Sliding is allowed, but not at all bases. Runners may slide feet first into second or third base. Runners may not slide into first base or the safety base at home plate .
While a offensive player is able to steal second base, third base and home plate, they are not able to steal first base. Batters are able to reach first base in the following ways: Hit by pitch.
The umpire declares an fair infield fly with base runners on first and second or on first, second, and third with less than two outs. This is called the infield fly rule. The ball remains alive and runners may advance at their own risk.
Also, with slow pitch softball, base runners can't lead off and they must wait for the ball to reach the home plate before they attempt to steal the base.
Therefore, a slow pitch softball field is typically larger, to make it more difficult to score. A softball game can last anywhere from four to nine innings, depending on the league and rules.
BALLS AND STRIKES: Each batter will start his/her at bat with a count of one ball and one strike.
If the catcher catches the ball, or the ball is missed and lands behind the plate, the ball is considered live and the base can be stolen. Also, with slow pitch softball, base runners can't lead off and they must wait for the ball to reach the home plate before they attempt to steal the base.
6-4-3 double playThe shortstop (6) fields a batted ball and throws to the second baseman (4), who forces out a runner advancing from first and then throws to the first baseman (3) to force out the batter.
Legal Pitch: A legal pitch is delivered with a continuous, underhand motion at a moderate speed with an arc of at least 6 feet from the ground. The pitched ball must not reach a height of more than 12 feet at its highest point above the ground.
SoCalDad. My top 14U players home to first time is about 3 seconds. I consider anything under 3.2 to be fast and 3.3 - 3.5 to be the average.
Softball Field Dimensions
| Baseline | 65' | 60' |
|---|
| Home to Second | 91' 11” | 84' 10” |
| Home to Front of Rubber | 50' | 40' |
| Radius of Skinned Infield | 65' | 60' |
| Home Plate to Backstop | 25' min | 25' min |
Lets start with a list of the main dimensions:
- Softball Base lines are 60′
- Distance from backstop to the back tip of home plate is 25′
- Distance from the back tip of home plate to the center of second base is 84′ 10 1/4″- which is also the same distance between first base and third base as this makes a perfect square.
The rules for slow pitch softball state the ball must be thrown in an arc ranging from 6 to 12 feet. If the ball is thrown out of these boundaries, it's considered an illegal pitch. It's important to note that this rule is only in affect for slow pitch and not fast pitch softball.
In slowpitch, the ball is thrown without the distinct windmill motion that's commonly associated with fastpitch. The pitcher steps forward and tosses the ball underarm. Since there's no windup in slowpitch softball, the balls are thrown at slower speeds.
The strike zone is defined as the volume of space above home plate and between the batter's knees and the midpoint of their torso. A pitch that misses the strike zone is called a ball if the batter doesn't swing.
The pitch must be delivered with an arc between six and ten feet.
According to the ASA slow pitch softball rules, the bases are supposed to be 65 ft apart for men and women. The pitcher's mound should be 50 ft from home plate for both. The fence distance has to be a minimum of 265 ft for women and 300 ft for men, subject to an upper limit of 275 ft for women and 315 ft for men.
However, it is scientifically proven that softball is harder than baseball. The speed of pitches, the reaction time for hitters and fielders, and the distance of the field indicates that softball is indeed harder than baseball.
