BAJ Softball Rules

Updated July 23, 2021

(Modified from: Sun and Fun Senior Softball League and Senior Softball-USA)

ALL PLAYERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY AND RECOGNIZE THE RISKS INVOLVED.

UMPIRES

  1. First Base Coach: first base & home plate

  2. Third Base Coach: second & third base

  3. Catcher: balls/strikes and fair/foul

 A batted ball down the 1st or 3rd base lines is fair if it hits in fair territory before the base AND stays in fair territory going OVER the base.  A fly ball must either land FIRST in fair territory behind the bag or HIT the bag (which is in fair territory) to be a fair ball.  It is the position of the BALL relative to the foul line and NOT where the fielder is standing when ball is touched.

  1. No Infield Fly Rule. An intentionally dropped ball is a dead ball out.

  2. TEAM CAPTAINS/LEADERS WILL SETTLE ALL DISPUTES OR EXCEPTIONS ON THE PLAYING FIELD.

TEAMS

  1. No full inning will start after 11:00 AM. Both team managers/teams can agree to override this rule.

  2. 8-9 players: other team provides a catcher or other position player(s)

  3. 11 players maximum on field without agreement of opposing manager.

  4. More than 11 players with agreement of opposing managers

  5. Continuous batting order and open defensive substitutions. All players must have opportunity to play offense and defense. Exceptions to offensive or defensive player situations must be agreed upon by both team managers.

  6. No more than five defensive players can be on the infield until the ball is hit.

GAME

  1. Games are 7 innings.

  2. A team trailing by 10 or more runs after it finishes batting in the 6th inning has the option of batting in the 7th inning before the leading team bats again (a “flip/flop”). If a trailing team desires to flip/flop under other circumstances, it may do so only if the other team agrees.

  3. Games will play one inning at a time, except when 10+ run rule applies.

  4. 5 runs per inning maximum by batting team except last inning which has no limit.

BATTING

  1. Three balls, two strikes with one courtesy foul ball after strike one.

  2. Throwing bat: one warning, next time batter is out.

  3. A legal bat has a BPF rating of 1.21, or lower. A player age 75 or older may use any bat, regardless of BPF rating. An older bat without a BPF rating is considered legal if:

    1. it meets the standards of any of the following organizations: ASA, ISSA, SSUSA, SSWC, or USSSA (any such organization's stamp on the bat is sufficient evidence of legality), or

    2. it is approved by the BAJ Softball Committee on a case by case basis.

  4. Batter is OUT on foul ball caught by catcher REGARDLESS of height.

PITCHING

  1. A pitched ball strike must hit the “Strike Zone” mat on the way down.

PITCHING SCREEN

  1. Placed in front of the pitching rubber at a distance not to exceed 10 feet.

  2. A batted ball hitting any part of pitching screen will be declared a dead ball/no pitch.

  3. A ball hitting the screen after being touched or thrown by a fielder is a “live ball” and play continues.

  4. Pitches must go over the screen.

  5. A ball hitting the screen on a pitch attempt is a dead ball/no pitch.

BASE RUNNING

  1. Substitute runners are permitted. Sub runners for batter must have one hand on first back fence post that is towards 1st base plus front foot must be on or behind line from post to home plate. When possible, the sub-runner should be player who made the last out. Avoid same player(s) doing all the pinch running.

  2. Players safely reaching a base may request a substitute runner.

  3. No sliding – going to, or returning to a base. Player is out.

  4. Overrunning any base is ok, with NO movement or intent toward next base, otherwise you can be tagged out. Must tag a returning runner except on fly-out violation by base runner.

  5. Runners in a run-down must be tagged.

  6. Runners returning to a base must be tagged.

  7. To avoid contact or injury, a runner may run by the base without touching it.

  8. The commitment line will be 20 feet from Scoring Plate. Once a runner’s foot touches the ground on or past this line, the runner is committed to advancing to the Scoring Plate.

  9. Always strive to avoid a collision/contact on the base path or base. The runner is responsible and is OUT in most collision situations.

  10. Runner who has committed (at least half-way) to going to 2nd or 3rd is OUT if defensive player with ball touches base before runner turns to return to previous base.

  11. Runner is OUT if catcher has the ball and touches the Strike Zone Mat before runner touches the Scoring Mat.

  12. Runners must not interfere with throw of fielder to base or with fielding of ball. Get out of way. No yelling or waving arms to distract.

  13. When running to second or third base with no hope of reaching it before the throw, the player must move away from the throw to avoid a collision with the fielders.

  14. On field 3, when a ball goes under the fence, runners get the base they were heading toward.

FEES

All players will pay a fee (as determined by the committee) for purchase of balls, safety equipment, first aid items, scorebooks, and any other miscellaneous items.