All teams are provided with the Little League Softball Official Regulations and Playing Rules. All managers and coaches should get to know the important rules that the league is required to abide by. As a guide, we have summarized some of the important rules and regulations from the handbook and have added one or two additional rules that West Windsor Little League Girls Softball-Majors Division will follow. The Official Regulations and Playing Rules apply in all cases unless superceded below. If you wish to review the handbook, please contact the league coordinator.

  

 

1.      Girls eligible to participate must have been born after December 31, 1994 or have played at least 2 years in WWLL Minors.

2.      Softball will be a 12 inch ball.

3.      Players will not be allowed to wear jewelry of any kind, with the exception of a medic alert bracelet.

4.      A manager or coach shall not leave the bench except to confer with a player or an umpire and only after receiving permission from an umpire.

5.      There is to be a maximum of 9 and a minimum of 8 girls on the field at any one time. A team having more than 8 girls eligible to play may not opt to play 8 on the field.

6.      Six run rule: Maximum of six runs per inning will be registered. Mercy Rule: If a team is winning by 13 or more runs after 4 innings, or 7 or more after 5, the game is ended.  This rule will not be in effect during inter-league play (games against other than another West Windsor Little League or Cranbury Plainsboro Little League team), as the game will continue until a play is made. Please discuss with the umpire before each game.

7.      Intentional walks are not permitted.

8.      The red safety base at first base at Ward Field is to be used for a batter/runner's initial run to first base when running through the bag only. In this situation it is required that the batter/runner tag the red safety base and not the white "fielder's" portion. The first infraction by a player shall result in a warning being issued to that player. The second infraction by a player shall result in that player being called out by the umpire. For all other play at first base, including plays where the batter/runner is rounding first base and heading toward second base, the regular white portion of the base will be used and the red safety portion of the base is not in use.

9.      A pitcher hitting three batters in a game must be removed from the game. If, in the umpire’s opinion, a batter purposely causes a hit batsman, then that will not count against the pitcher’s hit batsman limit.

10. Bunting is allowed, with the exception of slap bunting. Slap bunting is an out.

11. Stealing is allowed. A runner may not leave the base until the ball has crossed home plate.

12. The infield fly rule is in effect.

13. Once the ball is in the control of the defensive team in the circle, a runner may not come off the base. If the runner comes off the base at that point (with no play made by the pitcher) the runner is out. In the same manner, if a runner is off the base and the ball comes under the control of the defensive team inside the circle (with no play being made by the pitcher), the runner must immediately make a decision to go forward or back to the previous base. They cannot go forward or backward, make a stop, and reverse their direction. If they do not, the runner is out. Warnings will not be given by the umpire.

14. Girls must follow the “slide or avoid” rule. Players may not attempt to knock over or hurdle the fielder or they can be called out, at the discretion of the umpire.

15. Warnings will also not be given by the umpire for any other rule violations, including catcher’s interference, throwing the bat, etc.

 

 

 

 

·         Home team will take the first base dugout and should provide the umpire with game balls.

·         Visiting team will take the third base dugout.

·         No inning may start after one hour and fifty minutes has elapsed from the start of the game. A new inning is deemed to have started when the third out (or final run, in the case of the six run rule) of the previous inning is registered.

·         If a game is tied after six innings, additional innings can be played until the one hour and fifty minute time limit is reached. If no game follows, then the game can continue past the one hour and fifty minute time limit, but in no case may an inning start after 9:00 PM (Sunday through Thursday) or 10:00 PM (Friday and Saturday). If the tie is not broken before the time constraints are met, then the game will be continued at a mutually agreed upon time. The league coordinator must be notified about the scheduling of the suspended game, so as to arrange for umpires.

·         Each team is to exchange starting line-ups prior to the commencement of play and all pitching changes are to be provided to the opposing team.

·         Each team shall chart the innings pitched by their team and by the opposing team. At the end of the game each team will send to the league Coordinator an e-mail listing the final score, all pitchers, and the number of innings pitched by each pitcher.

·         All girls must play at least 6 defensive outs in the field. Free substitution is permitted.

·         All girls, whether playing defensively or not, will bat in the lineup.

·         No food is permitted in the dugout. Water but no other beverages are permitted. No “sports drinks.” Each team must clean the dugout area prior to leaving the area. Please encourage the girls to clean up.

·         For safety reasons, there is no on-deck circle position and no swinging of the bat in the dugout.

·         The home team must line the base lines and the 8 foot pitching circle before each game. The visiting team must rake the field and clean out both dugouts after each game. 

·         In the event of poor weather the day of a game, the league coordinator will determine if the fields can be played on. Once the coordinator gives the “okay”, it then becomes the responsibility of the home team manager to decide if the conditions have changed. If the umpire gets to the field and decides the fields are unsafe, the umpire’s ruling supercedes all previous decisions.

·         If games are cancelled due to poor weather, the 2 managers must agree to a new date and inform the league coordinator, who will arrange for a field and umpire for the new date.

·         It is the responsibility of the home team to either select an adult volunteer to fulfill / directly supervise the announcer booth and scoreboard duties or to complete this responsibility themselves. If the “booth” duties are not supervised properly, the entire league can potentially lose the privilege of the use of the booth and the scoreboard.

·         Please do not abuse the umpires. The adult umpires will be working with our youth umpires to ensure that the games are umpired in a professional manner. Any player, coach, manager ejected from a game for abusing the umpire will be suspended for a minimum of one additional game and will be banned from the playing complex during the suspension, subject to greater penalties at the discretion of the WWLL executive committee. The umpire will notify the league coordinator of the ejection.