Very basic fastpitch rules for the beginner

•  The fielding team needs to get three batters out before they get a turn to bat.

•  To complete one inning, both teams have an opportunity to bat and field. A game normally lasts for 7 innings and / or one hour and a half, but no less than 5 innings.

•  For a batter to be struck out, the pitcher has to throw 3 balls over home plate and between the knee and under the armpits, which is called the strike zone. The batter either does not swing or misses the balls pitched by the pitcher, which counts as a strike against the batter. A strike out = an out.

•  A walk is awarded to the batter if the pitcher pitches 4 balls that are not in the strike zone. The batter automatically is allowed to get first base. If there is a runner on first base, that runner is allowed to advance to second base.

•  If a ball is caught in the air the batter is automatically out and runners can only advance (at their own choice) after the catch has been made.

•  If the runner leaves the base before the catch has been made, the fielder can throw to the base where the runner started from and that runner will be out. However, if the runner realises that she has left the base before the catch was made, she can go back to the base she has run from. The runner gets to the base before the fielder who has caught has thrown to that base, the runner will be safe.

•  Force out: This occurs when the runner has to advance to the next base because (1) she is on first base and the batter has hit the ball and has to run to first base or (2) all the bases behind that runner are occupied by other runners. Which means if the batter hits a ground ball all runners are forced to advance to the next base.

•  In a force out situation: All the fielder's needs to do to the get the advancing runner out are to touch the base before the runner gets there. There is no need for the fielder to TAG the runner.

•  Tagging (touching the runner with the ball or preferably the glove, which must have the ball in it. All runners must be tagged if they are not forced to advance to that base. The runner has the option (if not forced to run) to return to the base she was running from if she realises she is going to be tagged out.

•  Fair ball hit: This is a ball that needs to be hit within the softball diamond lines.

•  Foul ball hit: Is a ball that is hit outside the lines of the diamond and remains on the outside of the lines. This will then count as a strike against the batter until 2 strikes. If a batter has 2 strikes on her and hits a foul ball, she will remain on the same count (2 strikes) until she either gets struck out, gets a walk or hits the ball fair.

•  Foul ball going fair: If a ball which has been hit before 3 rd base and 1 st base is hit on the outside of the lines but rolls fair into the diamond – it becomes fair and needs to be treated as a hit. It is important to encourage the children that when they hit the ball they must always run to first until the umpire calls it foul.

•  Batters must bat in a batting order of the same sequence throughout the game. If anyone bats out of order and the opposing team picks this up, they can let the umpire know and the batter that is batting will be called be out. If in the first inning your first 5 batters get a chance to bat before you have to field, then when your team bats again your 6 th batter will start the next innings batting off.

•  No jewellery is allowed to be worn.

•  Coaches are allowed to stand in the allocated coaching boxes outside first and / or third base.

•  Stealing: A runner is allowed to advance to the next base after the ball leaves the pitchers hand at her own choice (or coaches), which is called stealing. If the runner leaves the base that she is on before the ball leaves the pitchers hand, she will be called out by the umpire as ‘lead off'.

•  First base is a double base. The white side is for the fielders and the orange base is for the runners approaching first base. This is for safety reasons and therefore, the fielder is only allocated the white when trying to get a runner out and the runner only orange if she would like to be safe. Once the runner has been called safe at first base, she will now be allowed to stand on the white to advance to second either by stealing or for the next batter to advance the runner.

•  Only 9 fielders per team on the field. Three outfielders, one pitcher, one catcher and four infielders.

•  Only 9 batters in a line up.