Coach Pitch Rules

(Last edited February 2022)

ELIGIBILITY

 A player’s age on August 1st is the player’s age for the upcoming season

Season

The league will consist of at least 8 games plus an after season tournament.

EQUIPMENT

  1. COACH PITCH shall use 10” FLEX style softball. 
  2. Softball fast pitch bats shall be used stamped ASA or USSSA. 
  3. Each team shall supply their own batting tee. 
  4. Catchers must wear catching helmets with throat protector, shin guards and chest protector 
  5. Helmets shall be NOCSAE approved and shall be equipped with a NOCSAE-approved face protector. 
  6. Each batter is required to wear a batting helmet and continue wearing it as long as the player remains on the playing field.

Scorekeeper

Scorekeepers should confer with the opposing scorekeeper after each inning.

Umpires

  1. The home team will provide someone who is 17 years of age or older to umpire the game. Parents or assistant coaches are highly recommended to be the umpire volunteer. The umpire volunteer will umpire from the pitching circle area. 
  2. The CP league was created to provide players with a positive first experience with softball. It is encouraged by both teams to support the umpire in all calls. 
  3. If there is confusion on an umpire call, both head coaches should approach the umpire and decide on the call. “Out” and “safe” calls are final by the umpire and should not be discussed.

Rules

Rules shall be as in GSLJC with the following exceptions:

A. Coaches

  1. A team shall have a head coach and any number of assistant coaches as determined by the head coach. 
  2. Coaches are restricted from moving down foul lines to provide instructions. With the exception of a “high five”, base coaches shall not touch, push or or pull their runners as they run the bases. 
  3. During defensive play, the offensive pitcher-coach shall take the field to pitch to his/her own players. The pitcher-coach may communicate with their batters without leaving the pitching circle. Such communication shall be held at a minimum to avoid delay of game. 
  4. Only the head coach, (or in his absence a designated head coach), has authority to protest an umpire’s call. 
  5. Home teams for regular season games will be assigned on the schedule. For tournament games, the coach winning the coin toss at the start of the game has the option of his team batting first or last.

B. Team

  1. Teams shall not have more than 15 players on their official roster unless approved by the Board. 
  2. All players of a given team, present for a game, shall take part in the entire game unless prevented from doing so by illness, injury or bathroom break. The player may re-enter the game at any time and must resume the player's original place in the batting order without penalty. 
  3. All players of a given team go into the field on defense each inning. The number of defensive players in the infield will be limited to pitcher (fielding only), catcher, 1st baseman, 2nd baseman, 3rd baseman and shortstop. The defense may include a short fielder who must play behind 2nd base until the ball is hit. The remainder of players must remain in the outfield at least 10 feet behind an imaginary line connecting the bases until the ball is hit. 
  4. The batting order must include all players participating in the game, i.e., 9, 10, 11, etc. 
  5. At least 8 players of each team (both defensively and offensively) must be present at game time or it will be a forfeit for the team with less than 8 players. If a player arrives after the game has started, that player must bat in the last position of the batting order. 
  6. Each batter is required to wear a batting helmet and to continue to wearing it as long as the player remains on the playing field. 
  7. It is mandatory that all catchers will wear full gear which is face mask with helmet, shin guards, chest protector and throat protector.

C. PLAYING FIELD

Playing field will be as follows: 

  1. Bases shall be 50 feet apart 
  2. Pitching rubber distance is 27 feet 
  3. A circle with 8-foot radius is centered about the midpoint of the pitching rubber. This is to continue the movement of the pitcher-fielder until the ball is hit by the batter. 
  4. An arc of 8 feet, from the back point of home plate extends between the foul lines. A batted ball must travel to this line or beyond to be in play. Exception: See Rule G.2. 
  5. A chalk line shall be placed halfway between 1st and 2nd bases, halfway between 2nd and 3rd bases and halfway between 3rd base and home. 
  6. The field of play is defined as: “The area between the imaginary lines extending from the backstop parallel to the foul lines, and continuing through the outfield.”

D. GAMES

Games will be 1 hour and 15 minutes and will be concluded after 4 complete innings or during the inning when the 1 hour and 15 minute time limit is reached. In such cases, the entire inning shall be completed and the game declared official (unless time has expired and the home team trails by 11 or more runs.) In the case of a tie, there is no tie breaker. In case of unfavorable field conditions, 1 inning constitutes a full game.


E. PITCHING

Pitching (with only 1 ball) will be inside the pitching circle with the coach’s entire body staying in the front half of the pitching circle. 

  1. A coach, or someone designated, shall pitch underhand to his/her own players. 
  2. If the coach-pitcher is struck with a hit ball, the ball is dead. All runners on base return to their bases. Replay the pitch. 
  3. If, in the judgment of the umpire, the coach-pitcher intentionally interferes with a batted or thrown ball, the batter shall be called out and runners returned to their original bases. 
  4. The youth pitcher must play even with or behind the coach pitcher who will not interfere with defensive play. The youth pitcher must have both feet within the pitching circle until the ball is hit. 
  5. Quick pitches shall not be allowed. The coach pitcher shall signify beginning of play by raising the ball with an out-stretched arm before each pitch. If, in the judgment of the umpire, a quick pitch is made a “dead ball” shall be called immediately and play restarted. 
  6. Coach pitchers may communicate with their batters without leaving the pitching circle, however, should keep it at a minimum to avoid delay of the game.

