Coach Pitch · Revised August 2026
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USSSA rules apply, unless specified below
As stated, a minimum of 8 players must take the field or a forfeit will be called.
A player may sit up to two innings in the dugout during defensive play, but the innings cannot be consecutive.
Outfielders must have feet in the grass when the ball is pitched.
A Max of 4 Coaches (including Dugout Mom/Dad).
Offensive Play - up to 3 coaches allowed on the field and one in the dugout.
If less than 4 coaches (including dugout mom/dad), then base coaches will not be allowed. Each team must always have an adult in the dugout.
One coach will act as pitcher for his/her own team
The coach-pitcher cannot leave the pitching circle to instruct his/her batters. However, they may motion for the batter to move around in the box.
Once a pitched ball has been put into play by the batter, the coach-pitcher must immediately exit the field of play opposite the direction the ball was hit and behind any advancing runners.
Two base coaches will be allowed on the field at 1st base and 3rd base and must remain in the coach's box.
Defensive Play - Up to 3 coaches allowed on the field and one in the dugout
Up to two defensive coaches can be on the field but must remain in foul territory on either side behind the offensive coach 's box.
The coach can only instruct the outfielders as to what to do to get the ball back into the infield.
The coach may not enter the outfield or touch the outfielders to direct them to the ball.
At no time shall a defensive coach be allowed to be in the infield during a live ball. The only coach that should ever be in the infield in fair territory during a live ball is the coach-pitcher and, as stated above, he/she must make every effort to exit fair territory during the play and should not re-enter fair territory during a live ball.
One defensive coach can be in front of his/her dugout to help instruct the infielders.
The coach must stay between the dugout poles and no closer to home plate than the end of the dugout.
The coach may not enter fair territory during a live ball and must stay as close to the dugout fence as possible – no closer to the foul line on their side.
A defensive coach may choose to be positioned behind the catcher to assist the catcher. In the absence of an available defensive coach, an offensive coach may stand behind the catcher but may not interrupt play to instruct or position the batter.
Coaches must not create a distraction or interfere with play. Coaches violating this rule may be warned once and then prohibited from coaching for the remainder of that game and may be subject to further disciplinary action.
The manager of the team at bat will appoint a member of his/her coaching staff to pitch to his/her batters. A team will not be allowed to change a coach pitcher until the inning is over.
The coach pitcher may pitch anywhere within the 16-foot circle as long as his/her foot is on or in front of the halfway line.
The coach pitcher must always keep at least one foot within the 16-foot pitching circle when the ball is released.
Penalty: Dead ball; add 1 pitch to count. If after the 4th pitch, batter will be declared out.
The Coach pitcher can coach or talk to the batter briefly, prior to the pitch but must not leave the circle before the pitch. Violation: Warning, and if continues removal of coach pitcher.
The coach pitcher must exit the field once the ball has been put into play. The coach pitcher must exit the field opposite of the hit ball and avoid interfering with the play after the ball has been hit, by moving to foul ball territory, away from the play. If the coach pitcher interferes with the play you will refer to the judgement of the umpire:
The ball is declared dead.
The batter is awarded 1st base.
All other base runners will advance 1 base, only if forced by the award of 1st base to the batter
The batting team is given an out.
No teams will be allowed to score because of coach pitchers intentional interference, should a run be forced home, then that runner will be the out mentioned above.
Unintentional interference: Will result in a dead Ball, no out will be charged and a forced run may score.
As stated, the team in the dugout with the lock box will be responsible for putting out the bases if they are not already out and stowing if last game of the day.
All coaches and umpires should meet at home plate five (5) minutes prior to the start of the game to go over any rule clarifications or any other questions or concerns that may come up.
No inning will begin after 60 minutes of play, except as required for tournament play (EOS Tournament)
A maximum of 6 innings will be played.
Each team will be limited to 5 runs per ½ inning.
half-inning consists of either 5 runs being scored by the offense or three outs being recorded by the defense. After either of these conditions are met, the teams will switch between the offensive and defensive positions. The home plate umpire will be notified by the home team score keeper when one of these conditions has been met.
A game that is called due to weather or darkness is considered complete after 35 minutes of play provided two complete innings have been played.
The dropped 3rd strike rule does not apply.
The infield fly rule does not apply.
The look-back rule does not apply.
