2008 SOFTBALL RULES MEETING

1. 2008 SOFTBALLRULES MEETING Iowa Girls Athletic Union Representatives Mike Dick Deb Richarz Craig Snider George Tracy

2. THANK YOU TO THE HOST SCHOOL, COACHES AND ADMINISTRATION

3. ANNOUNCEMENTS

4. Rule Book/Case Book has been mailed to officials Rule book has been mailed to schools Line-up cards will be mailed to all Junior High and High School coaches

5. First Practice---Monday, May 5 • First Game---Monday, May 19 • 8th Graders – Can legally practice on May 5 and play on May 19 • 8th Graders cannot scrimmage until May 19 – unless school year is completed • 6th Graders cannot practice or play with Junior High team until school year is completed

6. 2008 TOURNAMENT DATES • 1A – July 2, 3, 7, 9 and 10 • 2A – July 3, 5, 8 and 10 • 3A – July 5, 7 and 9 • 4A – July 5, 7 and 9 STATE TOURNAMENT IN FORT DODGE July 15 - 19

7. CHECK CLASSIFICATION ON WEB-SITE FOR ACCURACY

8. SITE AVAILABILITY In order to be considered for hosting softball regional tournament games, your school must have submitted the availability information on-line. Check with your Athletic Director to make sure your school has done that if you are interested in hosting tournaments.

9. TOURNAMENT BALL Dudley SB 12 LRF Y FP

10. LIMITS • 40 games per level of competition • Individual Player—65 games (if she plays in any manner – IT COUNTS!) • Team and Individual—not more than 3 games on any calendar day • No JV teams in varsity tournaments

11. LOSS OF SCHOOL TIME For softball participation is left to the discretion of each local school’s board and administration.

12. UMPIRES • Must be licensed to umpire any high school game • Junior High – must have at least one licensed umpire • High School Student—license costs $1 (Can work Junior High games) • TEST—available on-line on April 21 (must be taken on-line)

13. UMPIRES • Tournament Availability – file on-line after passing the test • Image Sport Brochure – was mailed to all officials. Please order directly from Image Sport • NO SHORTS!!!

14. UMPIRE RECOMMENDATIONS • Varsity coach is REQUIRED to submit umpire recommendations on-line immediately following the completion of your season. • You may submit up to 12 who you feel are good enough to work the tournament series. • Do NOT submit any name other than those you are recommending • Do NOT submit any name more than once.

15. It is not imperative that an umpire actually work one of your games in order to recommend them. • The penalty for any school who does not properly submit these recommendations by the required date - coach will not be allowed to coach in the tournament series the following year. • If for some reason the coach cannot submit the recommendations, it becomes the responsibility of the Athletic Director to submit.

16. Each school may also submit the name of up to three “up and coming” umpires – ones who you feel are showing great improvement and may be ready for tournament assignments soon.

17. NEW RULES • 3-2-11 Players are permitted to wear metal cleats and metal toe plates. • 3-6-7 Restricts the head coach and the offender to the dugout for the remainder of that game when a second unreported substitution occurs. • 7-3-1 Requires the batter to take her position in the batter’s box within 10 seconds after the ball is returned to the pitcher in the circle.

18. 1-6-7 - Clarification – If an eye shield is attached to the helmet, it must be constructed of molded, rigid material that is clear and permits 100% (no tint) allowable light transmission. • 2-5-3 – Clarification – An on-deck batter is subject to interference—Penalty-the batter/runner being played on is out. If no play is obvious, no player is out, but runners shall return to the last base touched at the time the ball is declared dead.

19. 3-6-6 – NOTE - Bench personnel are permitted to engage in throwing and running activities during the one minute designated for the pitcher to throw her five warm-up pitches at the beginning of each half inning. • 7-4-4 – Added – The batter is subject to interference if she makes any movement that hinders the action at home plate after the pitch reaches the catcher.

