Bramble Bay Sport

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Softball Ground-Rules

Teams are to consist of girls only unless there are special circumstances and the matter has been referred to the Bramble Bay Sports Assn chair.  Guidelines, as outlined, will need to be adhered to. 

                       BASE DISTANCE       PITCHING DISTANCE         

TEE BALL                       15.2m                            9.1m

JUNIOR                             15.2m                          9.1m

SENIOR                             18.29m                       10.67m

Warm-up should commence at 11:30am.

Games shall commence at 1.40pm and should be of 1hr 15min, or 5 completed innings, whichever comes first by the 12:55pm deadline.  See also the e-mail sent by Peter Haslett regarding a common sense approach to giving the girls maximum playing time and still obtaining a result.

Suitable footwear must be worn

Jewellery must not be worn.

Suitable caps/hats must be worn - plastic sunvisors are not suitable.

Chest protectors, masks, helmets, and throat protectors are compulsory for all junior and senior catchers, even in the warm-up.

Batting helmets must be worn when batting or running bases.

TEE BALL:

The tee must be placed with the stem in line with the centre of the front of home plate. (It should be in front of the plate.)

The batter will be permitted to level the bat with the ball with one movement. Any additional movement of the bat towards the ball shall be called a strike.

A strike is called:-

i) when the batter swings and misses

ii) when the batter swings and hits "more tee than ball"

iii) for each and every foul ball (Unlike softball, all fouls count as strikes, and after three strikes the batter is out.)

iv) if the ball fails to go beyond 4.5 m

A runner must wait until the ball is hit (fair) before leaving base.

 

(The modifications outlined are 'ground rules' pertaining only to the Bramble Bay competition. Girls may find differences when playing at regional carnivals or in club games.)

Pitcher rules: (APPLIES TO JUNIOR, and SENIOR)

No player is allowed to play pitcher for more than two innings per game.

Ninth batter rule: (APPLIES TO ALL GRADES - TEE BALL, JUNIOR, SENIOR )

If there are fewer than three out when the ninth batter comes to bat, the umpire will call out "ninth batter". The innings continues until the next out is made after the ninth batter finishes her turn at bat or the ninth batter crosses home plate safely.

The ninth batter is the last person who can score.

The next innings will start with the next batter who did not bat in the previous innings.

This rule allows each team to have more than nine batters. Eg if there are 12 players in a team, the batting order is 1 - 12. Only nine players may take the field as fielders, but all twelve bat in accordance with the line-up. The batting order cannot be changed.

A batting tee is used in all Junior grades and in Senior B. If there are fewer than three strikes when the count reaches "Ball Four", a batting tee is used in accordance with tee ball rules. The strike count carries over and the batter has the remaining number of strikes to make fair contact. EG. if the count is "Ball Four, strike one", a maximum of two swings will be allowed by the batter (as per Tee Ball rules) to hit a fair ball. After strike three, the batter is out.

The infield fly rule will not apply to Bramble Bay fixtures.

(The infield fly rule states that an umpire will call a batter out if she hits a fair fly ball in the infield which can be caught with ordinary effort when there are runners on 1st & 2nd or 1st, 2nd & 3rd before two batters are out.)

SOME RULES WHICH WILL BE ENCOUNTERED REGULARLY:

The strike zone is that space over any part of home plate between the batter's armpits and the top of her knees when she assumes a natural batting stance.

A strike is called when:

i) Any part of a legally pitched ball enters this space without touching the ground or home plate. Thus a pitch coming in at close to shoulder height or in line with the knees is quite likely to be a strike if it is in line with home plate.

ii) The batter swings at a ball and misses.

iii) For each foul ball up to strike 2. After strike 2, foul balls do not increase the strike count (unless the tee is being used, or the batter bunts foul - in these cases, it is strike three and the batter is out; runners cannot advance).

A foul ball is judged by its position either before or after 1st or 3rd base:-

- Before 1st or 3rd (in the infield) where it finally settles or is first touched

- Beyond 1st or 3rd (in the outfield) where it first lands or is touched.

Balls:

-In all softball grades, the batter is awarded 1st base if she is hit with a pitched ball, not in the strike zone, as long as she makes some effort to avoid being hit. (If it is in the strike zone, or the batter swings and misses, it is a strike.)

-Senior A - get awarded a base after 4 balls.

-Senior B & Juniors - use the tee after 4 balls (as explained previously)

 

i) When tagged before reaching 1st base

ii) When a fielder stands on 1st base with the ball before the batter-runner gets there

iii) When a hit ball is caught on the full

iv) When the third strike is caught by the catcher

v) When she bunts foul after the 2nd strike

vi) If, in the umpire's opinion, the bat was thrown - no warning needs to be given for this.

Base running:

i) Base runners should take a lead-off when the ball leaves the pitcher's hand

ii)Base runners should hold up on their base on a fly ball - if she is off her base and tagged or the ball is held by a fielder on the base she left, she is out, if the fly ball is caught and the fielders appeal.

iii) Base runners can run through 1st and home, but if they over-run 2nd or 3rd they can be tagged out

iv) Base runners cannot be given out if :-

(a) forced to advance because the batter was awarded a base on balls

(b) returning to base after a foul ball is not caught

v) On a force the baserunner is out if a fielder holds the ball while standing on the base to which the baserunner is forced to run

vi) If the baserunner is not forced to run, the fielder has to tag the runner out.

vii) If a fielder is about to tag a baserunner at 2nd, 3rd or home, the runner should slide into the base. If she barges into the fielder, the runner will be given out for interference.

vii) If a fielder obstructs a runner from making a base and the fielder is not attempting to execute a play, the base-runner is safe. This is called obstruction.

viii) On an overthrow to first that goes dead, the runner must hold up on 2nd.

ix) Because there are no backstops at the ground, on a passed ball which goes well beyond the catcher, runners will be awarded one base only

x) Batters cannot interfere with a play being made at home plate. They should be encouraged to move out of the way if a runner is coming home.

i) Each team should supply a scorer who should check with the opposition scorer from time to time to ensure they agree. This could be done by the parent assigned to each team by that team's school.

ii) A run does not score if the third out of an inning is the result of the batter being out at first or a runner being forced.

iii)The final score of a game shall be the score at the end of the last complete inning unless the team second at bat has scored more than the first team when "Time & Game" is called.

LOCATION:  

Venues for the games:

Junior and Senior games will be played at Deagon Oval, with Juniors using the Sandgate Cricket Club main oval, and Seniors using the Board St side.

Tee Ball will be played at Curlew Park

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