SOFTBALL 8U COACH PITCH (7-8)
1. Umpiring
a. The home team is responsible for providing a volunteer umpire.
b. No appeals! Umpires will call what he/she sees. If the umpire does not see it, it cannot be called.
c. No umpire shall be younger than fourteen (14) years old as of April 30 of the current year unless he/she is a trained “patch” umpire.
d. Ground rules will be discussed before the start of the game in the presence of the umpire. Ground rules must stay consistent.
e. Umpire will begin the play behind the plate. The umpire must move with the play to be in position to make the best call without interfering with play.
2. Roster/Call-ups
a. All CVC roster rules apply.
b. Player age, as calculated according to the CVC roster rules, cannot exceed eight (8) years old as of August 31st of the prior year for Spring season and August 31st of the current year for the Fall season.
c. Each team must have at least eight (8) players to start or continue a game. If at any time this rule is not met, the game is over and the team with enough players to play, eight (8) or more wins. If a team has eight (8) players, they must use only 2 outfielders and fill all infield positions including pitcher and catcher
d. A team may use up to 4 girls from the T-Ball level if a roster of the T-Ball players has been turned in to the C.V.C. prior to the first game
e. A call-up must wear her roster team uniform and the opposing manager must be notified prior to the game that call-ups are being used.
f. A call-up cannot play in the field in the first 2 innings of a game ahead of a regular roster player. They may be substituted along with any other roster players beginning in the 3rd inning and must adhere to all other playing time rules.
g. A player may only be called up with the permission of her manager. If a player’s roster team’s game conflicts with the 8U game, the player must play her regular (T-Ball) game.
3. Field and Equipment
a. The player designated as the pitcher must wear a chest protection device while in the field.
b. Hats or visors are not mandatory.
c. No jewelry, casts or hard splints can be worn at any time on the field.
d. An 11-inch ball will be used. C.V.C. approved: 44 cor 375 compression leather with poly core (preferable vendor is AD Starr)
e. Batting helmets must be worn while batting and running the bases. All helmets must be equipped with a facemask. Chin straps are recommended, but not mandatory.
f. Catchers must wear a chest protector, facemask, and a catcher’s helmet.
g. Base distance will be sixty (60) feet. Three-quarter marks will be used between the bases. The distance from the back of home plate to second base is (84’ 10 ¼ “).
h. A ten (10) foot circle will surround the pitching line, which will be centered within the circle.
i. Hash marks will be placed ¾ (45 feet) between first and second, second and third, and third and home.
j. Only bats on the current USA Softball approved bat list may be used.
k. No metal spikes.
l. Safety base at 1st base is mandatory.
m. An 8 ft arc will be chalked from the back of home plate between the file lines. Any ball hit between home plate and the chalked line will be a foul ball
4. Pitching
a. Coach pitching will be thirty-two (32) feet.
b. The player designated as the pitcher must begin the play with at least one foot in the circle.
c. Arc of the pitch will be between no arc to ten (10) foot arc.
d. Managers or coaches will pitch to their teams. If a batted ball hits a manager or coach or if the manager or coach (while pitching) interferes with a fielder, batter or runner, the ball is dead and the batter returns to bat and runners return to base. The pitch will be a no pitch.
5. Stoppage of Play
a. Only the umpire may call stoppage of play. Again, all calls by the umpire are final.
b. A play will be stopped if any of the following occur:
i. On an overthrow at first base or third base lines or ball thrown back to the pitcher crosses the first base or third base lines. Once the ball crosses into foul territory, the play is ended and runners may not advance further.
ii. The ball breaks the plane of the circle surrounding the pitcher’s mound. You cannot just throw the ball thru the circle to stop play, there must be a player you are intending to throw it to in or near the circle. For example, a pitcher cannot field a ball down the line and throw it to the unmanned circle. There must be some intent to throw to a player.
iii. The ball is in control of the pitcher and any part of her body is within the circle.
iv. The ball is in control of an infielder and the lead runner has stopped forward progress.
c. At the time play is stopped, runners that have advanced beyond one of the ¾ hash marks will be awarded the next base. Runners that have not advanced beyond a ¾ mark must return to the previous base. Runners will be placed according to the lead runner. That is, if a runner is forced back to a base and another runner is occupying that base, that runner must also return to the previous base. For example, there are runners on second and third and a play is made. When time is called, the runner at third has not passed the ¾ mark, but the runner from second has. The runner from third must return to third and, in turn, would force the runner from second back to second. However, if the runners were on first and third and the runner from third is forced back, the runner from first could still be awarded second provided she crossed the ¾ mark when time was called.
i. Exception to above rule: when all runners are forced to advance. For example, there are runners on first and second. The batter hits the ball and the ball is thrown back to the pitcher before the runner from second crosses the ¾ mark. Because the runner is forced, she must be awarded third base.
ii. If a runner, running on contact, that is not forced but attempting to advance to the next base and the ball is thrown back to the pitcher circle immediately, the runner running on contact, not forced, is not sent back to the base they started at regardless of passing the hash mark.
