Barrow County Leisure Services
facebook.com/BarrowLS 770-307-3024
Contact through Sept. 18th: Thomas Hayes, [email protected]
Contacts as of Sept. 19th: Penny Skinner, [email protected]
Sara Call, [email protected]
Youth Softball Rules - Coach Pitch (Ages 5-6)
1. Games are complete after 6 innings of play, or the opposing team has been numerically eliminated, or
the 1-hour time-limit expires.
2. There will be a 5 run limit per inning.
3. Head Coaches must assign a dugout coach as the person in charge of keeping up with runs.
4. Only 10 players are eligible to play on defense. Players must rotate on and off every inning. 6 players
are allowed to play the infield; the others 4 must play in the grass outfield. No outfield player may stand
closer than 10 feet from 2nd base.
5. The batting order will be continuous. “Continuous” means if you have 13 players on your team, then
you will form a batting line-up for 13 players. Continuous does not mean that every inning a team will
bat the entire line-up. If three outs are made, then the team must switch to defense and pick up the next
inning with the batter following the person who made the last out.
6. A player in the catcher's position must be in full gear. Coaches may request catcher’s equipment from
Leisure Services if needed.
7. Player-pitcher must wear a facemask or helmet with a facemask.
8. In the scenario that a defensive team elects to not provide a catcher in full gear to stand behind home
plate to receive pitches, that player must be relocated, still in foul territory, but on the same side of the
box the batter has addressed (facing the batters’ back). The catcher should stand nearest to the dugout.
The team on defensive will now be responsible to locate a uniformed coach behind the plate to return
balls to the coach pitching
9. The coach will pitch to each of his/her batters. The batter will have three attempts to hit the ball from
the coach pitch and if not successful, she will have two attempts to hit from the tee.
10. Batter may foul off as many 5th pitches to continue an at bat.
11. The coach must be at least 20’ away from the batter. The line will be drawn in chalk showing how close
the coach may get. The line will be a fair/foul arc. The ball must pass or be on the line to be considered
fair.
12. Home team will provide the tee for game day.
13. All batters must wear a helmet with a facemask.
14. One umpire will be used for 5-6 league games.
15. 11 inch softballs will be used.
16. “Run-Down” Rule: If the pitcher fields a ball on the 3rd base side of the field, the coach must instruct the
player to throw the ball to first base. If the ball is batted on the 1st base side of the field, the player may
run down the batter/runner.
17. Play is stopped once the defense has managed to stop the offense from further advancing on the base
pads OR the official has called time.
18. Two coaches are allowed on the field with their defense.
19. On offense, the coach pitching is the only coach allowed on the field. The other offensive coaches must
be either a 1st base or 3rd base coach.
20. All bats must be stamped softball approved bats.
Please visit http://dizzydeanbbinc.org/rules.htm for 2015 Dizzy Dean Softball Rules.