Softball Game Basics

 

Game Play: To win a game your team must score more “runs” than the opposing team.  

 

Runs: A run is a point scored.  To score a run, a player on your team must run around the bases and touch home plate before the 3rd “Out” of each “Inning.”

 

Scoring Runs: Your team can only score a run, while your team is “Up to Bat.”  When a player makes it around the bases and reaches home plate, a run is scored.

 

Innings: An inning has two halves.  In each half, one team will be “up to bat,” and the other team will be “in the field”.  While “up to bat” each team gets 3 “Outs” to try and score runs.  After the 3rd “Out,” the teams will switch, and the team that was “in the field” will get “up to bat.”

 

Up to Bat: Is when your team gets to hit the ball while the opposing team is in the field.  The objective is to “score runs.”

 

In the Field: Is when your team is playing the different positions on the field.  The objective is to get the other team “Out.”

 

Infield Positions: Pitcher, catcher, 1st baseman, 2nd baseman, 3rd baseman, shortstop.

 

Outfield Positions: Left field, left center field, right center field, right field.  Or, left field, center field, right field, short field.  Coaches will instruct you how to set up in the field.

 

Batters Box: The area surrounding home plate where the batter must stand while trying to hit the ball.

 

Pitching Circle: Area on the field where pitcher must throw the ball from to the batter. The pitching circle contains the pitching rubber.

 

Pitching Rubber: The rectangular piece of rubber in the middle of the pitching circle from which the pitcher must throw the ball. The pitcher is required to maintain contact with the pitching rubber until the release of the ball. 

 

Strike zone: The area over home plate that is lower than the chest of the hitter, generally from the “letters” of the name of the team, to just above the hitters knees. If a ball is thrown through this area, it is a called strike.

 

Outs: The team that is “in the field” has to get the team that is “up to bat”, “Out”, 3 times every inning.  To get an “Out,” this can be done in multiple ways:

• A player that is “at bat” can “Strike Out”.  They may strike out “swinging” or “looking”.

  • Looking means the batter did not swing, but the pitcher threw a strike.

• A player that is “at bat” can hit the ball to a player “in the field” who either “tags” the baserunner “Out”, or “throws” the baserunner out.

  • Tagging the baserunner is when you field the ball, have it in your glove, or hand, and touch the baserunner with the glove or hand that the ball is in. You should always try to “tag” the baserunner with the ball in your glove so you don’t drop it on the tag.  If you drop it, the runner will not be “out,” but will be “safe”.  

  • Throwing a baserunner “Out” is when you field the ball, and throw it to your teammate that is covering the base.  (Example:  Ball hit to the 2nd baseman, who fields it and throws it to the 1st baseman who steps on 1st base, before the batter (turned baserunner) make it to 1st base.

• A player that is “at bat” can hit a “fly ball” to a player “in the field” who catches the ball, before it hits the ground.

  • a “fly ball” is a ball hit in the air. It can also be called a "pop up" or "line drive". A line drive is a ball hit in the air that is hit at a fairly consistent height from the ground. A pop up is one that is hit in an arc.

Grounder: A ball that is hit on the ground either in the infield or outfield. Also called a ground ball.

 

Fair Balls & Foul Balls: An umpire will NEVER call a ball “Fair”.  An umpire will ONLY call a ball “Foul.”  If a ball is “foul” that means play is stopped, and the batter takes another try at getting up to bat, and hitting the ball.  This means, that if you swing the bat, hit the ball, and no matter where it lands, even if just in from of home plate, that it is a Fair ball, and you have to run to 1st base, because you can be tagged out, or thrown out at 1st base.  Always assume a ball you made contact with is “Fair” and run hard to 1st base.  Only come back to the batter’s box if the umpire or your coach tells you it is a foul ball.

 

Force Plays & Tagging: A “force play” is when a baserunner has to advance to the next base, so the team “in the field” can throw the baserunner out by just stepping on the base before the baserunner gets there.  This is the case with every play to 1st base, after the batter hits the ball.  This is not always the case at 2nd base, 3rd base, or at home plate.

Examples where tagging is required:

- If a batter hits the ball passed the infielders and decides to run through 1st base and on to 2nd base (or beyond), she can only be called “Out” if she is “tagged out” before stepping on 2nd base (or beyond).  Even if the fielder is standing on the base with the ball, and the baserunner steps on the base without being tagged with the ball, they are “safe”.

- If there is nobody on 1st base, but a baserunner on 2nd base, that player does not have to run to 3rd base the next time their teammate that is up to bat hits the ball.  If the baserunner on 2nd base decides to run to 3rd base on this play, the only way to get her out is to tag her.  Either a fielder can tag her when she is running by them, or if the ball is thrown to the 3rd baseman, she must tag the baserunner before the baserunner reaches 3rd base.  If the 3rd baseman has the ball while the baserunner is still several steps away from 3rd base, she should run towards the baserunner to tag her out.  The baserunner may decide to turn back to 2nd base, and could get back to 2nd base safely before being tagged out.

Example of a force play:

- If there is a baserunner on 1st base, and a player gets up to bat, hitting it to the short stop, the shortstop can throw the ball to either the 1st baseman or the 2nd baseman, (who should be standing on or running to cover 2nd base).  As long as the ball gets to the 1st baseman or 2nd baseman, who touches the base before the baserunner gets to the base, the baserunner will be “out”.

 

Leading: is when the baserunner takes a few steps off the base, towards the next base, in order to get a jump on reaching the next base.  Leading is only allowed after the Pitcher has released a pitch.

 

Tagging Up: is when the other team catches a fly ball, making an “Out”, and the baserunner has returned back to the base they were on (touched the base), they can then start running to the next base, advancing a base, even though the batter is out.

 

Stealing bases: is when the baserunner runs to the next base, after the pitcher releases the ball, but even before their teammate decides to swing, or let the ball go by them.  In 3 / 4 softball stealing is only allowed between 2nd base and 3rd base.  A baserunner needs to be aware that if their teammate at bat hits the ball on a fly, and the ball is caught for an “Out”, they need to get back to the base they came from, before the other team throws the ball there and makes a “double play” (getting 2 outs in one player’s “at bat”)