Eastern Girls Fast Pitch League
R U L E S
(as of July 19, 2023)
Eastern Girls FASTPITCH Softball League shall follow USA Softball FASTPITCH rules. In addition to the USA Softball rules, EASTERN has adopted the following rules for safety, accommodation and efficiency purposes.

PURPOSE: to foster, to the youth involved with the sport, the ideals of good sportsmanship by providing supervised, FASTPITCH softball games. It is the responsibility of ALL ADULTS to bear in mind, that the attainment of exceptional athletic skill or the winning of games is secondary to that of molding future citizens. The other team, coaches, players, fans, etc. ARE NOT THE ENEMY!

GENERAL RULES

  1. ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
    Only those players officially registered and have paid all necessary fees shall be considered eligible to play in this league. (See. by-laws Sec. I for age requirement). Team rosters must be submitted before play starts in the spring. Failure to submit a completed roster prior to beginning of play will result in forfeit loss for all games prior to submission of roster.
  2. AGE CHANGE DATE
    The age change date is a players age on August 31.
  3. ROSTERS
    Any team that does not submit a roster is ineligible for playoffs and subject to loss of league membership.
  4. NO ALL STAR or RECRUITED TEAMS
    No Double Rostering. No All Star Teams, or Recruited Teams are allowed.
  5. SPORTSMANSHIP
    For the health and promotion of recreation league play, individual player and/or coach activity and team activity must be controlled and limited to encouragement, cheering, and good sportsmanship. BE SUPPORTIVE! THE UMPIRES SHALL CONTROL SPECTATOR ACTIVITY.
  6. PERMITTED INDIVIDUALS
    Only team members, coaches, managers, and official scorekeepers for the team are permitted on the team bench and in the playing area. There is to be NO use of tobacco products on any team bench in any community.
  7. DECISION OF THE UMPIRE
    is final. Umpires may eject players, coaches, and managers from the game for unsportsmanlike conduct, foul language, continuous arguing and/or harassment of the umpire. Coaches must conduct themselves in a civil manner at ALL times. Violation of this rule may result in game forfeiture and/or disciplinary action. Any manager, coach and/or ejected player from a game will be suspended from the next game played. The ejected person/persons may also be subject to disciplinary actions by the Eastern Executive Committee.
  8. WEEKLY LEAGUE GAMES
    will begin at 6:15 PM, unless agreed otherwise. The visiting team will have the field for practice 15 minutes prior to the start of the game or at the discretion of the umpire. The home team shall have access to the field prior to the visiting team.
  9. CANCELLATION OF GAMES
    If a team cancels with less than 24 hour notification, the team cancelling will be penalized a forfeit for that game.  If a team cancels prior to 24 hour of game time, the game must be rescheduled within 72 hours, along with notification of the league director.  The 24 hour cancellation rule does not apply to weather-related cancellations.  If teams know in advance that they will be missing players for a game, additional players may be called up (from any willing community) from a lower age group. This method should be attempted before cancelling a game. No girl may be called from another fast pitch league (not Eastern Girls Fast Pitch League). Girls may be called from an age appropriate (same age) slow pitch team.
  10. SCORE BOOKS
    All score books must include shirt number and starting position. All books must be signed by an umpire at the end of the game.
  11. BLOOD RULE
    A player, coach, or umpire who is bleeding or who has blood on their uniform shall be prohibited from participating further in the game until appropriate treatment can be administered. If medical care or treatment is administered in a reasonable length of time, the individual will not have to leave the game.
  12. GAME TIME LIMIT
    If a game has not concluded or if the last inning has not been called by the umpire in an 1 hour 30 minutes, the current inning will be completed, and 1 additional inning will be played as the last, unlimited run inning.  However, the umpire has final discretion if there is a safety concern, such as darkness or weather.  This rule does not apply to the 8 & under league.
  13. RAIN OUTS
    The home team, within 72 hours from game time that was cancelled due to weather, must contact and make arrangements with the away team and provide 3 open dates that the game can be rescheduled.   If after 1 week, the home team makes no contact with the away team, the away team must notify the league director.
  14. SEMI-FINAL and CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
    The time limit rule will not apply to semi-final or championship games.   If a play off game, or championship game is cancelled, during play, the USA Softball rule will apply as to the status of a legal game.
  15. PROBATION PERIOD
    New communities participating in our spring league will be subject to a 1 year probationary period.

