8U-E League Softball Rules

Marysville Junior Baseball & Softball Association (MJBSA)

League will follow OHSAA/NFHS official fast pitch softball rules with the following exceptions: (Revision Date: February 8, 2018)

o Age Qualifications
        1. Age shall be as of January 1.
o Playing Field
        1. Pitching and base path distances
                        § Pitching: 35ft. (or up to the front of the circle)
                        § Base Path: 60ft.
        2. Umpire is required: Shall not be a relative of a player. Umpire must be 12 years old or older.
o Equipment
        1. Batting helmets with face guard and chin strap are mandatory.
        2. Will use an 11” softball. (Yellow in color).
        3. Home team will provide (1) new and (1) good used ball for each home game.
        4. Shoes are required equipment. Shoe sole or heal projection other than the standard shoe plate are prohibited. Metal toe plates and metal cleats are prohibited.
o Player Substitutions
        1. Teams may borrow up to (3) players from a lower division. If an area does not have a lower division, they may borrow from another league’s lower division team.
        2. Borrowed players from a lower division must be on a Marysville or Raymond League roster. Games may be played with 8 players, without penalty. Five of those players must be on the team roster. Example: With (7) roster players you may borrow (3) players from lower division to make a team of (10). With (5) roster players you may still only borrow (3) players to make a team of (8).
        3. No borrowed player will be permitted to play, if a full line up of roster players is present and able to play.
        4. Borrowed players may play in any fielding position.
        5. Must bat all available players, open substitutions will apply. If a player gets injured or has to leave the game for any reason while using continuous batting order, that player is then skipped in the batting order with no out taken. This player may also re-enter in a later inning.
o Games
        1. Innings: 6; Official Game: 4
        2. 7 runs per inning limit.
        3. No new inning shall be started after 1 hour and 45 minutes from the start of the game, unless in the event of a tie.
        4. In the event of a tie at the end of 6 innings or time limit, you will play until tie is broken or up to 2 extra innings, if at the end of the 2nd extra inning there is still a tie, it remains a tie.
        5. No infield warm-up is permitted after the first inning.
        6. Play with (6) infielders and (4) outfielders.
        7. No coaching from the pitchers’ mound, while the ball is in play.
o Official rosters
        1. Official rosters must contain
                        § Team name, area, age division
                        § Coaches name, phone number
                        § Players name, DOB
        2. Players may only be on (1) Marysville League fast pitch roster.
        3. Rosters must be presented to the opposing coach at the 1st scheduled game with that team. Players may be added to a roster up to the 3rd game of the season by contacting the association representative. Final rosters must be presented to the tournament director prior to the 1st game of the tournament.
        4. Final rosters must contain a minimum of (8) players and a maximum of (20).
        5. No boys are permitted to play in the Marysville League games or tournaments.
o No game shall be declared a forfeit because of a lack of players. The opposing coach will loan players.
o The offensive teams coach will pitch 7 pitches. A players at bat cannot end on a foul ball. No base on balls is to be awarded. Umpire will not call balls and strikes. 3 swings of the girls’ bat will count as an out.
o (1) Player shall stay, with both feet, in an 8-ft. circle around the pitching plate until the ball is hit. A batted ball hitting the coach shall be declared a foul ball.
o Stealing is not allowed under any circumstances. No Lead off until a batted ball is put into play.
o No bunting is allowed.
o A runner may advance (1) base only on an overthrow from a ball that is in play by an infield player. Advance at your own risk. No additional bases will be granted on any additional overthrows per play.
o All fair-batted balls will be defined as an infield or outfield ball (an outfield ball is considered any ball that gets passed the base paths). When a ball is hit and stays in the infield, base runners may advance a maximum of one base. Infielders are encouraged to attempt a defensive play and outs can and will be recorded. The intent of this rule is to allow and encourage the defense to attempt the correct         defensive play. When the ball is hit into the outfield runners may advance at will. Once the ball is controlled by any infielder in the pitchers circle all play is stopped and a dead ball will be called. Base runners will be awarded the next base only if they were half way to   the next base, however, they are not half way they will be sent back to the previous base (this is at umpire discretion). If the ball passes the base path it is considered an outfield ball, no matter if the ball is picked up by an infield player.
