Softball
Softball is played in 7 INNINGS by 2 teams of 10 players each. An inning consists of a turn at bat (3 outs) for each team.
1. The ball is in the strike zone, which is the armpits to knees and over the plate.
2. When the umpire calls a pitched ball a strike.
3. When a batted ball goes foul and is not caught on the fly (except on the 3rd strike)
Ball: the umpire calls a ball when the pitched ball does not cross the plate in the strike zone.
Fly Ball: A ball that is hit into the air and has not touched the ground.
Ground Ball: A batted ball that touches the ground before it is caught.
Fair Hit Ball: A legally batted ball that:
1. Lands and stays in the infield between home and first base and home and home and third base.
2. Touches or goes over first or third bases.
3. Lands in the outfield in fair territory between the extended lines from home to first and home to third bases.
Foul Ball: A batted ball which:
1. Rolls foul before it gets to first or third bases.
2. Hits foul in the outfield.
Batter is Out when:
1. Swings at and misses the third strike.
2. A fair or foul fly ball is caught.
3. Is hit by his/her own batted ball in fair territory before a fielder has played it.
4. The ball reaches first base and is caught before the batter reaches first base.
5. Is tagged with the ball before reaching first base.
Base runner is Out when:
1. Is tagged with the ball when off base.
2. Fails to return to base before the ball reached the baseman after a fly ball has been caught.
3. Interferes with a fielder trying to field the ball.
4. Is forced out at a base.
5. Passes a base runner.
6. Is hit by a batted ball.
Force Out:
1. At first base on all ground balls.
2. At 2nd base when there is a runner on first.
3. At 3rd base when there are runners on 1st and 2nd.
4. At home plate when there are runners on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
After a base runner reaches the base he/she is going to, he/she must be tagged with the ball.
If a fly ball is caught, runners must go back and touch the bases they were on before they can run.
Runs count 1 point each.
The umpire indicates strikes in his/her right hand and balls in his/her left hand.
A full count is 3 balls and 2 strikes.