UNIFORMS
  1. Official uniforms include: pants or shorts, shirt (with number) tucked in, hats or visors, stirrup socks, arid knee pad (if shorts are worn). Full uniform must be worn during all league games.
  2. Appropriate shoes must be worn. Rubber cleats are recommended. Metal spikes are only in the 15 & Under and 18 & Under divisions, except when playing on artificial turf fields.
  3. Helmet, mask with throat protector, chest protector, and shin guards must be worn by all catchers. Any players warming up a pitcher must wear a catcher's helmet when in the crouched position!
  4. The batter, on-deck batter, bat person, and any player who might fill-in as a base coach must wear batting helmets.  Face masks are mandatory on all batting helmets, and mouth guards are highly recommended.
  5. Jewelry being allowed is at the umpire's discretion due to safety.
  6. FOR PITCHERS ONLY- Any covering or bandage may be worn due to injury. Covering must be flesh tone. Pitchers may have only neutral tones of nail polish, undershirt, or sweatshirt while playing the position.
PLAYING RULES
  1. All players must show up within 15 minutes of scheduled game time or the team will forfeit. If a team knows in advance that they will be unable to field a team, additional players maybe called up from a lower age group. If short of players. 10 & under, 12 & Under and 15 & Under teams may play with 9 without penalty. All age groups may play with 8, however must take an out in the 9th position of the balling order. A late arriving player that is to be inserted into the game by her coach should be added to the bottom of the batting order.
  2. Coaches must start rostered players first and then fill any vacant positions with called up players. The called up player may wear their original team uniform or may wear an extra provided by the team they are playing for. Coaches may not call up players from a team who has a regular scheduled game on the same day and time, No player may be called up from another fast pitch league.
    1. Call-ups for play-off games are limited to players from the community.
    2. Players must have played in 25% of the regular season games to be eligible to play in the playoffs (including call-ups).
    3. The opposing coach is not permitted to allow Call-up players unless specifically within these guidelines. Any special circumstances would require review and approval of the Executive Committee, or Age Group Commissioner (acting on their behalf).
  3. A twelve run rule will be in effect after 5 innings.
  4. The umpire shall notify each coach/manger at the top of the inning that it is the last inning.
  5. Teams will be comprised of up to 15 players. Girls may only be rostered for one team regardless of age category. Teams with 15 or more players will be allowed to play with the Executive Board approval.
  6. All players rostered must play at least 2 innings in the field in each regulation game.
  7. COURTESY RUNNER - a courtesy runner may be used for the pitcher or catcher at any time during the game. A courtesy runner is mandatory for the catcher with 2 outs. Other position players may use a pinch runner only once and must notify the umpire and other manager/coach
  8. Continuous Batting Order will be used for all age groups. If a girl becomes injured during the game and does not play the rest of the game no out will be recorded in her spot in the batting order however, she cannot reenter the game unless an out was taken in her spot in the batting order. If the girl leaves a game for any other reason than injury, when it is her turn to bat, an out will be taken (unless her departure was discussed and agreed by opposing coaches prior to the games start). Continuous batting order allows for free substitution - exception is a pitcher that is removed from the defensive lineup can only return to the pitching position once.
PITCHING
  1. At the beginning of each inning the pitcher shall have 5 warm-up pitches, except when the same pitcher starts the next inning, warm up pitches will be limited to 3.
  2. When a NEW pitcher is entered in the middle of an inning she shall receive no more that 7 warmup pitches, 5 warm up pitchs at the start of a new inning.
FIELD REQUIREMENTS
  1. Home teams are responsible for lining and dragging the playing field Bases must be secured.  *For safety purposes it is the strong recommendation of League Official that "pop up" bases are utilized.
  2. Measurements of field:
    1. 10 & Under 35 foot pitching distance
    2. 12 & Under: 40 foot pitching distance
    3. 15 & U, 18 & U: 43 foot pitching distance
    4. 16 foot circle around mound (8 ft. radius)
    5. Bases: 60 feet distance apart w/Running Lane for 1st Base
    6. Batters box shall measure 3 feet by 7 feet, inside line shall be 6 inches from home plate. The front line shall be 4 feet to the front and the rear line shall be 3 feet to the back of the obtuse corner of home plate
  3. The use of a Double First Base is mandatory.
  4. All ground rules should be clearly defined and agreed upon (by umpires and coaches/managers) prior to the start of each game.
  5. Official softball required for EASTERN FASTPITCH SOFTBALL will be a 12" (11" for 10U) optic- yellow, raised red stitch softball. Cork center is recommended but if poly-core center ball is used the maximum compression of such ball will not exceed 375 PSI. The ball must be stamped USA Softball .47C0R.
PLAY OFF TIE BREAKER RULES
  1. First tie breaker is head to head play, or combined head to head play if more than two teams are involved in the tie.
  2. Second tie breaker will be runs allowed in head to head play (or combined head to head play if more than two teams are involved in the tie).
  3. Total games played
  4. Win-Loss record against common opponents
  5. Coin Flip


