National Collegiate Athletic Association

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The NCAA News -- June 21, 1999

Softball panel adjusts production schedule for 2000 rules book

The NCAA Women's Softball Rules Committee evaluated 43 proposals submitted by the softball community during its annual meeting June 1-4 in Monterey, California.

The committee approved 23 rules changes during the four-day meeting, including an effort to protect the rights of a runner in a collision situation, a clarification of the halted-game rule and a more specific penalty for entering an illegal player in the game. The committee also fine-tuned the production schedule for the 2000 NCAA Women's Softball Rules book and the proposal process.

The committee reviewed how it solicits proposals -- a process initiated in February that was created as an effort toward allowing the softball community to be more involved in rules changes.

The committee also determined that the 2000 rules book will be available to the membership by the end of November rather than in September, as has been the case in the past. The new publication date allows for changes from the rules committee to be forwarded to the Championships Committees or Management Councils for approval.

In addition, rules changes will be communicated to coaches and umpires in a memorandum from the rules committee and through other publications in August. The committee agreed that rules changes adopted for the 2000 rules book will be in effect for games played in the fall of 1999.

Specific changes

Among the significant rules changes the committee made was a rule addressing the rights of a runner in a collision. A section will be added to Rule 12 regarding collisions that says, "The defensive player shall not block the plate, base or baseline without possession of the ball or if not in the immediate act of catching the ball." Under the circumstances of the new rule, if obstruction is called, the runner shall be called safe and a delayed-dead ball will result.

The committee also addressed penalties for entering an illegal player into a game. For the 1999-00 season, the illegal player shall be called out and ejected regardless of when the error is reported to the umpire. The change is that an illegal player reported to the umpire and before the next pitch also will nullify advance by any runner on the previous pitch.

In addition, the committee reviewed its halted-game rule, and clarified that during a situation when a game has been halted for reasons such as darkness or weather and five innings have been played, the regulation-game rule takes precedence if all reasonable efforts to continue the game have failed. The rule clarification will be added to Rule 6, Section 17 in the 2000 rules book.

The rules committee also began discussion of bat and ball performance standards. Though the committee took no actions, it did agree to continue those discussions during the upcoming year.

Other highlights

Women's Softball Rules Committee
June 1-4/Monterey, California

  • Voted to allow umpires to wear powder blue pullover shirts with navy and white trim. The Elbeco shirts formerly mandated will be allowed until January 2000 as long as an entire umpire crew is dressed alike.

  • Clarified the rights of a runner who overruns first base and her liability to be put out if the pitcher has the ball within her circle. The committee added the following language to Rule 12, Section 18 (the look-back rule): "The batter-runner, after overrunning first base, must immediately return nonstop to first base, or if she does not retouch first base, she must make an attempt to advance to second. If after passing first base the runner is heading back toward first base within the basepath extended, she may make a decision to go to either base. However, stepping beyond the extended basepath in foul territory commits the runner to first base, while stepping beyond the basepath toward the second-base side commits the runner to second base."

  • Stipulated that a pitcher, who may not be listed as the starting pitcher on the lineup card because of the defensive-player or designated-player rule but throws the opening pitch and every subsequent pitch, can be credited with a complete game, shutout or other designations. This change will be listed in Rule 14, Section 28.

  • Voted to require catcher's helmets next season, an action that already had been passed by the Management Councils. Double ear flap models, skull caps and the the hockey goalie style helmet are permissible.