Umpire's Guide to Softball Australia Fast Pitch Rules All Ages 2026-2029

Softball Australia's technical bulletin on the Basic and Open Rules Assessments (14 May 2026) sets these required theory marks:

The bulletin says Level 2 candidates should be encouraged to sit the Open assessment. An umpire who sits the Open assessment and misses the pass mark, and still intends to apply to be assessed for the next level, may then sit the Basic assessment. A Level 1 umpire can sit the Basic assessment to become a Level 2 candidate, needing 80%.

From Softball Australia Technical Bulletin TB-2026-1 (14 May 2026, replacing TB-2020-1), applying from April 2026:

• Open Rules Assessment: online, open book, 100 questions with no time limit, available during the last full week in March each year. It is mandatory to gain or maintain Level 3 to 8 accreditation and optional for Level 1 and 2. It can be bookmarked, printed, saved and resumed.
• Basic Rules Assessment: online, open book, 100 questions with no time limit, available from the last full week in March until mid-March the following year. Level 1 and Level 2 umpires must sit it to gain or maintain accreditation, or may choose the Open assessment instead. It can be sat multiple times and the last attempt is the final grade.
• Deferred Open assessment: Level 3 candidates, or Level 3 to 8 umpires who cannot sit it because of illness, work commitments or other extenuating circumstances, can apply through their State Director of Umpiring within 10 days of the end of the assessment period. It runs for one week in the second week of April, by email invitation, with no supplementary assessment afterwards.
• Supplementary Open assessment: Level 3 and above umpires, or those applying for National Championships, who miss the required pass mark by 2 points can apply through their State Director of Umpiring. It runs for one week in the second week of April, by email invitation.

Under WBSC rule 4.3 (2026-2029), before the pitch:

• All players are in fair territory and the catcher is in the catcher's box ready to receive the pitch.
• The pitcher has the ball and the pivot foot in contact with the pitcher's plate, with both feet within the 61.0 cm (24 in.) length of the plate and the hips in line with first and third bases.
• The pitcher takes, or appears to take, a signal from the catcher with the hands separated.
• After the signal, the pitcher comes to a full stop with the ball in both hands in front of the body (holding it in both hands to the side counts as in front), non-pivot foot stationary. That position is held for not less than 2 and not more than 5 seconds before release.

During the delivery:

• The pivot foot must stay in contact with the plate before the pitch starts. Lifting it off the plate and returning it, or creating a rocking motion, is an illegal act.
• One revolution only on the windmill, an underhand motion with the hand below the hip and the wrist not further from the body than the elbow, and no stop or reversal of the forward motion.
• One step only with the non-pivot foot, simultaneous with release, forward toward home plate and within the length of the plate.
• No crow hop, and the ball must not be deliberately dropped, rolled or bounced to stop the batter hitting it.
• The pitcher has 20 seconds to release the next pitch after receiving the ball or after the umpire says "Play ball".

After taking the pitching position, the pitcher may not throw or fake a throw to a base during a live ball with the foot in contact with the plate. The pitcher may disengage only by stepping backward off the plate before separating the hands.

An illegal pitch (improper pitching mechanics under rules 4.3.1 to 4.3.7) is a delayed dead ball, with these effects:

• Not hit: an extra ball is awarded to the batter (first base if it is ball four) and each runner advances one base. If a runner legally advances on the illegal pitch, passed ball or wild throw by the catcher, any extra bases obtained may be kept. A runner put out after advancing one base is out.
• Hit: the offensive team may take the award for the illegal pitch or the result of the play. If the batter reaches first base and all other runners advance at least one base, the illegal pitch is nullified, the play stands and no option is given.
• Interference first: if the batter-runner or a runner commits interference before advancing one base, the illegal pitch is nullified and the interference is enforced.
• Third strike situation: if the batter swings at and misses an illegal pitch that is a dropped third strike, and the catcher throws the batter out at first while other runners advance at least one base, the offensive team has the same option.
• If the team declines the play result: the ball is dead, a ball is awarded to the batter (first base if ball four) and all runners advance one base.
• Hits the batter: the ball is dead, the batter is awarded first base and all runners advance one base. No option is given.

Special effects apply to other pitching breaches: failing to release the pitch within 20 seconds is a ball awarded to the batter with the ball dead (rule 4.3.3 k), and a catcher who does not return the ball directly to the pitcher with no runners on gives the batter a ball (rule 4.3.6 b).

Under the 2026-2029 WBSC rules a runner may advance with jeopardy to be put out once the pitcher's non-pivot foot touches the ground during their pitching movement (rule 5.10.1 a). A pitch is not a play, but a runner attempting to steal or advance on a batted ball, passed ball or wild pitch after that point is making a play (rule 5.1.36).

A run does not score if the third or last out of the inning results from a runner leaving a base before the pitcher's non-pivot foot touches the ground (rule 1.2.5 c iii).