20. REMINDERS! • Head coach is required to attend the pre-game conference with the umpires. The pre-game conference shall take place before the home team takes the field for the first half-inning. • Intentional Walk – Defensive team must legally throw the four balls. • Undergarments – Must be black, white or gray OR school color. Teammates must be the same color. Top (t-shirt) and bottom (compression short) do not have to be the same color.

21. Glove – may be up to two colors. Cannot be entirely gray, white or optic color. The glove lacing may be any color except optic yellow. A gray, white or optic colored circle on the outside or inside of the glove that gives the appearance of a ball or is judged to be distracting by the umpire is illegal. Umpire makes final judgment as to if distracting or not. Recommendation-Don’t allow a pitcher to have anything on her glove that is optic yellow.

22. Uniform – Cannot have any advertising other than the manufacturer’s logo. • Pitcher – Shall not wear any item on the pitching hand, wrist, arm or thighs which may in the umpire’s judgment be distracting to the batter (cannot be a similar color of the ball). White should be fine! • 3-6-15 – “Arguing balls and strikes or other judgment calls is prohibited” • Charged Conference – During a charged conference, it is legal for multiple coaches to confer with offensive or defensive team members – must be ready to play in a timely manner.

23. NO PROTESTS • Any pitch which strikes the batter shall be immediately declared a dead ball. It may be declared a ball, strike, or hit batsman depending on the circumstances. Situation: Pitched ball strikes the fingers of the batter on the bat while swinging. The hit ball ends up somewhere in the field of play. Ruling: Dead ball and strike shall be declared on the batter. If that would be strike three, batter is out.

24. HOME RUN – Remember to keep everyone back away from home plate until the batter has legally touched home plate. Umpires need to be vocal and assertive in keeping batter’s teammates back. • Batter’s Box – For softball it is 7’ by 3’ – with 4’ in front and 3’ behind the plate – see Diagram 1 on page 11. • CHANTS AND CHEERS – Must be positive and directed at your own team. • Knee Straps and Bicep Bands – Legal and no doctor’s statement is necessary.

25. Headbands – Must be single, solid color – any color. All teammates must have same color. • Sweatbands – single, solid color – any color. Teammates do not have to be identical. • Hair Devices – Anything worn in the hair must be soft and unadorned. Color does not matter.

26. IOWA ADAPTATIONS • Must use optic yellow softball at all levels. • Bats – Must say either “official softball” or “ASA approved” and have a 2004 or newer stamp. • Designated Hitter • Charged Conferences – 3 Offensive and 3 Defensive per game – one extra allowed of each for extra innings.

27. Safety Base – REQUIRED – The only time the defensive team is allowed to use the orange base in making an out is on a dropped third strike. 6. International Tie Breaker – If used during a regular season tournament, it is permissible to begin using the international tie-breaker rule prior to the eighth inning if the time limit has expired. Reminder-the international tie-breaker rule is not used during any regional game, but is used in the consolation bracket at the state tournament.

28. 7. Umpire Attire – all umpires shall wear a white or powder blue collared shirt and grey slacks during the regular season. A white polo shirt and grey slacks are required for all regional and state tournament games. The white shirt with red or navy side inseams is allowed during regular season and during tournament play. During tournament play - all umpires must be dressed alike.

29. Fence Covering – Any fence which is less than six feet high and made of metal/steel must be covered with a protective covering. This includes all fences on the field. There is no specific color required. 9. Media Area – Media is allowed inside the fence but must be located from the far end of the dugout toward the outfield along the fence. They are NOT allowed inside the dugout. They must be standing at all times and all equipment shall be hand held and no equipment is allowed to be placed on the ground.

30. Chin Straps – Required on all batting helmets and must be snapped and worn properly. 11. Pre-game infield – A team is allowed to field ground balls either in foul territory in front of their dugout OR behind the baseline from first to second base or third to second base with throws made back toward the foul line OR in a designated area outside the diamond (as determined by home management) which must provide fair and equal opportunity for both teams.

