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| League Rules |
General Policies (updated 1/16/2006)
14U/16U Rules (updated 2/11/2007)
Some additional rule clairifications
Infield Fly:
Definition: Rule 1: Infield Fly: a fly ball, not including a line drive or attempted bunt which can be caught by an infielder, pitcher or catcher with ordinary effort when first and second or first second and third are occupied with less than two outs. For in infield fly, the umpire will make 1 of 2 possible calls: Infield fly Infield fly if fair If the fly ball is in the infield and near a foul line, the umpire will use the second call. If the ball ends up in foul territory, the infield fly rule is cancelled. The ball will either drop and become simply a foul ball (and the batter continues to bat) or the ball will be caught over foul territory and an out is called. If the fly ball stays fair, the batter is out, even if the ball is not caught. The ball remains live whether it is caught or allowed to hit the ground. If the ball is caught and the runners wish to advance, they must tag-up like on any other fly ball. If the ball is dropped, the runners are free to advance without tagging. Whether the ball is caught or dropped, the runners do not have to advance. Since the batter is automatically out on an Infield Fly, there are no force situations. The runners can stay put or advance. If they choose to advance, they are at risk of being put out by a tag. There are no force-outs. The key on infield fly is the ball is live and runners are not forced to advance even if the ball is not caught. This rule protects the runners against being put in jeopardy of being doubled or tripled up. The high School (NFHS) rulebook actually gives a fuller explanation than the ASA book. Rule 2, section 30 reads: Infield fly rule is, when declared by the umpire, a fair fly (not including a line drive or attempted bunt) that can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort when runners are on first and second or on all three bases and before there are two outs in the inning. Any defensive player positioned in the infield at the time of the pitch shall be considered an infielder for the purposes of this rule. The rule does not preclude outfielders from being permitted to make the catch. The ball is live, the batter is out, which removes the force, but runners may advance at their own risk. The runners may tag up and advance as soon as the ball is touched by a fielder. If a declared infield fly becomes foul, it is treated as a foul ball, not an infield fly.
Defensive Conferences:
Rule 5, section 7 (pg 82)Rule Supplement 9 (pg 136)
Commonly referred to as “time outs”, but listed in the index as conferences. There shall be only three charged conferences between the manager or other team representative from the dugout with any defensive player in a seven-inning game. A defensive conference is commonly with the pitcher/catcher but a dugout representative coming onto the field and meeting with any player counts as a charged time out (conference). You are not allowed 3 conferences with each pitcher. You are allowed 3 for the entire 7-inning game. If the game goes beyond 7 innings, you are granted one additional time out in each inning. So if in a 7-inning game you call your 4th time out, the penalty requires that you remove your pitcher for the remainder of the game, even if she just came in that inning. If it is an extra inning game and you call a second time out in the same inning, you must remove your pitcher for the remainder of the game.
Notes:
Calling a time out and announcing a substitution before crossing the foul line is not considered a charged conference. So if you know you are going out to change your pitcher, announce the substitution when you call time and you will not be charged the timeout. Yelling a quick instruction to the team on the field from the dugout is not a charged conference. This rule is intended to speed up the game and 3 timeouts are 3 timeouts whether they are all with the same pitcher or with a combination of pitchers and other position players. When a pitcher is removed for excessive timeouts, she can play other positions, but she cannot pitch in the game. If she does return to pitch she will be disqualified from all play for the remainder of the game. Kevin Norcross told me we should not be too strict with this rule since it is rec league and we are trying to teach the girls the game. But what I wrote above would be the correct interpretaion of the ASA rules as written.
Foot out of the box:
Rule 7, section 6. d & f (pg 104)If a batter hits a ball with a foot completely out of the batters box, the batter is out and there is an immediate dead ball call. It is an immediate dead ball and runners are not allowed to advance. If they advance they will be returned to the base they were on prior to the pitch. This tends to occur with slap hitting. When the batter runs up to slap the ball, they may step over the line. If the foot is outside the box but still in the air, this is a legal hit. If the foot makes contact with the ground prior or during the bat’s contact with the ball, the batter is out and we have a dead ball. Also if the foot touches outside the box and then returns inside the box prior to the hit, it is still an out.
Hit batter after swing:
Rule 7, section 4.g (pg 102)Rule 7, section 6.a (pg 104)
When a batter swings at a pitched ball, a strike will be awarded to the pitcher. A strike is called for any pitched ball swung at and missed which touches any part of the batter (or their clothing/equipment). If the strike is the 3rd strike, the batter is out when the pitched ball is swung at and the pitched ball touches any part of the batter (or their clothing/equipment). Whenever a ball hits a batter, there is an immediate dead ball call. If this is strike three it is not considered a dropped third strike. It is always an immediate dead ball and runners are not allowed to advance. If they advance they will be returned to the base they were on prior to the pitch. There is no such thing as the “hands are part of the bat”. If the ball touches any part of the batter, even a fingernail, it is a dead ball. If the ball was swung at prior to the ball contacting the batter, it is a strike.