Softball Australia's technical bulletin TB-2026-1.2 (17 May 2026) records that this wording replaced the earlier reference to the release of the pitch, and flags it as a change needing education for umpires.

Definition (WBSC Official Rules of Softball 2026-2029, rule 5.1 definitions). Obstruction is the act of a defensive player or team member who hinders or prevents a batter from striking at or hitting a pitched ball, or a fielder who impedes in any way the progress of a batter-runner or runner who is legally running the bases while the fielder is:

1. not in possession of the ball;
2. not in the act of fielding a batted ball;
3. making a fake tag without the ball;
4. in possession of the ball and pushing a runner off a base; or
5. in possession of the ball but not in the act of making a play on the batter-runner or runner.

Award (rule 5.10.2). A delayed dead ball is signalled and the ball stays live until the end of the play. The obstructed runner, and each other runner affected, is awarded the base or bases they would have reached, in the umpire's judgment, had there been no obstruction. If the umpire feels there is justification, a defensive player making a fake play may be ejected. If the obstructed runner is put out before reaching that base, a dead ball is called and the awards are made. An obstructed runner may not be called out between the two bases where they were obstructed, with the exceptions listed in rule 5.10.2 d) (for example an act of interference after the obstruction is ruled, or a legal appeal for a missed base).

WBSC rule 5.1.30 (2026-2029) defines interference as the act of:

• an offensive player or team member who impedes, hinders or confuses a defensive player attempting to execute a play;
• an umpire who impedes a catcher's attempt to throw out a runner who is off the base;
• an umpire or runner being hit with a fair untouched batted ball before it touches a fielder (including the pitcher), before it passes an infielder other than the pitcher, or after it passes a fielder (excluding the pitcher) when, in the umpire's judgment, another fielder had a chance to make an out; or
• a spectator who enters or reaches into the playing field and impedes a fielder playing the ball, or makes contact with a ball a fielder is attempting to play.

Where a batter-runner or runner commits an act of interference before advancing one base on an illegal pitch that was hit, the illegal pitch is nullified and the interference is enforced (rule 4.3 effects).

Bats (WBSC rules 2.3.1 and 2.1.1, 2026-2029). Only an official bat that meets the WBSC Equipment Standards Commission standards and carries the approved WBSC (or former ISF 2005) logo may be used in a WBSC competition. A bat is altered when the physical structure of a legal bat has been changed, for example by replacing a metal bat's handle, inserting material inside the bat, painting the top or bottom for other than identification, or engraving an ID marking on the barrel end. Replacing the grip with another legal grip is not an alteration. Softball Australia's technical bulletin TB-2026-1.2 notes that the 2026-2029 wording deleted the earlier examples of more than two layers of grip tape and attaching a flare or cone grip.

Helmets (rule 2.1.9). A helmet that is cracked, broken, dented or altered is an illegal helmet and is removed from the game. For an on-deck batter, batter, batter-runner, runner, youth coach or bat person, the helmet must have two ear flaps (one on each side) and safety features equal to or greater than a full plastic cap with padding inside. A liner covering only the ears does not qualify.

At Australian Championships, umpires may check all bats and helmets before every game for certification labels, dents and cracks (Australian Championship Regulations, section 30).

Under WBSC rule 2.4.3 (2026-2029):

• All catchers must wear a mask, throat protector and helmet.
• A catcher, or any other defensive team member receiving warm-up pitches from the pitcher's plate or in the warm-up area, must also wear a mask, throat protector and helmet. If the person catching will not wear them, they must be replaced by a person who will.
• An extended wire protection attached to the mask may be worn instead of a separate throat protector. The ice hockey goalie style facemask is approved for a catcher, but if it has no throat protector built on, one must be added before use.
• A catcher (adult and youth) must wear a body protector and shin guards that protect the kneecap.
• A catcher may not wear the plastic face mask/guard in place of the regular mask with a throat protector.
• A catcher's helmet may be the skull type without ear flaps.

Run ahead rule (WBSC rule 1.2.3). A game ends when one team leads by:

• 15 runs after 3 innings
• 10 runs after 4 innings
• 7 runs after 5 innings

Complete innings are played unless the home team reaches the required lead while at bat. If the visiting team reaches the lead in the top half, the home team still bats in the bottom half.

Tiebreaker (rule 1.2.4). From the top of the eighth inning, and each half-inning after, the offensive team starts its turn at bat with the player scheduled to bat ninth in that half-inning placed on second base. That runner may be substituted under the substitution rules. An incorrect runner placed on second base is called out on a proper appeal, which can be made at any time while the incorrect runner is on base. If the correct runner is placed on base before a proper appeal, there is no penalty.

Australian Championships use the same start but from the top of the 10th inning the ninth batter is placed on third base (Australian Championship Regulations 17.5).