NFHS Softball / NFHS Softball 2026 | Complete Rules,
Strategies
Change (Name/#/Add Sub) to the lineup card after it has been made official --- ANSWER---Penalty:
1st: Warning
2nd: Coach Restricted to bench
Illegal Substitute (Rule 3-4, P. 34 Sect. 4) --- ANSWER---Penalty:
1) Player restricted to bench
2) Art. 1 A & C: If player is on base, at bat, or is the courtesy runner; she is also called out.
Illegal Defensive Sub (Rule 3-4 Art. 3) --- ANSWER---Penalty:
1) Sub involved with a batted ball=restricted to bench; offense has option of taking result or accepting
penalty (out nullified & Runners return)
2) If another legal pitch is thrown, all play stands and illegal sub is restricted to bench
3) Anytime an illegal sub handles the ball and it does not alter the play/no one is put out; play stands
and illegal sub is restricted.
A coach physically assists a runner during live ball action. (8-6-5) --- ANSWER---Penalty:Runner is
out and ball remains live.
Offensive Interference with a fielder attempting to make a play on a batter/runner (3-5 art. 5) ---
ANSWER---Penalty:
a) The ball is dead.
b) Runner closest to home is out
c) All runners not out return to last base touched at time of interference
Offensive player interferes with a fair batted ball or foul fly ball (3-5-Art. 6)
(7-4-12; 7-5-4; 8-6-16) --- ANSWER---Penalty: Ball is dead immediately and batter is out.
a) If interference prevented a possible DP, batter and runner closest to home are out. other runners
return to last base touched at time of interference.
Defensive player fakes a tag (Obstruction 8-4-3b) --- ANSWER---Penalty:
a) Delayed Dead ball
b) If obstructed runner is put out before reaching a base she would've reached, ball is declared dead
and all runners are awarded the base(s) they would've reached.
c) Team warning issued; A 2nd offender is restricted to bench
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, Charged Conferences: Defense(3-7)
**When either team has a charged conference, the other team may also conference (uncharged)** ---
ANSWER---Defense:
a) Each team is granted 3 defensive conferences per 7 innings without penalty.
b) Extra Innings: each team is allowed 1 additional conference per inning.
***Time granted for an injured player is not a charged conference.
***If the pitcher is removed it is not a charged conference
c) Request for a charged conference beyond the allowed (3 for 7innings/1 per extra inning) = P must
be removed as pitcher for the rest of the game
Charged Conferences: Offense (3-7)
**When either team has a charged conference, the other team may also conference (uncharged)** ---
ANSWER---Offense:
a) Each team is granted 1 charged conference per inning. Any additional requests shall be denied.
***Time granted for an injured player is not a charged conference.
Illegally Batted Ball (5-1-1b) --- ANSWER---Penalty: Batter is out and runners return (7-4-8; 7-4-2)
Interference by runner (5-1-1e) --- ANSWER---Penalty: Interfering runner is out and other runners
return to base occupied at time of interference.
Interference by runner: Foul Fly (5-1-1m) --- ANSWER---Penalty: Interfering runner is out, runners
return, strike on batter
Fair ball touches a spectator or bounces over/through/under or lodges in a fence (5-1-1f) ---
ANSWER---Award is 2 bases or appropriate # of bases in umpire's judgement
Fair ball touches a runner;
a) Before it touches a fielder
b) After it passes any fielder other than the P and another fielder has a play --- ANSWER---a) Hit
Runner is out
b) Batter awarded 1st base (and a hit)
c) Runners return to base occupied at time of interference
Blocked Ball --- ANSWER---A live ball (pitched/batted/thrown) which is touched/stopped/handled:
a) by a person not engaged in the game
b) by loose equipment
c) by any object not part of official equipment or playing area
Thrown Ball (Not Pitch) becomes a blocked ball (5-1-1g) --- ANSWER---Award: 2 bases from point of
release
Pitched Ball becomes blocked --- ANSWER---Award: 1 base from time of pitch
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Strategies
Change (Name/#/Add Sub) to the lineup card after it has been made official --- ANSWER---Penalty:
1st: Warning
2nd: Coach Restricted to bench
Illegal Substitute (Rule 3-4, P. 34 Sect. 4) --- ANSWER---Penalty:
1) Player restricted to bench
2) Art. 1 A & C: If player is on base, at bat, or is the courtesy runner; she is also called out.
