League Rules

Jump to: General Rules | Equipment | Home Team Responsibilities | Reporting Scores | Suspended Games | Division-Specific Rules

The following rules provide guidance for all South Shore Coastal games; however, these rules are not comprehensive. If something is not explicitly stated in our SSC League rules, we will defer to the Little League International Softball Rule Book. 
 

General League Rules:

  • Conduct: Appropriate language and conduct will be displayed by players, coaches, and parents at all times.
  • Helmets: Caged helmets are required for all batters and base runners.
  • Fielder masks: Fielder masks are required for all fielders.
  • Time limit: Regular season - No new inning shall start after 1 hour and 45 minutes of play. This time begins when the first pitch is thrown. The clock will stop for weather delays or extended injury delays. Playoff games - No inning shall start after 1 hour and 45 minutes, except in the case of a tie. In that event, the next inning will begin with a runner on second base. The runner will be the player in the batting order who is scheduled to bat last in that half-inning. This format will continue each extra inning until a winner is determined. Championship games do not have a time limit. The tiebreaker rule goes into effect after the last regula
  • Playing time: No player should sit for more than 1 inning in a row.
  • Umpires: Umpires are scheduled by the league; however, town reps are responsible for directly coordinating with the Umpire Assignor regarding any changes, rainouts, or rescheduling needs.
  • Incomplete inning: If a game is declared official and final, and a full inning is not completed, the score reverts to the score at the end of the last completed inning. If the game is suspended and resumed, the game will resume from the exact point where it was stopped.
  • Slaughter rule: There is no slaughter rule.
  • Batting order: A full, continuous batting order will be used throughout each game.
  • Late arrivals: If a player arrives late and is not in the original lineup, that player may be added to the end of the lineup and bat in that spot only.
  • Injured/ill player: If a player is injured or becomes ill during a game and cannot take her scheduled turn at bat, she may be skipped with no out recorded. The offensive coach must inform the defensive team before that batter's turn comes up.
  • Substitutions: Free substitution is allowed in the field.
  • Bunt safety: Batters may not “show bunt, then pull back and swing.” On the 1st offense, the batter is out, the ball is dead, and all runners return to their original bases. On the 2nd offense by the same batter in the same game, she is ejected.
  • Circle Rule: Runners must immediately advance or return to a base when the pitcher has the ball inside the 8-foot radius circle. Runners off-base have a 3-second window to choose a direction; stopping twice or reversing direction without a play by the pitcher results in being called out.
  • Thrown bat: If a batter throws the bat, the umpire may issue a warning on the 1st offense, call the batter out on the 2nd offense, and call the batter out and remove her from the batting order after the 3rd offense.
  • Courtesy runner: Teams may use a replacement runner for their catcher if she is on base with two outs, in order to allow her to put on gear and reduce between-inning delays. The runner should be the player with the last recorded out.
  • Hit Batters: A pitcher must be removed from the pitching position if she hits 3 batters in a single inning or 4 in a game.

 

Equipment:

  • The HOME team supplies two yellow, raised-stitch, leather game softballs. 11" for D1-D2, 12" for D3.
  • Team jerseys should be worn at all times.
  • Batters, base runners, and the on-deck batter MUST wear a helmet with an attached face guard/cage.
  • All fielders must wear fielding masks.
  • Catchers must wear full equipment.
  • Softball bats only. No baseball bats.
  • NO metal cleats.
  • All fields must be lined and prepped before each game, with a pitching circle, batter's boxes, and baselines. Exceptions for D1 games as needed. Fields must have a double first base installed.

 

Home Team Responsibilities:

  • The home team is responsible for paying the umpire.

 

Reporting Scores:

  • D1 does NOT report scores to the league.
  • D2/D3: The WINNING team reports the score to the designated division scorekeeper:
  • The losing team has 48 hours to protest any discrepancies.
  • Please use the following format in your email: Subject line: [Team Name] defeats [Team Name]. Score X to X. Please make sure the team name matches what is listed on the website.

 

Suspended Games / Weather Delays:

  • Official game: A game is considered official after 4 innings, or 3.5 innings if the home team is ahead.
  • Suspended game: If a game is stopped due to weather, darkness, field conditions, or another safety issue and cannot be completed, the game will be considered a suspended game unless it qualifies as an official completed game under the league’s game-ending rules.
  • Resuming play: A suspended game will resume at a later date from the exact point where it was stopped. This includes the:
    • inning and half-inning
    • score
    • number of outs
    • count on the batter
    • base runners
    • batting order
    • pitcher/defensive eligibility, subject to league pitching rules
    • any other game conditions recorded by the official scorekeeper
  • No restart due to lineup changes: The game does not restart from the beginning simply because the lineup is different on the rescheduled date.
  • Original batting order: Because the resumed game is considered a continuation of the same game, the batting order from the original game remains in effect.
  • Absent players: If a player who was in the original batting order is not present when the game resumes, that player’s spot in the batting order will be skipped without penalty. If that player later arrives, she will return to her original spot in the batting order.
  • Newly present players: If an eligible rostered player was not present or not listed in the original game but is present for the resumed portion, she may be added to the end of the batting order before the game resumes, or when she arrives, at the discretion of her coach.
  • Player due to bat or run: If the player due to bat is not present when the game resumes, the next eligible player will take that spot, consistent with the league’s continuous batting order and substitution rules. If a player who was on base is not present, a courtesy runner from the last recorded out will be permitted.
  • Scorebook controls: Before teams leave the field, both coaches should confirm the score, inning, outs, count, runners, batter due up, and batting order with the official scorekeeper. The official scorebook will control if there is a later disagreement.

