Like every other professional sporting league, Athletes Unlimited Softball League is governed by rules that every participant must follow. Newcomers must know that softball has enough distinctions to be considered a separate sport from baseball although both bat-and-ball games share key similarities such as the same nine positions playing on the field, teams alternating between offense and defense every half-inning, and runners needing to touch four bases for an earned run. The league outlines a list of rules on the official website.
The form of softball that AUSL plays is called fastpitch, the standard for youth travel ball, high school, intercollegiate, professional, and Olympic competitions. Another type known as slow-pitch is more popular in amateur and adult recreational leagues, but less prevalent at higher levels.
How many innings are in an AUSL game?
A regulation AUSL game lasts seven innings by default, but there can be more or less depending on the score situation. Followers of the college game are especially familiar with the mercy rule (also known as the run rule), which also applies here: if the leading team is ahead by eight or more runs after five or more innings, the game ends with that team being declared the winner. On the opposite end is the International Tiebreaker rule: if the game is tied after seven innings, play continues with the offensive team’s last batter placed on second base in the eighth inning. A team must score at least one run after any complete extra innings to win; there is no limit to how many are played during a tie.
What are the dimensions of an AUSL field?
The length of the four infield baselines in professional fastpitch are 60 feet long and form a 45-degree square, or “diamond,” from the batter’s view. The distance from the pitching rubber to home plate is 43 feet, while from home plate to second base is 84 feet and 10 ¼ inches. The pitcher’s circle measures 8 feet in radius and 16 feet in diameter. The outfield uses a movable fence at least 6 feet tall around 210 to 235 feet away from the home plate, forming an arch with 200- to 225-foot-long foul lines marked on the left and right fields.
Is there a designated hitter in AUSL?
Unlike baseball, fastpitch softball does not have a designated hitter but rather a designated player. This is the only non-defensive position unlike the nine others in the batting lineup, but can substitute for the pitcher (dubbed the "flex" player if not in the batting order). However, the lineup will not include a designated player if the pitcher bats.
What rules are different between AUSL and MLB?
Both leagues oversee a different sport, softball for AUSL and baseball for MLB. The color and size of a softball is yellow and 12 inches in circumference, while a baseball is white and 9 inches. Professional baseball is played on a significantly larger field that includes 90-feet baselines and a 60-foot, 6-inch pitching distance on a raised mound compared to a softball pitcher’s flat, chalk-drawn circle. Also note that pitching in softball is delivered underhand whereas baseball is overhand. MLB plays longer games on average and has no mercy rule, lasting nine innings compared to seven in softball. Leading off and stealing bases is allowed any time during a live ball in baseball, while only in softball when the pitcher releases the ball.