KSHSAA Regulations

Rule 39 - Softball
No team (at any level) shall participate in more than twenty (20) games of interschool competition during a season, exclusive of the state championship series. Only ten of twenty dates may involve school time. A student may participate in twenty-six (26) games of interschool competition during the season, exclusive of the state championship series. A player entering the game as a pinch hitter, pinch runner, or courtesy runner counts as a game played, even if they were in the game for one at bat, one out, etc.

There has been some confusion as to whether a player entering as a courtesy runner counts as one of the 26 allowable games for an individual. The answer is YES entering as a courtesy runner in a game counts as one of the 26 allowable games.

Team Huddles between Innings
Team huddles are permitted but must take place with NFHS rules. A team could have a team huddle outside the dugout provided the huddle takes place prior to the defense beginning their infield warm-up. Huddles after the defensive team begins warm-up should take place in the dugout for safety reasons. Team huddles may not delay the start of the inning. At the beginning of each half-inning or when a pitcher relieves another, no more than one minute may be used to deliver no more than five balls to the catcher or to another teammate. The one minute time limit begins from the third out of the previous half inning. The penalty for not being ready for play is a ball awarded to the batter.

During the game team huddles between players on the field are never considered charged conferences. Huddles should be permitted provided they do not violate any game rules. (One minute between innings, 20 seconds pitcher has to pitcher after receiving the ball.)

Masks on Batting Helmets
Beginning January 2006 all softball batting helmets will be required to have a NOCSAE approved face mask. The mask must have the NOCSAE approval permanently affixed at the time of manufacture. The batting helmet must have the NOCSAE approved symbol. The mask may not have the symbol, but will have some permanent imprint or lettering on the mask indicating that the mask has been NOCSAE approved.

Approved Bat List Procedure
The following policy was adopted by the KSHSAA Executive Board and applies to all interscholastic softball games.

NFHS Rule 1-5-1 states “All bats shall meet the 2004 ASA Bat Performance Standard, bear either the 2000 or 2004 ASA Certification mark and not be on the ASA non-approved list found on www.asasoftball.com.”

All schools and coaches must make sure any bats being used by players have the 2000 or 2004 ASA certification mark and not be listed on the ASA non-approved list as found on the ASA softball web site. Coaches must provide the non-approved bat list for umpires to review prior to the contest. Umpires must bring a copy of the non-approved bat list to contests they umpire. The KSHSAA web site (www.kshsaa.org) is linked to the ASA web-site on the softball page.

The bat shall consist of the following components:

• A. Knob – the bat know shall protrude at a 90 degree angle from the handle. The knob may be molded, lathed, welded or per¬manently fastened. Devices attachments or wrappings are permitted except those that cause the knob to become flush with the handle. A one-piece rubber knob and bat grip combination is illegal.
• B. Handle/Grip. The bat handle is the area of the bat that begins at, but does not include the knob and ends where the taper begins to increase in diameter. The handle shall have a round or oval cross section. The grip shall extend a minimum of 10 inches, but not more than 15 inches, from the small end of the bat. A safety grip shall be made of cork, tape (no smooth, plastic tape) or composition material. Resin pine tar or spray substances to enhance the hold are permitted on the grip only.
• C. Taper. The taper is the transition area which connects the narrower handle to the wider barrel portion of the bat. The taper shall have a solid surface and shall have a conical shape. Its length and material may vary.
• D. Barrel. The barrel is the area intended for contact with the pitch; it shall be round and smooth.
• E. End Cap. The end cap is made of rubber, vinyl, plastic or other approved material. It shall be firmly secured and perma¬nently affixed to the end of the bat so that it cannot be removed by anyone other than the manufacturer, without damaging or destroying it. A one-piece construction bat will not have an end cap.

KSHSAA Ejection Policy
If a coach is ejected they are to leave the vicinity of the playing field. The coach may not continue to be in the dug-out or the stands. If it is the first game of a double header, they may return for the second game providing the school and/or league policy provide for their return. The KSHSAA does not prohibit them from returning for the second game.

Coaches ejected from a contest are required to complete the NFHS course “Teaching and Modeling Behavior” before the next scheduled date of competition. Once the coach has completed the class, school administration are to send the KSHSAA a copy of the certificate of completion.

If a player is ejected, they must stay in the dugout and the coach is to supervise her. If they continue to be a problem, a school administrator or an assistant coach should take the player outside the dugout and away from the vicinity of the field to supervise her. If no administrator is available, the coach would have to escort the player from the dugout and away from the field. If there is no other coach to coach the team, the game would be forfeited.

Called/Suspended Game
By KSHSAA adoption, a game called for any reason, where a winner cannot be determined, or any game called at any time for mechanical failure will be treated as a suspended game. If the game is to be completed it will be continued from the point of suspension, with the lineup and batting order of each team the same as the lineup and batting order at the moment of suspension, subject to the rules of the game. Please refer to the KSHSAA Baseball/Softball manual for additional information.

Game Ending Procedures
The 10 run rule is mandatory for regular season and post season baseball and softball. If the home team is ahead by 10 runs after 4 ½ innings or the visiting team ahead by 10 runs after 5 innings the game shall be called.

The 15 run rule will be used for all regional games. The rule states that if the home team is ahead by 15 runs after 2 ½ innings or the visiting team is ahead by 15 runs after 3 innings, the game may be called. During the regular season, the schools must mutually agree to this rule before it is used.