 

Division-Specific Rules:

D1 Specific Rules

  • Minimum players: Ideally, a minimum of SIX (6) players to start a game. Coaches may use discretion if short on numbers. Coaches MAY borrow players from other D1 teams if available.
  • Coach positioning: Coaches may be positioned on the field to help with placement; however, they may not interfere with live balls.
  • Game length: Games are 6 innings long. Extra innings will be played to determine a winner as daylight allows. If extra innings cannot be continued due to darkness or weather, the game is declared a tie. In the event of extra innings, the next inning will begin with a runner on second base. The runner will be the player in the batting order who is scheduled to bat last in that half-inning. This format will continue each extra inning until a winner is determined. 
  • Run limit: Each team is limited to four (4) runs per inning for innings 1 through 5, after which the team is out. There is no run limit in the 6th inning, last declared inning, or in extra innings.
  • Stealing: No stealing.
  • Dropped third strike: The dropped third strike rule is not in effect.
  • In-field Fly: The in-field fly rule is not in effect.
  • Continuous walks: Not allowed.
  • Outfielders: Teams may play with four (4) outfielders. All outfielders must take their defensive positions on the outfield grass. No extra infielders.
  • Pitching:
    • A pitcher may pitch a maximum of FOUR (4) innings per game. She may be removed and re-entered once per game.
    • Pitching rubber will be set at 35'; however, a pitcher may move up as long as they remain inside the pitching circle and no closer than 30'.
    • After a team walks or hits THREE (3) opposing batters in any inning, the offensive team's coach will pitch the remainder of that inning.
    • The coach can strike out a batter, called or swinging, but cannot issue a walk or hit-by-pitch.
    • A defensive player will stand near the circle with the coach and field the “pitcher” position. The coach will not field batted balls or be involved in the defense. A ball inadvertently hit off the coach’s body is a live ball.
    • Scores are not reported to the league.

D2 Specific Rules

  • Minimum players: A minimum of EIGHT (8) players to start a game. Coaches MAY NOT borrow players from other D2 teams. Coaches MAY call up players from D1.
  • Game length: Games are 6 innings long. Extra innings will be played to determine a winner as daylight allows. If extra innings cannot be continued due to darkness or weather, the game is declared a tie. In the event of extra innings, the next inning will begin with a runner on second base. The runner will be the player in the batting order who is scheduled to bat last in that half-inning. This format will continue each extra inning until a winner is determined. 
  • Run limit: Each team is limited to four (4) runs per inning for innings 1 through 5, after which the team is out. There is no run limit in the 6th inning, last declared inning, or in extra innings.
  • Stealing: Stealing of 2nd and 3rd base only. One base per pitch only, regardless of wild throw, etc. NO stealing home. Runners can only score by being batted in or forced in by a walk or hit batter.
  • Leaving early: Base runners may not leave the base until the pitch is released by the pitcher.
  • Dropped third strike: The dropped third strike rule is not in effect.
  • In-field Fly: The in-field fly rule is not in effect.
  • Continuous walks: Not allowed.
  • Outfielders: Teams may play with four (4) outfielders. All outfielders must take their defensive positions on the outfield grass. No extra infielders.
  • Pitching:
    • Pitching distance is 35 feet.
    • There is no limit on innings pitched.
    • A pitcher may be removed and re-entered once per game.

D3 Specific Rules

  • Minimum players: A minimum of EIGHT (8) players to start a game. Coaches MAY NOT borrow players from other D3 teams. Coaches MAY call up players from D2.
  • Game length: Games are 7 innings long. Extra innings will be played to determine a winner as daylight allows. If extra innings cannot be continued due to darkness or weather, the game is declared a tie. In the event of extra innings, the next inning will begin with a runner on second base. The runner will be the player in the batting order who is scheduled to bat last in that half-inning. This format will continue each extra inning until a winner is determined. 
  • Stealing: Stealing all bases is allowed.
  • Run limit: Each team is limited to five (5) runs per inning for innings 1 through 6, after which the team is out. There is no run limit in the 7th inning, last declared inning, or in extra innings.
  • Dropped third strike: The dropped third strike rule is in effect.
  • In-field Fly: The in-field fly rule is in effect.
  • Leaving early: Base runners may not leave the base until the pitch is released by the pitcher.
  • Continuous walks: ARE allowed.
  • Outfielders: Teams may play with three (3) outfielders. All outfielders must take their defensive positions on the outfield grass. No extra infielders.
  • Pitching:
    • Pitching distance is 40 feet.
    • There is no limit on innings pitched.
    • A pitcher may be removed and re-entered once per game.