This list is not intended to be all-inclusive; instead, it defines the slight rule changes between ASA and MITCSS rules, and clarifies some important and often misconstrued ASA rules. THE ASA UMPIRE HAS FINAL DISCRETION DURING THE GAME.

PITCHING

Slow Pitch:

• Both feet on the ground, with one or both feet in contact with, but not off the side of, the pitcher’s rubber (or designated location).

• Before the delivery of the pitch, the pitcher must stop 1-10 seconds with both hands on the ball in front of the body facing the batter.

• One step is allowed; this step must be towards the batter.

• Ball must be delivered with moderate speed (left to the judgment of the umpire).

• A windmill delivery is allowed if the ball is released the first time the arm passes the hip.

• Ball must be delivered with a perceptible arc of at least 6 feet, but no more than 12 feet; it becomes an illegal pitch, however, only when the umpire rules it illegal.

• The pitcher has one minute to deliver no more than 4 pitches to the catcher at the start of each inning.

• An illegal pitch results in a ball on the batter. The base runners DO NOT ADVANCE.

• An illegal pitch is negated if the batter strikes at it.

• There is no out on a foul ball with 2 strikes.

• A caught foul pitch on the third strike is ruled an out.

PLAYERS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

Up to 10 fielders allowed. 8 players needed to start. Empty position bats last and an OUT is recorded if the spot is not filled by the 9th turn in the order. TEAMS MAY BAT AROUND ENTIRE LINE-UP. A batter cannot be up again until at least 9 batters have preceded him/her in the batting order. If a player drops out for any reason, bring the batting order to fewer than 9, their spots are recorded as outs if not filled by a legal substitute. Teams may drop down one player during the game due to injury, etc. If agreeable to both teams, a team may play with as few as 7 players with the batting team providing a catcher to return the ball to the pitcher only. In this case the team with 7 players would take TWO outs at the end of the lineup to conform to the “9 batter” rule. Should a team need to drop down below 7 players total, the game is then forfeit to the opposing team. All else ASA.

CLARIFICATION OF THE SUBSTITUTION RULES

• Players may reenter the game as many times as desired.

• Players must sit out one full inning before re-entering the game.

• At least 9 players must bat before a player can bat again.

• A pitcher may leave the game and re-enter as a pitcher.

OVERTHROW RULE

On ANY overthrow, each runner advances 2 bases from the base he/she last held at the time the throw is made (not the time it arrives!).

• If a fair ball is carried out of play unintentionally by a fielder, each runner is awarded 1 base from the base held when the ball was carried out of play.

• If a fair ball is carried out of play intentionally by a fielder, each runner is awarded 2 bases from the base held when the ball was carried out of play.

LENGTH OF GAMES

• At least 5 innings must be completed for a game to be official. There are NO MERCY RULES IN EFFECT FOR GAMES THAT ARE PART OF DOUBLE-HEADERS.

• If the trailing team has been to bat 5 times and the leading team has a lead of at least 15 runs, the game may be ended at the discretion of the trailing team. The trailing team must have batted at least as many times as the leading team (FIFTEEN RUN RULE).

• If the trailing team has been to bat 6 times and the leading team has a lead of at least 10 runs, the game may be ended at the discretion of the trailing team. The trailing team must have batted at least as many times as the leading team (TEN RUN RULE)

• The umpire may call/end any game on account of darkness, inclement weather, or other unplayable conditions. Tied games will be finished according to ASA rules.

• If teams are playing a double-header, no new inning can begin after the teams have played for 50 minutes. The home team still gets their final at bat if they are tied or losing. If the score remains tied after this last inning, the result is a tie.

• The umpire reserves the right to end any game after 1.5 hours of play. Note that ALL games will need to end by 7:30pm due to field reservation restrictions.

BASERUNNING

The runner may leave the base when the ball crosses home plate. The runner is out and no pitch declared if he/she leaves early. NO STEALING IS ALLOWED. The runner must return to the base after each pitch without liability of being put out. The ball is dead when it crosses the front of the plate without being hit.

Pinch runners are allowed for a given player if specified to both teams in advance of the game, and must be used for that player for the entire game. The pinch runner is the last person in the batting order to have gotten out in their at-bat, and must line up behind the extended third base line. The pinch runner may not start running until the ball crosses the plate.

ALL BASE DISTANCES ARE 60 FEET. Fake tags ARE NOT ALLOWED. The first fake tag in a game will result in a warning to both teams, and the second one in a game will result in the expulsion of the player involved. Once a runner has returned to his/her base, he/she may not leave it once the pitcher has the ball within 10 feet of the pitching rubber. If a runner does, he/she will be declared out.