If, for any reason, a game is forfeited, the umpires will not be allowed to remain on the field. However, the two teams may still use the field to scrimmage until 30 minutes prior to the next game starting
There will be a ball/strike count kept. Should a batter fail to hit a ball at the end of 5 pitches, the batter will then be called out. Should the batter foul off the 5th pitch, she will be allowed a 6th pitch – if the 6th is fouled off, she will be allowed a 7th pitch, on the 7th pitch the batter has still failed to hit a fair ball, the batter will be declared out. Three (3) swinging pitches is an out if on the 3rd swing, the ball is missed.
Bats must be USA or USSSA bats that are official softball bats. No Tee ball bats allowed.
Bunting and slap hitting are not permitted
No chopping down on ball
If a batter throws the bat while batting or after hitting the ball, a dead ball will be called immediately. If the thrown bat occurs prior to the final swing by the batter, she will be able to continue her at bat with the swing being counted toward her swing limit. The second bat thrown by a team will result in a team warning and all other thrown bats will be considered automatic outs. Any time an umpire rules that a bat was thrown, play will stop immediately, and no base runners will be allowed to advance.
Should more than one runner be running to the same base, runners can be tagged out until the play is called dead by umpire
Runners who have passed a base may advance at their own risk.
Runners can lead off no more than 3 steps off the bag AFTER the ball has been released by the coach-pitcher. If the lead is taken, then tag up rules still apply in the event of the caught fly ball.
Batter-Runners, at their own risk, may advance one base on live-ball overthrows made by an infielder or passed balls towards any base. Runners occupying other bases can, at their own risk, advance one base.
The ball is a delayed dead ball once the pitcher controls it in the circle or the 1st baseman gains secure possession and control of the ball while touching first base.
If the 1st baseman's momentum causes them to overrun first base after legally recording the out, the play shall still be considered dead, provided they had established possession and touched first base before leaving the bag.
Once the ball is dead, no runners may advance or be put out. All runners will return to the last base legally occupied at the time the play became dead.
Obstruction Rule: When a defensive player impedes the progress in the base path, the batter-runner is awarded the base at the umpire's discretion that she is believed to have achieved had there not been interference.
All players who are present must bat. In the event a girl must leave, she will be skipped in the lineup. If a girl shows up late, she will be added to the bottom of the lineup.
There will be free defensive substitutions
Stealing is not allowed
The defensive player/pitcher must stand in the back half of the pitching circle. She may not move from the back half of the pitching circle until the ball has been hit. With the exception of the catcher, no defensive player may be closer than 30 feet from the batter until the ball has been hit. The four outfielders must remain in the grass until the ball has been hit. Violation of this rule will allow the offensive coach to take the resulting play or advance the batter to first base. (Hit ball means fair or foul.)
5 Warm-up pitches the first inning, 3 warm up pitches every inning after, with no in-field warmup.
Should the ball be hit directly back to the defensive pitcher on the ground, and the pitcher chooses to hold the ball in the circle rather than make a play, all runners will be allowed to advance one base, or position at time ball goes dead or in the judgment of the umpire, all play has come to a complete halt, dead ball will be declared
If the defensive pitcher gets the ball inside of the circle, the pitcher must make an overhand throw to make the play at any base and CANNOT chase down players running to a base, unless the batted ball takes her in the direction of the baseline outside the pitching circle, the pitcher player can then make a play by tagging the runner or making an underhand throw.
The defensive pitcher will give the ball to the coach/pitcher at the end of each play.
Defensive pitchers making plays at home plate must throw the ball to the catcher, however, if the play takes her in the direction of home plate – the player may make the out themselves. The idea is not having the defensive pitcher running all over the infield, chasing runners down to make outs.
Only metal bats are allowed (no wood bats) The bat safety grip and knob must meet USSSA specifications and must have "Official Softball"
All players batting must wear a batting helmet. 8U players must wear a face guard attached to the batting helmet that meets USSSA safety requirements.
Catchers must wear full catchers' gear. Soccer type kneepads and shin guards are allowed. The knee and shin must be covered. A helmet with a throat guard is required, a batting helmet is not a catching helmet.
All Players MUST wear a fielding face mask on the field, infield and outfield players are required to wear them.
Bases will be set at 60 feet.
Pitching rubber will be set at 35 feet.
A 16-foot diameter circle will be chalked around the pitching rubber.
Official ball: 11" Fast Pitch Softball.