2025 Fastpitch Softball at SMLL

This page describes the 2025¹ spring softball season at SMLL.

Interleague Divisions

Minors AA/Lower Player Pitch/8U

Interleague division	8U
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^*

*: balls², limits³, runs⁴

Minors AA 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 player 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 or coach-pitch baseball first. They will need to attend an assessment day and have coach approval before joining Minors AA.

Minors AA Ground Rules

Parent or coach may serve as umpire
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
5-run limit per team per inning

Minors AA Pitching

After 4 balls, defensive coach will pitch remaining strikes; all coach pitches are strikes
Batter hit by pitch once results in ball; batter hit by pitch twice in same at-bat results in award of 1st base

Minors AA Lead-offs

Lead-off rules follow those of regular Little League Majors softball:

Rule 7.08(a)(5)(a) Major/Junior Divisions:
“Any runner is out when… the runner fails to keep contact with the base to which that runner is entitled until the ball has been released by the pitcher on the delivery.”

Note the difference from Minors softball:
Rule 7.08(a)(5)(b) Minor League:
“Any runner is out when… the runner fails to keep in contact with the base to which that runner is entitled until the ball has been batted or reaches the batter.”

Minors AAA/Upper Player Pitch/10U

Interleague division	10U
Ages	9-10
Ball	11” standard softball^*
Pitch Distance	35’
Base Distance	60’
Game Times	90 minutes or 6 innings^*
Run Rules	5 runs per team per half-inning^*

*: balls², limits³, runs⁴

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

Rule highlights:
Infield fly rule
Uncaught 3rd strike rule NOT APPLIED

Minors AAA Ground Rules

Parent or coach may serve as umpire if no official is available
5-run limit per team per inning

Minors AAA Lead-Offs

Lead-off rules follow those of regular Little League Majors softball:

Majors/12U

Interleague division	12U
Ages	11-12
Ball	12” standard softball^*
Pitch Distance	40’
Base Distance	60’
Game Times	90 minutes or 6 innings^*
Run Rules	5 runs per team per half-inning^*

*: balls², limits³, runs⁴

Our Majors division has the full Little League Majors softball rules.

Rule highlights:
Uncaught 3rd strike rule
Infield fly rule

Majors Ground Rules

Parent or coach may serve as umpire if no official is available
5-run limit per team per inning

Majors Lead-Offs

Lead-off rules follow those of regular Little League Majors softball: stay on base until the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand. In the rulebook’s words:

Juniors/14U

Interleague division	14U
Ages	12-14
Ball	12” standard softball^*
Pitch Distance	43’
Base Distance	60’
Game Times	90 minutes or 6 innings^*
Run Rules	15 runs @ inning 4, 10 @ 5, 8 @ 6

*: balls², limits³

Rule highlights:
Little League run rules: 15 runs @ inning 4, 10 @ 5, 8 @ 6

Juniors Ground Rules

40 foot pitch distance may be used if a pitching rubber is not available at 43 feet
Parent or coach may serve as umpire if no official is available

Nearby Leagues

SMLL’s nearest competitors for interleague play are, from nearest to farthest:

Yosemite Little League (aka YLL)⁵: Midweek games are played at Spring Valley Elementary School: Rd 200, O’Neals, CA 93645; Saturday games are played at Minarets High School: Rd 200, O’Neals, CA 93645
Mariposa Girls Softball (aka MGS)⁵: Games are played at Mariposa County High School: 5074 Old Hwy N, Mariposa, CA 95338

Madera National Little League (aka Madera)

Sunnyside Little League (aka Sunnyside)

Schedules

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

Footnotes

For our first year, see 2023 Softball. For our 2nd year, see 2024 Softball. ↩
.47 COR, 375 lb compression, 11” or 12” circumference ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
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
5-run limit is found in 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
MGS, SMLL, and YLL worked in close partnership to create an interleague game schedule this season. ↩ ↩²