the inside or outside. A catcher's mitt can be any size, but the other fielders' gloves must be between 8 and 14 inches when measured from the highest point to the bottom edge of the palm. The glove must be 8 inches wide when measured from the outside of the little finger to the bottom of the webbing farthest from the thumb.

Players and Substitutions

Teams may play 9 or 10 players in the field, with a designated hitter being used if the team chooses to only field 9 players. Any player can be taken out for a substitute and then re-enter the game once. The team manager must notify the home plate umpire of the substitution before it occurs.

Pitching Motion

The pitcher must stand with at least one foot touching the pitching rubber and then come to a full stop for at least one second before winding up. The ball must be thrown underhand and must leave the pitcher's hand as soon as the arm passes the pitcher's hip on the windup. In slow-pitch softball, the ball must be thrown in an arc that reaches between 6 and 10 feet in the air. The umpire in a slow-pitch league has the discretion of warning the pitcher if the ball is thrown at an excessive rate of speed. If the pitcher again throws too fast after being warned, he or she will be disqualified from pitching the rest of the game.

References

• NSA Rulebook

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