o A team fielding 10 players must have each player in the normal playing position. Maximum of (6) players may be considered infielders. The (4) outfielders must be in a normal playing position at the start of the play, approximately 20ft beyond the base paths. A team may field a minimum of 7 players w/ no out taken for vacant position(s) in the batting line up.
o Coaches may stand behind the catcher and in the outfield behind the players, but may not touch the ball if the ball is in play.
o If a player gets hurt on a batted ball, play stops and runner is awarded the next base.
Official rosters
        1. Official rosters must contain
                        § Team name, area, age division
                        § Coaches name, phone number
                        § Players name, DOB
        2. Players may only be on (1) Marysville League fast pitch roster.
        3. Rosters must be presented to the opposing coach at the 1st scheduled game with that team. Players may be added to a roster up to the 3rd game of the season by contacting the association representative. Final rosters must be presented to the tournament director prior to the 1st game of the tournament.
        4. Final rosters must contain a minimum of (8) players and a maximum of (20).
        5. No boys are permitted to play in the Marysville League games or tournaments.
o   No game shall be declared a forfeit because of a lack of players. The opposing coach will loan players.
o   The offensive teams coach will pitch 7 pitches. A player’s at bat cannot end on a foul ball. No base on balls is to be awarded. Umpire will not call balls and strikes. 3 swings of the girls’ bat will count as an out.
o   (1) Player shall stay, with both feet, in an 8 ft. circle around the pitching plate until the ball is hit.  A batted ball hitting the coach shall be declared a foul ball.
o   Stealing is not allowed under any circumstances. No Lead off until a batted ball is put into play.
o   No bunting is allowed.
o   A runner may advance (1) base only on an overthrow from a ball that is in play by an infield player. Advance at your own risk. No additional bases will be granted on any additional overthrows per play.
o   All fair-batted balls will be defined as an infield or outfield ball (an outfield ball is considered any ball that gets passed the base paths). When a ball is hit and stays in the infield, base runners may advance a maximum of one base. Infielders are encouraged to attempt a defensive play and outs can and will be recorded. The intent of this rule is to allow and encourage the defense to attempt the correct defensive play. When the ball is hit into the outfield runners may advance at will. Once the ball is controlled by any infielder in the pitchers circle all play is stopped and a dead ball will be called. Base runners will be awarded the next base only if they were half way to the next base, however, they are not half way they will be sent back to the previous base (this is at umpire discretion). If the ball passes the base path it is considered an outfield ball, no matter if the ball is picked up by an infield player.
o   A team fielding 10 players must have each player in the normal playing position. Maximum of (6) players may be considered infielders. The (4) outfielders must be in a normal playing position at the start of the play, approximately 20ft beyond the base paths. A team may field a minimum of 7 players w/ no out taken for vacant position(s) in the batting line up.
o   Coaches may stand behind the catcher and in the outfield behind the players, but may not touch the ball if the ball is in play.
o   If a player gets hurt on a batted ball, play stops and runner is awarded the next base.
o   Thrown Bat Rule - The first offense both teams will be warned, umpire will tell both head coaches, no matter which team was the offender, both teams get warned.  Each offense after the first the batter is out and runners may advance at their own will.

Tournament - Rules will be the same as league rules with the following exceptions.

1.  Trophies of at least (7) inches tall shall be provided to the 1st place team/coach and trophies at least (5) inches tall, not to exceed the height of the 1st place trophy, shall be presented to the 2nd place team/coach.
2.  In order to qualify for tournament play, a roster player must have participated in at least 50% of the Marysville League game schedule. Injury exceptions will be determined by the league representatives. Current season score books must be available upon request.
3.   All protests are to refer to OHSAA and Marysville League rules and are to be resolved immediately. Home plate umpire’s decision is final.