Howard County Officials Training
2008 Changes
2007 Rule
Section 1. PRELIMINARIES
A. The pitcher must take a position with both feet firmly on the ground and with one or both
feet in contact with the pitcher’s plate.
EFFECT: Delayed Dead Ball, Illegal Pitch
B. (Seniors) The pitcher may take a position from the front edge of the pitcher’s plate to six
feet behind the pitcher’s plate within the 24 inch width of the pitcher’s plate with both
feet firmly on the ground.
EFFECT: Delayed Dead Ball, Illegal Pitch
Preliminaries
Defense
Fair Territory
Catcher
Catcher’s Box Violations
SLOW PITCH – Catcher must
remain in catcher’s box until
pitched ball is batted,
touches the ground or plate,
or reaches the catcher’s box.
4 Feet
Batter’s
boxes are
not a part
of the
catcher’s
box.
R/S #8 The catcher cannot
move close to the plate if the
batter is at the front of the
batters box.
3 Feet
Not part of
catcher’s box.
3 Feet
6”
17”
3 Feet
6”
10 Feet
Preliminaries
Defense
Feet
Delivery
Catcher Restrictions
Ball Back
to Pitcher
No Pitch
RUNNER
DROPPED
OFFENSE
OFFICIAL
LEAVES
OFF
TIME
BALL
BASE
Confusion
Runner
Out
Legitimate
Other Issues
Warm-Up Pitches
Slow Pitch Softball Strike
A SLOW PITCH SOFTBALL STRIKE:
1. Must have a legal arc:
a. Minimum 6-feet from the ground.
b. Maximum 12-feet from the ground.
2. Must be delivered underhand at a moderate speed
3. Is judged when it crosses the plate.
9”
17”
22”
18”
Slow Pitch Softball Strike
A SLOW PITCH SOFTBALL STRIKE:
1. Must have a legal arc:
a. Minimum 6-feet from the ground.
b. Maximum 12-feet from the ground.
2. Must be delivered underhand at a moderate speed
3. Is judged when it crosses the plate.
4. Must be a pitched ball that passes through the strike zone
which is that space over any part of home plate between the
batter’s back shoulder and his/her front knee when the
batter assumes his/her natural batting stance.
Slow Pitch Softball Strike
BACK
SHOULDER
BACK SHOULDER
BALL
Some part of a
legally pitched
ball must pass
through this
zone to be
called a strike.
KNEES
KNEES
STRIKE
BALL
STRIKE
STRIKE
Remember that the position of a batter
in the batter’s box makes no difference.
The plate and batter’s natural stance at
the plate are the controlling factors.
A pitched ball that touches home
plate and is not struck at is always a ball.