31. OBSTRUCTION PENALTY – The obstructed runner shall be awarded a minimum of one base beyond the last base legally touched prior to where the obstruction occurred. 13. An umpire may restrict the coach to the dugout for the remainder of that game as a result of a minor unsportsmanlike act. 14. Umpires are NOT required to inspect the game equipment (bats, helmets, masks, etc). The head coach is required to verify the legality of all equipment during the pre-game conference. If illegal equipment is then discovered in use during the game, the head coach at that level shall be restricted to the dugout for the remainder of that game.

32. Game-ending protocol – It is permissible to use a 12 run differential rule after 3 or 4 innings and/or a 10 run differential rule after 5 or 6 innings. If a time limit is used during varsity competition, it shall be a minimum of 90 minutes.

33. PITCHING – • Prior to the pitch, the pitcher shall have a portion of the pivot foot on top of the pitcher’s plate and the non-pivot foot in contact with the pitcher’s plate. • The pitcher shall be facing the batter with her shoulders parallel with the pitcher’s plate and the ball in both hands in front of the body and below the top of the head. • The pitcher shall be motionless (set) for at least one second but not more than five seconds prior to the pitch. • The catcher must be legally within the catcher’s box in order to have a legal pitching presentation.

34. A pitcher may drop the pitching arm to the side and to the rear before starting the pitching motion. • The pitch starts when one hand is taken off the ball or the pitcher makes any motion that is part of the windup after the hands have been brought together. • Once the hands are brought together and are in motion, the pitcher shall not take more than one step which must be forward and toward the batter and simultaneous with the delivery.

35. The pitcher shall continue her pitching motion without interruption or more than one revolution of the arm. • The ball does not have to be released the first time past the hip. • During the pitch, the pitcher may lift her non-pivot foot in only one step which must be toward home plate-but does not have to be totally within the 24” length. • Any windup motion shall cease when the stop is taken or the ball is released.

36. The pitch shall be underhand with the hand below the hip and the wrist not farther away from the body than the elbow. • There shall be a follow-through such that the ball is not in flight before the hand or wrist are in advance of the body. • The pitcher shall not take a pitching position on or near the pitcher’s plate without having the ball in her possession. • After presentation, the pitcher may step back off the pitching plate within five seconds without taking her hands apart in order to legally throw to any base to fake a throw.

37. If a signal is taken, it can be taken while on or off the pitcher’s plate. • The pivot foot must remain in contact with or may push off and drag away from the pitching plate prior to the non-pivot foot touching the ground as along as the pivot foot remains in contact with the ground. • The crow hop (2-16 and the leap (2-33) are illegal. • It is not a step for the pitcher to slide her pivot foot in any direction on the pitcher’s plate provided contact is maintained.

38. Remember – the pivot foot must remain in contact with the ground until the ball is released.

39. VIDEO DEMONSTRATIONS LEGAL REMOVAL & DOUBLE TOUCH VIDEO CLIPS CAN BE VIEWED AT http://www.nfhs.org/web/2008/02/softball_video_clips__training.aspx.

40. VIDEO DEMONSTRATIONS Behind the Back Delivery VIDEO CLIPS CAN BE VIEWED AT http://www.nfhs.org/web/2008/02/softball_video_clips__training.aspx.

41. VIDEO DEMONSTRATIONS CROW HOP VIDEO CLIPS CAN BE VIEWED AT http://www.nfhs.org/web/2008/02/softball_video_clips__training.aspx.

42. VIDEO DEMONSTRATIONS The “Ephus Pitch” VIDEO CLIPS CAN BE VIEWED AT http://www.nfhs.org/web/2008/02/softball_video_clips__training.aspx.

43. VIDEO DEMONSTRATIONS PITCHING LEAPS VIDEO CLIPS CAN BE VIEWED AT http://www.nfhs.org/web/2008/02/softball_video_clips__training.aspx.

44. VIDEO DEMONSTRATIONS LEGAL DRAG VIDEO CLIPS CAN BE VIEWED AT http://www.nfhs.org/web/2008/02/softball_video_clips__training.aspx.