Intramural Softball

Intramural Softball is a team sport consisting of ten players on each side. Starting with one ball and one strike, batters must face pitches that reach 6-12 feet in the air. Since bunting is disallowed, as well as leading off and stealing being illegal, teams must compete at high levels to score more runs than their opponents.

Season Info

Rules

Online Registration How-To

• Regular Season Dates: Sept. 15 - Oct. 3
• Online Registration: Sept. 9-12
• Playoff Dates: Oct. 9-24
• Playoff Scheduling: Oct. 7-8
• Team Fee: $115
• Location of Play: Mitchell Field

Rules

Printable Rules

• IM Policies & Procedures
• Equipment
• Time Factors
• Tie Game
• Players
• Base Running
• Batting
• Fielding
• Pitching
• Overthrow
• Dead/Live Ball
• Scoring
• Other Important Slow Pitch Rules
• Co-Rec Modifications

**NEW RULE** - Indicates a rule change

1. Equipment (back to top)
   1. The Intramural Sports Program will furnish scorecards and balls.
   2. Bats and catchers masks can be checked out with ID.  Catcher’s masks are recommended.
   3. Each team will provide a scorekeeper, which should be the Team Manager.
   4. For safety and injury prevention, exposed jewelry, such as wrist watches, bracelets, earrings, and neck  chains must not be worn during games.
   5. METAL SPIKES MAY NOT BE WORN IN INTRAMURAL SOFTBALL.
   6. Casts are illegal.
   7. Clothing which has blood on it must be removed before the player may continue competition. A substitute player should enter the game to allow the player with blood to remove the soiled clothing.
2. Time Factors (back to top)
   1. A regulations game will be seven (7) innings in length.
   2. A game need not be seven (7) innings for it to be legal.
   3. NO new innings may begin after 55 minutes have elapsed from the start of the game.
   4. Games called because of inclement weather will follow Official ASA Rules, with intramural tie  modifications.
   5. Semi-final and Final games will have no time limit.
   6. At the discretion of the Field Supervisor or umpire, games may be terminated at the end of a half  inning when there is a great difference in the score and continuance of play interferes with the start of the next game
3. Tie Game (back to top)
   1. During the regular season, ties will not be resolved, and each team will be credited with a win.
   2. If a tie exists in tournament play, extra innings will be played.
   3. The umpire may, after a warning, forfeit the game to the opposing team if, in their judgement, a team  is using tactics obviously designed to delay or shorten the game. This rule applies especially to games in which there is the threat of rain or time expiration
4. Players (back to top)
   1. An official team consists of 10 players.
   2. A team must have 8 players to start and continue a game.
   3. Any substitutions made after the start of the game must follow Official Softball Rules.
   4. If players arrive after the start of the game, they may be inserted into the batting order by adding on to the end of the existing line up.
5. Base Running (back to top)
   1. When a defensive player has the ball a base runner may not deliberately, with great force, crash into the defensive player.  Penalty:  Baserunner is out.  Ball is dead and all runners return to last base touched at the time of the collision.
   2. If flagrant, base runner is given an automatic SRS Level 3: Sportsmanship Ejection and is ejected from the game.
   3. There is NO must slide rule in IM softball.  A base runner must avoid contact with a fielder who has the ball.  Sliding is one option to avoid contact.
6. Batting (back to top)
   1. Batters have a one ball and one strike count upon coming up to bat.
   2. Any number of players may be included in a team’s batting order.
   3. When a player bats it establishes their position in the line-up for the entire game.
   4. If, for any reason, a player must leave the batting line-up, the substitute must be a person who has not yet batted.  If no qualified substitute is available, an out shall be declared each time the vacated position in the batting order comes up.
   5. A player may leave and return to the line-up only once, provided that the player returns to the same spot in the batting order.
   • NOTE:  Please see the Co-Rec Modifications for Co-Rec Play
7. Fielding (back to top)
   1. There will be total free substitution of players in the field on defense, but never more than ten.
   2. The infield fly rule is as follows: A fair fly ball (not including a line drive) which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort when first and second bases; or the bases loaded are occupied before two are out.  Any defensive player who takes a position in the infield at the start of the play shall be considered an infielder.  The infield fly is ruled when the ball reaches the highest point based on the position of the closest infielder regardless of who makes the play.  When it seems apparent that a batted fly ball will be an infield fly, the umpire shall immediately declare: “Infield Fly.”  The ball is live, the batter is automatically out, and runners may advance at the risk of the ball being caught. The runners can tag up and advance once the batted ball is touched, the same as on any fly ball.  If the ball is foul, it is treated as any foul ball.
