2nd-3rd Grade Softball Rules

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Coach Pitch (cp)

KIDSPORTS CP-Ball follows National Federation Rules with modifications listed below. 

  1. UNIFORMS  
  1. All uniforms and equipment issued by KIDSPORTS shall be legal for all KIDSPORTS CP-Ball games. Catchers are required to wear protective head gear and are encouraged to wear an athletic supporter with a cup. Catchers are allowed to use any type of glove or mitt. 
  1. THE FIELD  
  1. BASE DISTANCE: 60′ bases are 84’10” from home plate to second base. 
  1. PITCHING DISTANCE: 32′ pitching rubber – measured from the front edge of the pitching plate to the rear tip of home plate. 
  1. EQUIPMENT  
  1. THE BALL: A 9″ safe-soft ball will be used for all games and practice sessions. 
  1. THE BAT: Both wood and metal bats with safety grips are legal. Bats that have been finished with enamel paint are not legal. (Exception: approved bats with factory enamel finish are legal. There are no weight-to-length restrictions. 
  1. BATTING HELMETS: Each team is required to have a minimum of four regulation protective batting helmets on its bench prior to starting a game or practice session. 
  1. SHOES: Shoes that have metal spikes or hard polyurethane soles cannot be worn. 
  1. SECOND FIRST BASE: The second first base (provided by the visiting team) is placed next to the regular first base on the opposite side of the foul line. The base in foul territory is the one the runner tags and the baseman used the base in fair territory. If the visiting coach cannot provide a base, the game is played with one first base. 
  1. PLAYER REQUIREMENTS  
  1. STARTING LINE-UP: All CP-Ball games are played with ten players on the field at one time. 
  1. SHORT LINE-UPS: Teams may start and finish the game with seven players. If a player shows up after the line-up card is turned in they must be placed in the following spot(s) in the line-up in the back of the order. He/she can enter the game only at the beginning of a half-inning. 
     
    Any team reduced to less than seven players due to injury, illness, ejection, etc, will be required to forfeit. A team that forfeits the game may then borrow players from the opposing team for a practice game. This game will not be rescheduled. 
  1. POSITIONING OF PLAYERS  
  1. PITCHING RULE: Each coach will pitch to his/her own team. A maximum of five (5) pitches will be provided to each batter is his/her time at bat. Coaches, while pitching from the mound, are allowed to instruct only the batter. The pitcher-coach will be allowed to move up to within 15 feet of the batter if he/she desires. 
     
    If the pitching coach in any way touches the batted ball or interferes with an opponent trying to field the batted ball the ball becomes dead, the pitch is considered a no pitch and all base runners must return to their base. 
    The batter is not out after three (3) strikes unless it is the fifth pitch. 
  1. DEFENSIVE PITCHING POSITION: Defensive pitcher must stand in the area behind, and to the left or right of the pitcher-coach or pitching machine. 
  1. THE GAME  
  1. REGULATION GAME: Consists of five innings unless shortened because of time limit, curfew, bad weather, or extended due to a tie game. In Kidsports there is no minimum number of completed innings to constitute a regulation game. 
    If play is called when the teams have not had an equal number of completed turns at bat, the score shall be the same as it was at the end of the last completed inning; except that if the home team in its half of the incomplete inning scores a run (or runs) which equals or exceeds the opponent’s score the final score shall be as recorded when the game is called. 
  1. TIE GAMES: If the score is tied at the end of a completed game, the game will end in a tie. No extra innings will be played. 
  1. CALLED GAMES: Only games completely cancelled by Kidsports due to weather will be rescheduled 
  1. SCORING: A base runner may not advance on any coach pitch or score a run on a passed ball, wild pitch or an erratic throw from the catcher to the pitcher. A runner may legally score whenever:  
  1. Any legally batted ball occurs 
  1. The defensive team attempts to put any base runner out as in regular baseball rules. 
  1. FORFEITED GAME: 
    A team with six players or less may borrow players from the opposing team to play a scrimmage game if needed. This game will not be rescheduled. 
  1. PROTESTS: All officials’ decisions are final. KIDSPORTS does not recognize protests. Any dispute must be handled on the field. 
  1. CURFEW AND TIME LIMIT: KIDSPORTS games shall be governed by a time limit in which no new inning may begin after one hour and fifteen minutes (1hr 15 min) have elapsed. 
  1. TEN (10) RUN RULE: N/A 
  1. INNING TERMINATION: In CP games, an inning shall be terminated after three outs are made or each player in the line-up has batted. Scoring shall stop in an inning when: 1. The batter or any base runner makes the third out or all players in the line-up bat in one inning. 2. A runner who occupies 3rd base and advances home on a batted ball by the final batter will count as a scored run, unless the defensive play results in a force out. The umpire shall immediately notify the official scorer of the exact runs allowed on a ball hit by the last batter in the line-up. 
  1. BASE RUNNERS: 1. No runner may advance until a ball has been hit. 2. A base runner shall be declared out for leaving the base before the ball is hit. 3. When any player on or within the baseline holds the ball above their head and does not attempt to put an advancing runner out, base runners may advance only to the next base to which they are proceeding when the runner is past the slash mark (midway between bases). Once inside the baseline, the player with the ball should hold the ball ABOVE HIS/HER HEAD to stop play. When an infielder with the ball in his or her possession elects to throw the ball to another player in an attempt to put out an advancing runner, and, in the process overthrows the base, runners may not advance. 4. There is no infield fly rule in CP games. 
  1. SUBSTITUTIONS 
    SUBSTITUTION RULE: The following player substitution rule is required in all KIDSPORTS scheduled games:  
  1. STARTING PLAYERS: Each eligible player listed on the team roster form must start on defense at least every other game which they attend, appearing on the schedule issued by the KIDSPORTS office. 
  1. ELIGIBLE BATTERS: All eligible players will be in the batting order for the entire game. A player arriving after the beginning of a game may be inserted at the end of the batting order at the beginning of a half-inning. 
  1. NON-STARTERS: At the beginning of every defensive inning, players who did not play in the previous inning on defense must be inserted into the defensive line-up. The intention of this rule is to ensure that all players play in the field at least half of the defensive outs. 
  1. FAILURE TO MAKE SUBSTITUTIONS: If a coach knowingly violates the substitution rule, the opposing coach should call “time-out” and ask the coach to make appropriate changes. If the coach refuses, the game is played and the opposing coach should contact his/her sports manager at KIDSPORTS. KIDSPORTS will then take appropriate actions against the coach as it sees fit.