LEAGUE RULES &
STANDARDS
Player Eligibility & Conduct
NSFPL follows the USA Softball age chart for each year.
Eligibility
Sportsmanship is our priority. Expected behavior includes respecting umpires, supporting teammates, and competing with integrity on and off fields. No exceptions.
Conduct
Teams must register prior to the cutoff date when registration closes. Any additional teams that email after that date are unlikely to be able to join.
Registration
FIELD OF PLAY
The NSFPL recognizes USA Softball (“USA”) (formerly the Amateur Softball Association) as the applicable national governing body for its games, and follows USA rules on the field. Each year will have potential additional adjustments to the rules, which will be communicated to all coaches before the season, and with the following additional adjustments:
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Game length will be either 6.5 or 7 innings in length depending on who is ahead. All games will have drop dead time limits of two hours (2:00), unless a shorter time is agreed to by both coaches before the game and reported to the umpire(s) prior to the start of the game.
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There will be no overall game “run rule” as it is important to get in game play and repetitions. Despite our best efforts at tiering and team placement, sometimes there is a disparity of competitive ability between two teams. Coaches are asked to keep sportsmanship in mind, and to not needlessly run up the score against any opponent. In all games, however, the maximum number of runs per half inning will be five (5).
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At 10U only there will be no dropped third strike.
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Coaches still have the option to adjust other rules as long as both coaches agree and they are reported to the umpire(s) before the start of the game.
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Coaches may obtain a copy of the official USA rules by registering their team with USA.
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Other changes may be dictated by annual conditions. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, all coaches and programs were requested to respect local program and community adjustments, and to follow all Centers for Disease Control and Illinois Department of Public Health rules and guidelines.
OFFICIATING & APPEALS
Respecting the decision on the field is fundamental to the NSFPL experience. While we understand the competitive nature of softball, we require all coaches, players, and parents to uphold the highest standard of sportsmanship when interacting with officials.
Finality of Judgment Calls
Judgment calls such as balls/strikes, safe/out, or fair/foul are not subject to appeal.
The Appeal Process
Only the Head Coach may approach an umpire to request a rule clarification. This must be done calmly and respectfully. Umpires have the authority to eject individuals who exhibit aggressive behavior.