F. BATTING

  1. The home plate umpire will set-up, adjust and place the ball on the tee (if necessary). There will be no coach at home plate. 
  2. A maximum of 3 pitches will be pitched to a batter. If the ball is not hit into play, a batting tee is set at home plate and the batter is allowed 3 swings to hit the ball into fair territory. If the ball is not hit into fair territory from the tee, the batter is out and retired. Upon hitting the ball into fair territory from the tee, the batter is allow first base only. Runners on base may advance 1 base only in case of an overthrow. 
  3. When the 10th batter hits off the tee, that player is allowed to advance to 1st base only. Base runners on 1st and 2nd would advance 1 base only. A baserunner occupying 3rd base would advance and score unless tagged or forced out at home. 
  4. Bunting is not permitted.; If, in the judgment of the umpire the batter attempts to bunt the ball, the batter will be charged with a swing. 
  5. Sliding is permitted. 
  6. A batter throwing the bat intentionally or unintentionally shall be called out 
  7. Maintaining proper batter order is the responsibility of the head coach and assistants. Recognizing the excitement and eagerness of young players, the handling of a situation in which a player bats out of order will be to recall the batter, return all runners to their original bases and replay from the point of error. 
  8. At Bat Clarification (10th batter).; A team shall remain at bat until 10 batters have batted. 

            1. In the case of the 10th batter, play will continue until the third out or the ball is controlled by the catcher at home plate.

                       1. After each set of 3 outs, the bases will be cleared and the batting order resumed and scoring continued. 

                       2. A run will be scored for each player crossing home plate without being put out, except when a third out occurs. 

                       3. In the case of the 10th batter, the inning will will be complete when: 

                                  1. The 10th batter hits from coach-pitcher with play continuing until a third out or the ball is controlled by catcher at home                                        plate or                           

                                  2.10th batter hits from the tee as outlined in F3

 2. The lead-off batter of the next inning will be the batter following the 10th batter of the previous inning. 

 3. The scorekeeper/coach of the team at bat is responsible for informing the home plate umpire that the 10th batter is at the plate. If the “at bat” team fails to notify the umpire of the 10th batter and the outcome of the play is affected, the play will be nullified, all runners returned to bases, and the 10th batter will hit again.

G. FIELDING hits from Coach Pitcher

  1. The umpire shall call the ball dead (upraised hand) when the ball is returned to the pitcher within the pitching circle. Accordingly, each runner attains the base to which she was advancing at the time of the possession by the pitcher, if she is over halfway to the next base. 
  2. If a player, including the catcher, touches the moving ball before the ball reaches the 8-foot arc, the umpire shall declare the ball live and is played out accordingly. 
  3. An overthrow to first or third base which rolls out of the field of play, or any other wayward throw which results in the ball leaving the field of play, shall be deemed a dead ball. Each runner shall receive the base to which she was advancing at the time the throw was made plus one additional base. A base runner standing on their achieved base shall not advance unless forced. 
  4. Once the ball is called “dead”, no further play can be made prior to next pitch (i.e. if ball is dead, pitcher makes a throw to a base to make an out…ball is still dead), runner returns to base or receives base (if over half way). Runner may not advance further as a result of thrown ball. Ball is not considered “back in play” until hit by batter. 
  5. The infield fly rule shall not apply.

H. BASE RUNNING

  1. Runners may not lead off from a base. At least one foot of the runner shall remain in contact with the bases until the ball is struck by the batter. There is no base stealing. 
  2. If a runner is not on her own base at the time the ball is hit, the umpire will immediately call the ball dead. The runner will be called out and all other runners will return to their original bases. Since the play was effectively dead before the ball was hit, no pitch will be charged to the batter. 
  3. An Injury to a player shall result in the immediate stoppage of play with the base runners achieving only the base to which they were advancing. The umpire is responsible for signaling the cessation of play based upon an injury. 
  4. A base runner hit by a batted ball prior to it being touched by a defensive player will be called out. The ball is “dead”, other runners return to bases; if last pitch, batter is awarded 1st base. In the case of the 10th batter, the ball is “dead”, no runs will score and the inning is complete. 
  5. Runners may not advance an extra base on any throw to any base by any infielder or short fielder who has played a batted ball. 
  6. When a ball is fielded by an outfielder, the following rules shall apply: 
            1. Runners may advance until the kid-pitcher controls the ball securely in her glove or hand hand and is standing in the pitching circle.                  2. Runners who are less than halfway to the next base must return to the previous base once the kid-pitcher controls the ball.                              3. Runners who are at least halfway to the next base once the ball is controlled by the kid-pitcher may continue to the next base.                          4. Once the ball is called “dead”, no further play can be made prior to the next pitch (i.e. if ball is dead and pitcher makes a throw to a                      base to make an out, ball is still dead), runner returns to the base or receives base (if over halfway). Runner may not advance further                    as a result of thrown ball. Ball is not considered “back in play” until hit by batter.