6. Game Play
a. Each girl will field at least two (2) innings, unless an injury occurs.
b. This age group will not use the infield fly rule.
c. This age group will play six (6) innings.
d. No D.H. or E.P. in this age group.
e. Runners should make every effort to slide or avoid contact while running the bases. Any flagrant fouls or unnecessary contact could result in an out and ejection from the game.
f. A game stopped after four and a half (4 ½) innings because of rain or lighting is a complete game, meaning the losing team batted in the 5th inning. The team ahead shall be declared the winner. If the game is tied after 4 ½ innings and the time limit is hit, the game is recorded as a tie.
g. No new inning shall start fifteen (15) minutes prior to the start of the next scheduled game or after two (2) hours from the start of the game. The team ahead after the last full inning is declared the winner. Rain delay time does not extend the original 2 hour time limit.
i. Pitchers will be given 5 warm-up pitches to start a game and 3 pitches before all subsequent innings.
ii. New pitchers entering the game will be given 5 warm-up pitches the inning they start to pitch then 3 pitches before all subsequent innings.
iii. No infield or outfield warm-up ball after the first inning.
h. If a game is stopped for any reason before completing 4 ½ innings, the entire game has to be replayed.
i. This age group will bat the bench.
j. Teams will play ten (10) players in the field. The players will consist of a pitcher (who must have at least one foot inside the circle, a catcher, four (4) infielders and four (4) outfielders (no rover). No outfielder may be within twenty (20) feet of the base line. Once the ball is hit, the outfielders can make plays in the infield. Infielders cannot pinch in more than five (5) feet of the baseline until the ball is batted.
k. Each batter has eight (8) pitches. The batter must swing by the eighth pitch or be called out. If contact is made (foul) the batter will get another pitch.
l. A batter gets four (4) strikes. There are no walks or awards of first base due to the batter being hit by a pitch.
m. Runners on base cannot leave the base until the ball is hit. If they are off the base and the ball is not hit (swinging strike or no swing), they will be warned along with the rest of the players on that team. Further instances from any player on that team will result in an automatic out.
n. Any player throwing the bat will be warned along with the rest of the players on that team. The next player from that team to throw a bat will be called out, the play will be dead and the runners will return to their bases.
o. When five (5) runs are scored in the offensive team’s half of the inning, the offensive team automatically takes the field regardless of the number of outs. The inning shall not end however until play has been stopped and all runs resulting from that play shall be counted. Example: the offensive team has scored four (4) runs in the current inning and the bases are loaded. The batter hits a home run. When the play has ended all the base runners have crossed the plate. The four extra runs count and the team will be entitled to eight (8) runs in that inning.
p. The five (5) run rule is waived in the last inning (6th inning).
q. There will be a 10-run rule applied after the 5th inning. If at the end of the 5th inning either team is ahead by 10 or more runs or if the home team is ahead by 10 or more after the visiting team completes its turn at bat in the top of the 5th, the game may be stopped. However, the game may be permitted to continue at the discretion of the trailing manager, but the score is reported as final.
r. The Blood Rule will also be in effect during the game.
s. The winning team is responsible for submitting the score to the league by texting results to 724-561-2772 or emailing the results to
[email protected]. The winning team must send scores within 24 hours or will receive a 1 pt penalty
t. A ball attempting to be thrown to 2nd Base from any position on the field which results in an overthrow to the outfield can only result in a maximum of one extra base for each base runner. The base runners are not guaranteed the one extra base, they attempt their advance at their own risk
u. The playoff format has been replaced with a season ending single elimination tournament in which all teams are invited. Seedings determined by standings and play across divisions for 1st round.
v. If time permits, extra innings should be played for tied games. We use the international tie breaker rule which means the last batted out from the previous inning starts on 2B with no outs.
w. If a player leaves a game early due to injury/illness they are removed from the lineup without any consequences. If a player leaves voluntarily for any reason besides injury/illness, they are an out each at bat.
x. A player arriving late may enter the game and be added to the end of the lineup at any time before the start of the 4th inning.
y. If a team knows in advance, day before, it will forfeit the next round of the playoffs due to lack of players, the opponent will be advanced to the next round regardless if they win or lose to the team planning to forfeit the next round.
z. The CVC board can approve double headers of 5 innings if both teams agree.