SOME BASICS FOR OUR NEWCOMERS

I would have preferred to cover this at practice but we haven't been able to get everyone together at the same time so I'll have to blog it. Experienced players, you can stop here. You already know this stuff. But our new players who haven't played coed softball need to keep reading.


There are some rules in coed softball you probably haven't seen before and it's important to know them before we take the field on Thursday. Here we go....

1) We won't be using the traditional baseball/softball count where four balls earns the batter a walk or three strikes and the batter is out. We will step to the plate with a count of one ball and one strike. It's as if two pitches have already been thrown to you. This is done to improve the pace of the game. In essence, it takes three balls to draw a walk and two strikes to strike out.

2) You don't get an unlimited number of foul balls after you have two strikes. If you have two strikes and you hit a foul ball, the next pitch you hit has to be fair. If you hit another foul ball, at that point it's considered a strikeout.

Strike Zone Mat

3) The strike zone is not knees-to-letters or knees-to-shoulders as in baseball or some versions of softball. There is a mat that sits behind home plate. A pitch that reaches a minimum height of 6 feet and maximum height of 12 feet and lands on the plate or the mat is a strike. If it misses the plate and mat and you don't swing at it, it's a ball. If the pitch is under 6 feet or over 12 feet, the umpire will (hopefully) call out "Illegal pitch!" That means it's a ball. Don't swing at it. If you do swing at it and miss, it's a strike. If you hit it, the ball is in play and it counts

Double First Base

4) There are two bases at first base. They sit side by side. The white one is in fair territory just like a regular base. An orange one is attached to it and it rests on the foul side of the first base line. This double first base is designed to prevent collisions between the first baseman and the batter/runner. If you hit the ball to the outfield and you will run toward second base after touching first base, you step on the white bag just as you would when there's only one base. But when you hit a ball on the infield and you have to sprint straight down the line to beat the throw to first base, you have to step on the orange bag. In the latter situation, if you step on the white base, you'll be out.

5) There is a line between third base and home plate called the "commit" line. After you pass third base and you're running home to score, that line is the point of no return. Once you pass it, you have to continue running home. You cannot go back to third base. If you stop before you reach the commit line, you can go back to third base. (There's one exception to this rule. If you fail to tag up on a fly ball and you cross the commit line, you can go back to third base to tag up.)

Commit Line & Home Plate Line
(drawing not to scale)

6) After you cross the commit line on your way home to score a run, DO NOT touch home plate or the mat! You will be called out even if you beat the throw. There is a line drawn from the plate to the backstop. You must veer away from the plate and run across that line as if it were the finish line in a race. There are no tag plays and no sliding at the plate. To get the runner out at the plate, the defensive team has to touch home plate while in possession of the ball before the runner crosses the line. The purpose of this rule is to eliminate collisions between the baserunners and the catchers. It must be followed even if you come home on a walk with the bases loaded. DO NOT touch home plate or the mat. Cross the line to score a run. Touch the plate or mat and you will be called out.