Yarmouth Little League Softball
2011 Major League
Local Rules and Select League Rules

League Age
9 to 12

Equipment
Major League Softball uses an 12-inch softball.
Pitchers must wear a protective face mask. Pitchers can wear their own mask or one that will be supplied by YLL. If the
player chooses to wear their own mask, it must be one that is approved by YLL.
All players must wear a batting helmet when batting whether during a game or during practice.
Batting helmets must include a face mask.
Softball bats must be Little League approved for fast pitch softball.
Bats cannot be longer than 33 inches.
Shoes with metal spikes or cleats are not permitted.
Players cannot wear jewelry of any type, including earrings, unless necessary for medical purposes.
Players with a hair length or style that may cause impaired vision must wear their hair back or in a pony tail.
Players should wear their complete uniform, including visor.
Uniforms must be tucked in at all times.

Conduct
Only players and authorized coaches are allowed in dugouts during games.
All player-owned or controlled cellphones must be turned off during games.
Players not in the field, on base, serving as a base coach, or at bat, must remain in the dugout.
Players should be discouraged from making trips to the snack bar or into the stands.
Players are not allowed to sit in the stands during their game.
There is no "on deck" batter allowed outside of the dugout. Players must not swing a bat unless they are at bat.
The HOME team has use of the batting cages starting 30 minutes before the scheduled start of the game. The
VISITING team has use of the batting cages 15 minutes before scheduled game time.

Base Coaches
Each team must field a first base and a third base coach.
A player may serve as a base coach, but she must wear a helmet when doing so.

Pitching and Pitching Restrictions
The pitching rubber is located 40 feet from the back of home plate.
No player may pitch more than 3 innings in any one game.
If a pitcher throws one pitch to a batter during an inning, it will count as a full inning toward their innings limit.
The pitcher's pivot foot must remain in contact with the ground when throwing a pitch.
Coaches are not allowed to warm up pitchers.
Players who are warming up pitchers must wear a helmet with a face mask.
Pitchers who are warming up in advance of entering the game, must warm up in the outfield, in foul territory, if possible.
Pitchers can not warm up outside of the field of play.

Strikes and Strike Zone
A strike is any pitch that crosses any part of the plate in the strike zone (between the knees and the armpits.)
A pitched ball that strikes the bat, whether the batter is attempting to hit the pitch or not, is a strike.
A swing made by the batter that results in a miss or a foul ball is a strike. A foul ball cannot be counted as a third strike.
If the batter is hit by a pitch while attempting to swing at a pitch, the pitch is a strike, and the batter is not awarded first
base.
The batter can advance to first base on an uncaught third strike. The runners may advance at their own risk.

Batting Order
All players on the team must bat in a set order regardless of whether they are playing in the field.
EX: If a team has 11 players, all 11 players will bat in order. The batting order shall remain the same the entire game.
A player who arrives to the game late must be inserted at the end of the batting order. If a player leaves during the
game, her spot in the order will be skipped with no penalty.

Playing Time
Every player must play defense for at least six consecutive outs.

Walks and Hit-by-pitch
A batter is awarded first base if they are hit by a pitched ball, even a ball that bounces first (unless the batter makes a
swing at the pitch).
However, the batter MUST make an attempt to avoid being hit by the pitched ball. If she does not make an effort, the
pitch is called a ball and the batter is not awarded first base.

Stealing
A player who leaves the base before the pitcher releases the ball may be called out.

Running the bases
A runner, who is not standing on a base, is out if she is touched by a batted ball in fair territory. The ball is declared
dead and returned to the pitcher.
Runners are not allowed to slide head first into a base when trying to advance. A player who slides head first will be
declared "out" and must return to the dugout. Runners may dive headfirst when returning to base.

