2026 Fastpitch Softball at SMLL

Sierra Mountain Wildflowers

This page describes the 20261 spring softball season at SMLL.

Divisions

Common Rules

The following rules apply to all divisions:

  • 5-run limit per team per inning2
  • Pitchers must wear a face mask while in the pitching position.
  • Pitchers are only allowed to pitch 2 consecutive innings, after which another pitcher must be substituted in for at least 1 inning. After this, the original pitcher may return.
  • A team will have a minimum of 8 players at game time. A maximum of 2 players may be borrowed from the opponent to reach 8. A player may only be picked up 3 times per season.
  • Continuous batting order is used: all rostered players will bat, in roster order, whether or not they are playing a defensive position in the current inning.
  • Parent or coach may serve as umpire if no official is available
  • Runners are required to slide or attempt to avoid a defensive player on base if the play on the runner is close.3

8U (Coach Pitch)

Ages 6-8*
Ball 11” standard softball*
Pitch Distance 35’
Base Distance 60’
Game Times 60 minutes or 6 innings*
Run Rules 5 runs per team per half-inning*

:page_facing_up:     *: ages4, balls5, limits6, runs2

8U is a learning division where young girls with some experience and growing strength build a stronger understanding of game strategy and position-oriented skills. We encourage coaches to rotate players through all positions throughout the season.

This is a coach-pitch division. Coaches should begin teaching girls to throw a fastpitch from the very beginning of the season, and teams should approach early games with extra patience as all teams will be developing brand new pitchers.

6-year-olds should have spent a season in tee ball before joining softball. Otherwise, we encourage them to play tee ball first. They will need to attend an assessment day and have coach approval before joining 8U.

8U Ground Rules

  • Defensive coaches are allowed and encouraged to be on the field during game play to instruct their players
  • Optional 4th outfielder may be provided to create a 10th defensive player
  • Bunting is not allowed
  • Infield fly rule will not be applied
  • Stealing is not allowed
  • Runners may lead-off at release of pitched ball

8U Coach-Pitching

  • After 4 balls, defensive coach will pitch remaining strikes; all coach pitches are strikes
  • Coach must have 1 foot on the pitching plate when the ball is released
  • Batter hit by pitch once results in ball; batter hit by pitch twice in same at-bat results in award of 1st base

8U Modified, 1(c)
“While the offensive coach is pitching, he/she must remain in contact with the pitching mound and is not allowed to coach any of his/her players or field any balls.”

8U Lead-offs

Lead-off rules follow those of NSA 8U Modified fastpitch softball7.

8U Modified, Section 1(f)
“Runners may leave the base once the pitch is released, this includes while the coach is pitching. Runners may ONLY lead off base when the coach is pitching, they may not steal.”

Note that by common agreement with MGS8, we understand this to mean that runners may lead off when a player or a coach is pitching.

This aligns with the the regular rules of NSA fastpitch softball for divisions 10U and higher:

Rule 8.8(u): The baserunner is out
“when the baserunner(s) fails to keep contact with their base until a legally pitched ball leaves the pitcher’s hand. The ball is dead, ‘NO PITCH’ is declared and the baserunner(s) is declared out.”

8U Sliding

8U Modified, Section 1(o)
“Runners are not required to slide but must try and avoid contact”

10U

Ages 9-10*
Ball 11” standard softball*
Pitch Distance 35’
Base Distance 60’
Game Times 75 minutes or 7 innings*
Run Rules 5 runs per team per half-inning*

:page_facing_up:     *: ages4, balls5, limits6, runs2

10U is our transition division, where girls begin to play with nearly all the regular rules of fastpitch softball.

10U Rule Highlights

:heavy_check_mark: Uncaught 3rd strike rule IS APPLIED
:x: Infield fly rule IS NOT APPLIED

10U Lead-Offs

Lead-off rules follow those of regular NSA fastpitch softball:

Rule 8.8(u): The baserunner is out
“when the baserunner(s) fails to keep contact with their base until a legally pitched ball leaves the pitcher’s hand. The ball is dead, ‘NO PITCH’ is declared and the baserunner(s) is declared out.”

12U

Ages 11-12*
Ball 12” standard softball*
Pitch Distance 40’
Base Distance 60’
Game Times 90 minutes or 7 innings*
Run Rules 5 runs per team per half-inning*

:page_facing_up:     *: ages4, balls5, limits6, runs2

Our 12U division has full NSA fastpitch softball rules.

12U Rule Highlights

:heavy_check_mark: Uncaught 3rd strike rule IS APPLIED
:x: Infield fly rule IS NOT APPLIED

15U

Ages 12-15
Ball 12” standard softball*
Pitch Distance 43’
Base Distance 60’
Game Times 90 minutes or 7 innings*
Run Rules 5 runs per team per half-inning*

:page_facing_up:     *: ages4, balls5, limits6

15U Ground Rules

  • 40 foot pitch distance may be used if a pitching rubber is not available at 43 feet

15U Rule Highlights

:heavy_check_mark: Uncaught 3rd strike rule IS APPLIED
:heavy_check_mark: Infield fly rule IS APPLIED
:heavy_check_mark: Metal cleats are allowed. Rule 3.4, Equipment/Shoes: “Metal cleats or any type of shoe that has exposed metal on the sole other than the cleat or rivet are not legal in youth play in the 12u division and younger. Metal cleats are legal in 14u, 16u, 18u….

Nearby Leagues

SMLL schedules interleague games throughout the season with:

Mariposa Girls Softball (aka MGS)8
Games are played at Mariposa County High School: 5074 Old Hwy N, Mariposa, CA 95338

Other nearby leagues include:

Schedules

Please see our softball schedules page for game times and live scores.

Footnotes

  1. [Past Years] For previous years, see: 2023, 2024. 2025 Softball. ↩

  2. [Run Limits] 5-run limit is found in LL Rule 5.07: “… (Minor League: The side is retired when three offensive players are legally put out, called out by an umpire, or when all players on the roster have batted one time in the half-inning or when the offensive team scores five (5) runs.” ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  3. [Sliding] There is no “must slide” rule. Little League says runners must “slide or attempt to avoid”. NSA is more colorful with Rule 8.7: “When a defensive player has the ball and is waiting for the runner and the runner remains on his/her feet and deliberately, with great force, crashes into the defensive player, the runner is declared out. The ball is dead, and all other runners must return to the last base touched at the time of the collision.” ↩

  4. [Ages] Division ages listed here are based on birth year, the way NSA did it prior to the 2025-26 season, which changed to Sep-Aug age groups. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  5. [Softballs] .47 COR, 375 lb compression, 11” or 12” circumference ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  6. [Time Limits] For game limits in marked divisions, no new inning is started after the time or inning limit is reached. Once an inning has started, it must be finished regardless of time unless the home team is ahead. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  7. [Rulebooks] There’s no great way to quote a fastpitch rulebook online. NSA shares a PDF, Little League shares an app. We use our own divisional rule definitions, in coordination with Mariposa Girls Softball, that are taken from the NSA rulebook, but also align with many of the rules in the Little League Rulebook. Our rules are adjusted to be developmentally appropriate for our player community this year. ↩

  8. [Partners] MGS and SMLL have worked in close partnership each year to create a strong interleague program. ↩ ↩2