10U Rules

Concord Girls Softball League

10U 2020 Rules

The Concord Girls Softball League’s 10U league is designed to introduce the girls to the game of Fastpitch. In most cases, this is the first year the girls will be pitching. We encourage the players, coaches, and parents to be very patient with the girls, coaches, and umpires. We should all be involved in the league for the development and well-being of the girls.

Overview

Innings 5

Bases 60 ft

Stealing 2nd and 3rd base, not home; runners may steal one base at a time

Ball Size 11 inch

Pitching 35 feet (kid and coach)

Age Cut off Age as of January 1st, 2022

Umpires Carded, paid

Division Coordinators Tom Valentino

General Rules

Games begin at 6:30pm- Warm-ups are encouraged to be done in the outfield. Infield warm-ups are allowed by the visiting team at 6:00pm and the home team at 6:15pm leading into the start of the game.
- Exception for games played on Opening Day and the end of year tournament.
Forfeit occurs if a team cannot field 8 players within 15 minutes of the official start of the game.
Home team:
- supplies the game ball.
- will use the dugout on the first base side.
Catchers must wear chest protectors, shin guards, and masks.
Batters and base runners must wear helmets with face masks.
Pitchers and Infielders are required to wear fielding face masks. Outfielders are strongly encouraged to wear fielding face masks.
To be considered a finished game, it must go the full amount of innings OR the full amount of time. Game time limit is 90 minutes. No new innings after 90 minutes but the current inning will be finished . In the case of a tie one additional inning will be played. A new inning starts immediately after the 3rd out of the prior inning. Umpires have final decision for weather and darkness conditions.
A game that does not go the regulation time of 90 minutes or to the bottom of the 5th inning (with the home team ahead) shall be called a suspended game, unless agreed upon by the coaches. The game will resume from the point it stopped with the same batting order, lineup, pitch count, & outs. Any player not present will be scratched from the lineup, without penalty. If new players arrive, they will be added to the end of the batting order, and the game will continue until complete.
Tied game at the end of regulation play will go one more complete inning. If at that time the game is still a tie, it will end as a tie
Every player plays a minimum of 2 innings defensively.
Continuous batting order & free substitutions. Any player taken out of the game due to injury/Illness and misses a batting turn may not re-enter the game and will not be considered an out.
Outfielders must be standing in the grass of the outfield when the play begins
Lighting/Thunder Rule: If the umpire sees lightning or hears thunder the game shall be delayed 30 minutes from the last occurrence. All individuals have the right to leave an athletic site or activity, without fear of repercussion or penalty, in order to seek a safe structure, or location if they feel they are in danger from impending lightning activity.
Bat Throwing: One warning, there after the batter is out. Third offense player may be removed from game.
Cheering: no negative, taunting, intimidating, defeating yelling or cheering, only in support of your own team. One team warning, second is forfeiture. We want to insure a positive, productive, safe environment at all times.
Ejections: The umpire has the right to eject any player, coach or fan for misconduct. Suspension for subsequent games is possible depending on the offense and is at the discretion of the umpire.
Sliding is not mandatory but strongly encouraged. In the event that a play is attempted at the base/plate a runner can be called out if they do not slide. This is for the safety of both players and actual contact does not need to be made. This will be at the umpires discretion.
Call ups can be requested from the 8u Division if a team is short players under the following stipulations:
- Call up player can not miss a game from their original team
- Call up player cannot play more innings in the field than anyone else on the team
- Call up player must bat last in the lineup
- No limit on number of call up players allowed but the total number of players can not be more than the number of players required in the field plus one additional. Example: 10U requires 10 players in the field so you could call up players to give you a total of 11.
- If you are not able to find an 8u call up player on your own, please reach out to the 10u division coordinator for assistance.

10U Specific Miscellaneous Rules

Once the ball is thrown to the pitcher and she has control within the circle area or in best judgment according to the umpire if the circle isn't visible, the ball becomes dead and no further advancement of runners is permitted. If the runner is halfway or over halfway, they can continue to the next base. If they are not halfway, they must return to the previous base.
After the 4th walk within an inning a coach from the offensive team will pitch to the batter who would have been the fourth walk, this batter will receive 7pitches minus any strikes in the current count. The next batter will be given 7 pitches to put the ball in play. If the final pitch is a foul ball the batter will be given one more pitch.
Once the coach enters the game to pitch, the coach will finish the inning. The next inning the player will pitch again. Each new batter the coach pitches to will receive a maximum of 7 pitches. Strikes will be counted. Swinging and missing on the 3rd strike will be considered a strikeout. If the final pitch is a foul ball the batter will be given another pitch.
There is no bunting and stealing when there is a coach pitcher.
A ball striking a coach pitcher will be a dead ball and not counted against the batter as one of the pitches.
You can alternate pitchers in different innings. Example: If your starting pitcher pitches the first inning and then you have another pitcher come in for the second inning, you can have the starter back in for the remaining innings.
10U team fields 10 players in a game but can have as few as 8 (tenth player is an outfielder, 4 max in outfield LF, LC, RC, RAF).
There is no infield fly rule
No dropped third strike
Runners can leave the base once the ball is released by the pitcher.
Bunting and Slapping is permitted.
Modified Stealing: Base runners may steal one base at a time except home. No extra base on an overthrow / missed throw. A runner may only advance home on a hit or walk. No stealing when a coach is pitching.
Overthrow is defined as an attempted put out of a base runner at a base where the ball goes past its intended target. In these situations, the runner may advance one extra base if the ball remains in play. If the ball goes out of play (beyond or over the fence), the runner will automatically be awarded that base. Examples, 1. there is a ground ball and a throw is made to first base and the runner is safe due to an overthrow that stays in play. She may advance if she wishes to second base. She may not advance beyond second base unless there is a play at second base in which a throw is made and it is an overthrow. 2. same scenario but the overthrow at first goes out of play. The runner is awarded second base automatically and the play is dead. If there were runners on base, they are awarded the base they were running to plus the next base.
Run limit per inning-There will be a maximum of 5 runs permitted per inning, unless four runs have been scored and the batter hits the runners in on base. You could have up to 8 runs in an inning if this happens. This means up to 8 runs can actually be scored in an inning if a grand slam occurs.
Pinch Runners - may be used for injured players or catchers. Should be the player last out in the current inning. If there are no out in the current inning then the last out player from the previous inning is acceptable.