Foul Ball/Fair Ball
A ball is fair if it hits home plate before rolling into the field of play.
A ball is foul if its rolls into foul territory before passing first base and is not touched by a player.
A ball is fair if it is touched in fair territory by a fielder, even if it then rolls into foul territory.
A ball that lands in fair territory beyond first base and then rolls into foul territory is still a fair ball.

Reentering the game
Players who have been removed from a game, may reenter the game at any time, but must bat in the same spot in the
batting order.
Players who arrive to the game late, may be inserted into the field and batting order at her coaches discretion. A late
player must bat at the end of the existing order.

Game Day responsibilities
The visiting team is responsible for raking and lining the playing field before the game.
The home team is responsible for raking the field after the game. On weekends, if another game is to follow, the home
team of the completed game should work with the visiting team of the next game to prepare the field.
The home team is responsible for putting away all league equipment, locking the storage shed, and locking Heidi's
Hut.
The home team must maintain the official scorebook for each game.
The winning team is responsible for reporting the score to information officer via email. Failure to report the score within
48 hours could result in a forfeit.
In interleague play, the home team is responsible for the maintenance of the field, both before and after the game.

Mercy Rule
No team may score more than 6 runs in any one inning under the league Mercy Rule. The Mercy Rule should be lifted
for the final full inning of play by the Umpire, if possible. However, if the Mercy Rule was in effect in the top half of the
inning, thus preventing the visiting team from scoring more than 6 runs, the Mercy Rule cannot be lifted in the bottom
half of the same inning for the home team. If the Mercy Rule is to be lifted, both teams must have an opportunity to bat
unrestricted. If the visiting team is leading by more than 6 runs at the start of the last half inning of play, and the home
team is restricted to scoring only 6 run because of the Mercy Rule, the game is over.

Length of Games and timing restrictions
All league games are scheduled for six innings, time permitting.
On weekdays, no new inning can start more than 90 minutes after first pitch or 7:30, whichever comes first. When
appropriate, umpires and coaches should note and agree on the start time and end time, before each game.
On weekends, no inning can start within 15 minutes of the schedule start time of the following game.
It is the Umpires sole discretion to determine which is the last inning, based on the rules above. The last inning should
be declared whenever possible before the start of a full inning and the Mercy Rule should be lifted. Once the Umpire
has declared the upcoming inning is the last inning, the decision is final and takes precedent over other game ending
rules. Regardless of whether the announced last inning ends quickly, an additional inning cannot be played.

Official Game
A game must last four innings, or 3.5 innings if the home team is winning, to be declared an official game.
If a game has completed one full inning, but is not official, and is halted by rain, it should be played from the point of
suspension at a later date.
If game is official and is halted by rain, lightening, or other reason and cannot be restarted, the final score is determined
by the score at the end of the last full inning played. If that score is a tie, the game should be resumed at a later date
from the last full inning played.

Infield Fly Rule
The Infield Fly Rule is used in Major League Softball. The infield fly rule applies whenever there are runners on first
and second (or all three bases) with less than two outs and the batter hits a fly ball (not a line drive or bunt) into fair
territory which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort. The umpire must invoke the rule - if no umpire calls
"infield fly," the rule is not invoked. If the rule is invoked, the batter is automatically out. Runners can advance at their
own risk after the ball is caught, but they must tag up to do so.

Interleague Play
In interleague play, the local rules of the home team are in effect.

Umpires
In Interleague play, the home team is responsible for scheduling an umpire.

Misc.
Bunting is allowed.
A bunt that results in a foul ball on the third strike is an out.
Unless otherwise stated in this document or agreed to by the umpire and coaches prior to game time, the official
regulations and rules of Little League Softball shall apply.
No pets are allowed on the playing field or in the dugout.
Smoking is prohibited at all Little League events.
Alcohol is prohibited at all Little League games and events.
Anyone smoking or drinking alcohol at a Little League game will be asked to leave the premises.
In the event of lightning, the field must be cleared immediately. The game cannot resume for 30 minutes after the last
lightning flash is witnessed.