8 & Under League

EQUIPMENT

  1. The official softball to be used in the 8 & under division will be any approved USA Softball 11 inch softball.
FIELD
  1. A arc will be placed 10 feet from home plate.  If a hit ball does not go past the 10 foot arc, it is considered a foul ball.
PITCHING GAME RULES
  1. Minimum of 8 players, the team will take 1 out after the 8th batting position, when the 9th batting position would have been up to bat.  There is no additional penalty for the 10th, 11th and 12th batting positions, and so on.  i.e. team has 8 players, the 8th player in the batting order is up, after the at bat, an out is taken, then the 1st player in the batting order is up.
  2. Games are 5 innings.  If a game is terminated for darkness, weather, field conditions, or umpire calls the game, 3 complete innings (2 1/2 where applicable) will determine a regulation game.
  3. Runs per inning shall be limited to (4) PERIOD!
  4. All games will have a two (2) hour drop dead time limit, with no new inning to begin after 1 hour and 30 minutes.  Any time an inning is not completed by the two (2) hour drop dead time limit the game will revert to the previously completed inning to determine the outcome.
  5. The infield fly rule does not apply.
  6. Every player present will play a minimum of 2 innings in the field.
  7. A player will be positioned beside the pitcher/coach for fielding but may not interfere with the delivery of the pitch and must be within the 16` circle.
  8. If a pitcher/coach is struck by a batted ball, the ball becomes an immediate dead ball and is considered no pitch, and all runners return to their base.
  9. Play stops once an infielder has possession of the ball.   Base runners may advance to the base they were advancing to prior to infield possession, at their own risk.  The runner will be returned to the correct base without liability to be put out. i.e. Baserunner advancing to 3rd base from 2nd base, runner hasn't made it to 3rd, 2nd baseman catches the ball thrown in by the outfielder, runner remains on 3rd.  If the runner advances to home, that runner can be put out by the defense.  If the runner makes it safely to home, that runner will be returned to 3rd base.
  10. This division may use a team coach as a catcher, but if this option is used, the catcher/coach may not make any defensive outs.
  11. The position of the infielder may not be more than 10 feet in front of or behind the base, but not directly on the baseline.
  12. The position of the outfielder must start 10 feet beyond the baselines.
  13. If a defensive player intentionally rolls or bounces the ball to a base in an attempt to make an out, the runner may be called safe at the umpire`s discretion.
  14. A baserunner is not permitted to leave any base (during the pitch), prior to the batter hitting the ball.  A team warning will be given on the first offense, on the second offense, the baserunner will be called out.
  15. A chalk line will be placed ½ way between 1st base & 2nd base; 2nd base & 3rd base; and 3rd base & home plate.   The half way mark will determine if a baserunner can proceed to the next base if that player is beyond the half way mark prior to an infielder having possession of the ball, however that baserunner is in jeopardy of being put out by the defense.  If a baserunner is not beyond the half way mark and the infielder has possession of the ball, the baserunner will be returned to the base without penalty of being put out.
  16. Outfielders cannot cover any base on a force out and cannot tag out a base runner. If either occurs, no out is ruled. The ball must be thrown to an infielder for recording outs.
  17. An umpire is required for all play off and championship games.   Both teams will share the cost.
  18. In the last inning of a playoff or championship game, the run limitation does not apply.

