REPORTER: SITTIE RAYHANA U.

ANGKAD

SCORING RUNS
 A “run” is scored when a player has touched all four bases in order, proceeding
counter-clockwise around them. They need not be touched on the same play; a batter
may remain safely on a base while play proceeds and attempt to advance on a later
play.
One run shall be scored each time a runner legally advances to and touches first, second, third and home
base.

 A run is not scored if the last out occurs during the same play that the runner crosses
home plate. For instance, if a runner is on third base prior to hit, and he crosses home
plate before or after an out is made, either on the batter or another runner, the run is
not counted.
A run is not scored if the runner advances to home base during a play in which the third out is made (1)
by the batter-runner before he touches first base; (2) by any runner being forced out; or (3) by a
preceding runner who is declared out because he failed to touch one of the bases .

If the third out is made on a FORCE out, the run doesn’t count. For example, runner on third with two
outs, batter hits a ground ball on the infield and is thrown out at first. Doesn’t matter if the runner on
third crosses the plate before the first baseman receives the ball in time to retire the batter; inning is
over, run doesn’t count.

No, the run does not count because the runner is forced to advance by the batter, constituting a "force
out". A run cannot score on a force play (commonly called a force out) that results in a third out of an
inning.

A force out (aka force play) is made when a baserunner is forced to leave his base when
the batter becomes a baserunner himself, and a fielder successfully tags the next base before the runner
can reach it. No run can score on a play in which the final  out  of the  inning  is recorded on a force out,
even if the runner crossed the  plate  before the final out was recorded.

However, if a runner crosses home plate before another runner is tagged out on a non-force play, the
run does count.

Each team is allowed three outs while at bat each inning. An inning is made up of two halfs, the top half
of the inning is when the away team bats, and the bottom half of inning is when the home team bats.

ENDING THE GAME

 If the game is tied, play usually continues until a decision is reached, by using the
international tied-breaker rule. Starting in the top of the eighth inning, the batting team
starts with a base-runner on second base, which is the player who made the third out in
the previous inning.

In each individual softball game, there are 7 innings played, and whichever team has the most
runs at the end of the 7 innings is deemed the winner. Each inning has two parts consisting of 3
outs each, for a total of 6 outs in each inning. If there is a tie at the end of the seven innings
depending on the league type, additional extra innings will be played to determine a winner.
 In games where one team leads by a large margin, the run ahead rule may come into
play to avoid embarrassing weaker teams.  In fast pitch and modified pitch, a margin of
20 runs after three innings, 15 after four, or 10 after five is sufficient for a win to be
declared for the leading team. In slow pitch, the margin is 20 runs after four innings or
15 after five innings. In the NCAA, the required margin after 5 innings is 8 runs. The
mercy rule takes effect at the end of an inning. Thus, if the team batting first is ahead by
enough runs for the rule to come into effect, the team batting second is given their half
of the inning to try and narrow the margin.

A mercy rule, also well known by the slightly less polite term slaughter rule, brings a
sports event to an early end when one team has a very large and presumably
insurmountable lead over the other team. It is called the mercy rule because it spares
the losing team the humiliation of suffering a more formal loss, and denies the winning
team the satisfaction thereof, and prevents running up the score, a generally
discouraged practice in which the opponent continues to score beyond the point when
the game has become out of hand.

 Forfeit may be called due to (a) If a team does not show up to play (b) If one side
refuses to continue to play (c) If a team fails to resume play after a suspension of play
ends (d) If a team uses tactics intended to unfairly delay or hasten the game (e ) If a
player removed from the game does not leave within one minute of being instructed
to do so (f) If a player that cannot play enters the game once pitch has been thrown
 (g) If a team does not have enough players to continue (h) If after warning by the
umpire, a player continues to break the rules of the game.

FORFEITED GAME
4-4-1  A game may be lost due to forfeit. A score of 7-0 for the team not at fault is
recorded. A forfeited game is regulation/official, regardless of innings played. A game shall
be forfeited to the offended team by the umpire when a team:

a. is late in appearing or in beginning play after the umpire calls "Play." State
associations are authorized to specify the time frame and/or circumstance before a
forfeit will be declared for a late arrival by one of the teams; or
b. refuses to continue play after the game has started; or
c. delays more than a reasonable amount of time in resuming play, or in obeying the
umpire’s order to remove a player for violation of the rules; or
d. persists in tactics designed to delay or shorten the game; or
e. If a player removed from the game does not leave within one minute of being instructed
to do so
f. If a player that cannot play enters the game once pitch has been thrown
g. is unable to provide at least nine players to start the game or cannot provide eight
players to finish the game; or
NOTE 1: An out will be called each time that spot in the batting order comes to bat.
If the offensive player must be substituted for after reaching base, the most recent
batter not on base is allowed to run for that player.
NOTE 2: A team playing with fewer than nine players may return to nine players on
its home field, fails to comply with the umpire’s order to put the field in condition for
play.
h. willfully and persistently violates any of the rules after being warned by the umpire

 The plate umpire may suspend play because of darkness or anything that puts players
or spectators in danger.  If five innings have been played, the game is recorded as it
stands. This includes ties. If fewer than four innings have been played, the game is not
considered a regulation game.
Games that are not regulation or are regulation ties are resumed from the point of
suspension.

  If weather or darkness interferes with play so that the game is called (ended) by the
umpire, it is a regulation game:

a. if five full innings have been played, or if the home team has scored an equal or
greater number of runs in four or four and a fraction turns at bat than the visiting
team has scored in five turns at bat; or
b. if play has gone beyond five full innings.

If the game is called when the teams have not had an equal number of completed turns at
bat, the score shall be the same as it was at the end of the last completed inning; except
that if the home team in its half of the incomplete inning, scores a run (or runs) which
equals or exceeds the opponent’s score, the final score shall be as recorded when the game
is called.

If it is a championship ship game, it is replayed from the beginning. Team rosters may be
changed.