   3. If an infielder deliberately drops a fly ball in a force play situation, the ball is dead, the batter is ruled out, and all runners must return to their bases. If an infield fly is ruled, it has precedence over a deliberately dropped ball.
8. Pitching (back to top)
   1. A legal pitch is delivered with an underhand motion at a moderate speed and must have a perceptible arch, and reach a height of at least 6 feet from the ground, while not exceeding a maximum height of 12 feet from the ground.  Speed and height (flat or excessive) are left entirely to the judgement of the umpire.
   2. The strike zone is that space over any part of home plate which is between the batter’s back shoulder and their knees when the batter assumes their natural batting stance.
   3. Balls and Strikes - a batter receives a base on balls after three (3) balls and is called out after receiving two (2) strikes.  Any foul ball resulting in the 2nd strike, is an out.
9. Overthrow (back to top)
   1. When a thrown ball enters any designated out-of-play area, the official immediately signals the ball dead and each and every baserunner shall be entitled to two bases from where the base runner was at the time of the throw.
   2. A ball carried into an out-of-play area by a fielder will result in the award of one base for each runner. A person is out of play when one foot is completely beyond the out of play line while that player has possession of the ball.
   3. An overthrow hitting the backstop remains in play; runners shall be entitled to advance at their own risk.
   4. Any ball hitting a wire, post, or any other obstruction in fair territory remains in play.
   5. A batter is NOT out if a batted fly ball is caught by a fielder off a fair territory obstruction, such as a wire.  Play proceeds as if the ball was fielded from the ground.
10. Dead/Live Ball (back to top)
    1. When a ball becomes “LIVE”, it remains so until the umpire calls “TIME,” which should be done when the ball is held by a player in the infield area, and in the opinion of the umpire, all play has ceased.
11. Scoring (back to top)
    1. The Team Manager is responsible for maintaining the official score on the scorecard.  It is advised to check the score following each inning.
    2. The score must be kept on the official scorecard provided by the Intramural Sports Program.
    3. The umpire is not responsible for the score.
    4. **NEW RULE** Mercy rule:
    5. If a team is winning by 15 runs after four innings or 10 runs after five innings, a mercy shall be called, and the game shall end.
    6. Teams may score a maximum of 10 runs per inning; except in the 7th inning or last inning under time limit, whichever applies.
12. Other Important Slow Pitch Rules (back to top)
    1. Bunting or chopping the ball is not allowed.  Result:  Batter is OUT.
    2. Base stealing is NOT allowed.
    3. Runners CANNOT leave their base until the pitch crosses home plate.  Result: No Pitch, Runner is OUT.
    4. An illegal pitch is a BALL; if the batter swings, the resulting play stands.
13. Co-Rec Modifications (back to top)
    1. Line-Up
       1. Co-Rec IM teams will ordinarily consist of five (5) women and five (5) men.
       2. **NEW RULE** - Male and Female Batting Orders
          • Each team will submit a male lineup and a female lineup.
          • These lineups do not have a maximum number of males and females.
          • Your batting order will alternate between the male & the female batting order.
          • Each batter will always bat after the same person in their gender specific lineup.
          • Each batter will not always bat after the exact same person of the opposite gender each time up.
       3. Any number of players may be included in a team’s batting order as long as the above conditions are met.
    2. Fielding
       1. There will be total free substitution of players in the field on defense.
       2. There can be no more than 10 players fielding.
       3. At no time will there be more than five (5) men or five (5) women on the field.
    3. 125-Foot Restraining Line
       1. Three (3) of the (4) outfielders must stay behind this restraining line until the ball crosses home plate or contact has occurred by the player at bat.
    4. Female Option to Walk
       1. In ASA Rules should a man reach first base by a walk, the female following the male batter can either take an automatic walk or bat.  This rule has been removed in Intramural softball.

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