10 & Under League

EQUIPMENT

  1. Official softball required for EASTERN FASTPITCH SOFTBALL will be an 11" optic- yellow, raised red stitch leather softball. Cork center is recommended but if poly-core center ball is used the maximum compression of such ball will not exceed 375 PSI. The ball must be stamped USA Softball .47COR.
PITCHING
  1. Pitching distance will be 35 feet within a circle of 16 feet diameter.
  2. Pitchers are permitted to pitch from the "L" position. The "L" position is defined as "starting the motion with the ball in the pitching hand above and behind the head, glove hand out, lead foot in front of the rubber, and back foot on the rubber."
  3. Pitchers are permitted to pitch a maximum of 4 innings per game.  One pitch constitutes an inning pitched.
  4. Once the pitcher is removed from the lineup; she may reenter back into the pitching position only once.
  5. A pitcher can only have 2 walks per inning.   On the 3rd walk, the coach will come into pitch, the batter will lose the entire count, and will receive 4 pitches from the coach.  On the 4th pitch, either the batter hits the ball or is out.
GAME RULES
  1. Games are 6 innings.  If a game is terminated for darkness, weather, field conditions, or umpire calls the game, 4 complete innings (3 1/2 where applicable) will determine a regulation game.
  2. The infield fly rule does not apply.
  3. A 15 run rule will be in effect for all games after 4 innings (3 1/2 where applicable).
  4. Runs per inning shall be limited to (4) PERIOD!  The 4 run rule is waived in the final inning.
  5. Each player must have played 2 full innings by the end of the 5th inning.
  6. If the starting pitcher is removed from the circle during an inning, the pitcher cannot return to the circle during the same inning.  The pitcher can return to the circle in the next inning, but only the starting pitcher may do so.  Any other player can enter the game defensively anytime and at any position.
  7. Stealing
    1. Base runners cannot leave the base until the pitched ball has crossed home plate.
    2. Base runners starting at 1st or 2nd base are entitled to advance or steal only one base per pitch, with liability to be put out (no advancement on an overthrow to 2nd on a steal from 1st to 2nd).  Runners starting from 3rd base may not steal or advance home on a passed ball, a wild pitch or a bad throw back to the pitcher but are liable to be put out if they come off the base.
    3. The runner at 3rd base can advance home only if the catcher makes a play on that runner at 3rd base.
    4. No stealing immediately after the 4th ball of the 3rd walk. i.e. the pitcher just threw the 4th ball on the 3rd walk, runner at 1st decides to steal 2nd.   That runner will be returned to 1st base.
    5. No stealing when the coach/pitcher is pitching
  8. A runner attempting to advance beyond the one base they are entitled to advance or steal, may be put out while between bases.  A runner cannot be put out while in contact with a base.
  9. After all play ceases and the ball becomes dead, if a runner occupies a base beyond the one the runner was entitled to, the runner will be returned to the correct base without liability to be put out.
  10. If a batter strikes out and the ball is dropped, the batter is out and cannot advance to 1st base, but the ball remains live for the purpose of throwing any advancing runner out.  The dropped 3rd strike rule does not apply.
  11. A batter who receives a base on balls cannot advance past 1st base.  If they advance further the batter/runner does so with liability to be put out.  If they make the base safely, the will be returned to the previous base.
  12. If a batted ball is hit to the outfield, play does not stop until the ball is in possession on an infielder at any base.  Base runners may advance to the base they were advancing to prior to infield possession at a base, at their own risk.  The runner will be returned to the correct base without liability to be put out. i.e. Ball hit to the outfield, baserunner starting on 1st base, advances past 2nd base, on their way to 3rd base from 2nd base, runner hasn't made it to 3rd, 2nd baseman catches the ball thrown in by the outfielder at 2nd base, runner can't advance beyond 3rd base.  If the runner advances to home, that runner can be put out by the defense, however, if the runner makes it safely to home, that runner will be returned to 3rd base.


12, 15, 18 & Under League

EQUIPMENT

  1. Official softball required for EASTERN FASTPITCH SOFTBALL will be a 12" optic- yellow, raised red stitch softball. Cork center is recommended but if poly-core center ball is used the maximum compression of such ball will not exceed 375 PSI. The ball must be stamped USA Softball .47C0R.
  2. 15 and 18 & Under Only: Metal spikes are allowed, except when playing on an artificial turf field..
GAME RULES
  1. A regulation game will be 7 innings. A regulation game can be called, by the umpire after 5 or more complete innings because of rain, darkness etc.
  2. Runs per inning shall be limited to five runs, PERIOD!  The five run rule is waived in the final inning.
  3. 12 & Under teams field 10 players. 15 & Under and 18 & Under field 9 players.
PITCHING
  1. 12 & Under Only: Pitchers are permitted to pitch from the "L" position. The "L" position is defined as "starting the motion with the ball in the pitching hand above and behind the head, glove hand out, lead foot in front of the rubber, and back foot on the rubber."
  2. 12 & Under and 15 & Under pitchers may pitch no more that 5 innings per game.   One pitch constitutes an inning pitched.
  3. Once the pitcher is removed from the lineup; she may reenter back into the pitching position only once.