Illegal Defensive Sub (Rule 3-4 Art. 3) --- ANSWER---Penalty:
1) Sub involved with a batted ball=restricted to bench; offense has option of taking result or accepting
penalty (out nullified & Runners return)
2) If another legal pitch is thrown, all play stands and illegal sub is restricted to bench
3) Anytime an illegal sub handles the ball and it does not alter the play/no one is put out; play stands
and illegal sub is restricted.
A coach physically assists a runner during live ball action. (8-6-5) --- ANSWER---Penalty:Runner is
out and ball remains live.
Offensive Interference with a fielder attempting to make a play on a batter/runner (3-5 art. 5) ---
ANSWER---Penalty:
a) The ball is dead.
b) Runner closest to home is out
c) All runners not out return to last base touched at time of interference
Offensive player interferes with a fair batted ball or foul fly ball (3-5-Art. 6)
(7-4-12; 7-5-4; 8-6-16) --- ANSWER---Penalty: Ball is dead immediately and batter is out.
a) If interference prevented a possible DP, batter and runner closest to home are out. other runners
return to last base touched at time of interference.
Defensive player fakes a tag (Obstruction 8-4-3b) --- ANSWER---Penalty:
a) Delayed Dead ball
b) If obstructed runner is put out before reaching a base she would've reached, ball is declared dead
and all runners are awarded the base(s) they would've reached.
c) Team warning issued; A 2nd offender is restricted to bench
1
1
, Charged Conferences: Defense(3-7)
**When either team has a charged conference, the other team may also conference (uncharged)** ---
ANSWER---Defense:
a) Each team is granted 3 defensive conferences per 7 innings without penalty.
b) Extra Innings: each team is allowed 1 additional conference per inning.
***Time granted for an injured player is not a charged conference.
***If the pitcher is removed it is not a charged conference
c) Request for a charged conference beyond the allowed (3 for 7innings/1 per extra inning) = P must
be removed as pitcher for the rest of the game
Charged Conferences: Offense (3-7)
**When either team has a charged conference, the other team may also conference (uncharged)** ---
ANSWER---Offense:
a) Each team is granted 1 charged conference per inning. Any additional requests shall be denied.
***Time granted for an injured player is not a charged conference.
Illegally Batted Ball (5-1-1b) --- ANSWER---Penalty: Batter is out and runners return (7-4-8; 7-4-2)
Interference by runner (5-1-1e) --- ANSWER---Penalty: Interfering runner is out and other runners
return to base occupied at time of interference.
Interference by runner: Foul Fly (5-1-1m) --- ANSWER---Penalty: Interfering runner is out, runners
return, strike on batter
Fair ball touches a spectator or bounces over/through/under or lodges in a fence (5-1-1f) ---
ANSWER---Award is 2 bases or appropriate # of bases in umpire's judgement
Fair ball touches a runner;
a) Before it touches a fielder
b) After it passes any fielder other than the P and another fielder has a play --- ANSWER---a) Hit
Runner is out
b) Batter awarded 1st base (and a hit)
c) Runners return to base occupied at time of interference
Blocked Ball --- ANSWER---A live ball (pitched/batted/thrown) which is touched/stopped/handled:
a) by a person not engaged in the game
b) by loose equipment
c) by any object not part of official equipment or playing area
Thrown Ball (Not Pitch) becomes a blocked ball (5-1-1g) --- ANSWER---Award: 2 bases from point of
release
Pitched Ball becomes blocked --- ANSWER---Award: 1 base from time of pitch
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