91海角社区

PRESEASON SOFTBALL MEMO

FRIDAY, APRIL 25

I hope everyone is ready to roll for another year of Iowa high school softball. I promise that this will be the longest memo I will compose this season. A lot of this memo consists is of basic preseason stuff that is talked about before each season starts, but there are some new things that I wanted to touch on before the season begins in earnest.

Important Season Dates:听
First Practice Date:听Monday, May 5
First Competition Date:听Monday, May 26
First Tournament:听Friday, May 30

Regional Tournament Dates
Class 1A & 2A:听July 7, 9, 11, 14
Class 3A, 4A, 5A: July 10, 12, 15

State Tournament
July 21-25 at Rogers Park, Fort Dodge

Scholarship Dates:听May 26 鈥� eligibility resumes at 12:01 a.m. on June 15.

Individual and Team Limitations
A team is permitted to play no more than three games in any single day. Tournaments may include no more than 16 teams. No more than four games per team may be played in any tournament. A school may play in only one tournament at a time and play no more than three games on a calendar day. No junior varsity teams are allowed in varsity tournaments except in emergencies (must be approved by the 91海角社区).

Individuals may play a maximum of 65 games and play in听辞苍濒测听three games per day (including all levels of play).听EXCEPTION: A varsity player who enters the game听辞苍濒测听as a courtesy runner and serves听辞苍濒测听in that capacity for the entire game shall not be charged a game played toward the three-game daily limitation. If she enters the game in any other capacity (i.e. pinch hitter, pinch runner, or defensive player), the game counts and she is subject to the three-game daily limit. This exception applies听辞苍濒测听to the varsity-level player and is intentionally narrow in scope. The intent is to allow younger players to fully participate at lower levels and still be available for this limited varsity role without reaching the three-game limit.

Eighth-grade students are eligible to practice (including scrimmages) with the high school team on the first practice date and compete on the first competition date. Eighth graders may compete on the junior high team, high school team, or both. If they compete in junior high and high school, they may play only three games on a calendar day.

Sixth graders may participate (practice or play) on the junior high team on the first day of practice, as set by the school district.听

Rules Meeting:听All coaches are encouraged to view the rules meeting, but head coaches are听required听to view the softball rules听meeting before the start of the first contest. This rules meeting is available in your Bound account.

NFHS Rules Book:听2025 is the off year for the softball rule books. Hopefully, you still have the 2024 rule book and case book. There are a limited number of 2025 rule books in our office. If you are interested in purchasing an updated rule book, the cost is $10 for each book. Contact Elise Boulton at听elise@ighsau.org听if you are interested in purchasing books. If you are a new coach and do not have a rule & case book, please email Elise, and she will make sure that you receive a set. 听

Lineup Cards:听The 91海角社区 has lineup cards available upon request. The听lineup cards听are free, but there are shipping charges: $5.00 for a package of 50 cards, $10 for 100, and $15.00 for 200. You may click听听to order your lineup cards. We also have scoresheets available if you are interested in obtaining some. Please email Pam Wymore at听pam@ihssa.org听听If you are in the Des Moines area and would like to pick up a set of lineup cards at the 91海角社区 office, feel free to drop by to pick them up. The 91海角社区 offices are located at 5000 Westown Parkway, Suite 150, West Des Moines, IA 50266.

2025 Rule Changes: The NFHS rules changes were discussed in the 2025 Online Rules Meeting, but they also can be reviewed by clicking听.听

New Iowa Adaptations:听Iowa rule adaptations can viewed by clicking听.

NEW RUN RULES IN 2025:听听The run rules will change this season.听Games will now end if a team owns a 10-run lead after four innings (or if the home team owns a 10-run lead after 3.5 innings) or owns an eight-run lead after five innings (or 4.5 innings if the home team is ahead).听

Pitching Chute听Required:听Pitching chutes will be chalked in the pitching circle. It is difficult for umpires to call illegal pitches. The chalk-drawn chute will aid in the enforcement of legal pitching and help umpires call illegal pitches more accurately. Click听听to view how the chute should听be听chalked.

Electronic Communication听Allowed:听A coach may use a one-way communication device to call pitches to the catcher (not the pitcher).听Coaches may NOT use an electronic communication device(s) to communicate with any other team member while on defense or any team member on offense. The coach cannot use the electronic communication device outside the dugout/bench area.

Preseason Prospectus Available:听The preseason prospectus has been posted on the website. You can also download it by clicking听here. Completing the prospectus is not required, but it provides valuable information as I prepare rankings.

Site Availabilities:听A list of schools that have applied to host regional softball contests can be viewed by clicking听here. If you are listed, please double-check your dates. If you are not listed but wish to have your softball facilities considered as a host site for regional softball contests, please fill out the Site Availability Form in your Bound account.

Classifications听-听A new tentative softball classification was posted on April 24 and can be viewed by clicking听here.听Please take some time to view your BEDs number, especially if you are in a cooperative sharing agreement. Please contact me if you see any errors. Classification numbers become final after the first week of practice.听

Softballs:听罢丑别听Dudley SB 12L RF Y FP 鈥� Red stitch (.47 COR)听is the official tournament ball required for the postseason. The Dudley ball听is 辞苍濒测听required听for听the postseason. Any softball that has the NFHS Stamp is legal during the regular season.听

厂肠谤颈尘尘补驳别蝉:听Scrimmages between member schools shall be permitted between the first legal practice and the final day of State Tournament play. Teams may travel up to and including 100 miles from the home high school base for scrimmages, providing such is affected without losing school time. With local school administration approval, a team may exceed this 100-mile limit on a non-school day. Iowa teams may scrimmage a high school team from another contiguous state (plus Kansas), provided that the school is a member institution of that state's activity association and falls within the 100-mile scrimmage radius.

If a school is scrimmaging at an out-of-state school, the scrimmage rules of that state shall apply. Iowa scrimmage rules will apply for scrimmages held in Iowa. A scrimmage shall be defined as that which takes place between member schools at one site on one calendar day, as well as an established definition relating to the mandatory absence of scorekeeping, stats compilation, and spectator charge. For a player to听be charged听with a scrimmage, she must have participated听in the scrimmage.

Licensure and Concussion Training -听All coaches working for your junior high and high school softball staff (paid and volunteer) must be appropriately licensed and have completed the annual concussion training. Individuals cannot 鈥渃oach鈥� in any capacity, either during practice or competition. If you have any questions regarding coaching authorization, contact Kelly Faga at the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners (515-418-1403 or听kelly.faga@iowa.gov.)听

Concussion Course -听All coaches must also view听鈥淐oncussion in Sports 鈥� What you need to know.鈥澨齓ou may access the meeting by clicking听听if you have not viewed it yet.听

Bat Certification -听Softball bats must bear the 2004 ASA certification mark AND NOT听be listed听on the USA Softball non-approved bat list with the ASA certification marks. To be clear, for a bat to听be approved听for use in听91海角社区听competition, it must bear the ASA Certified 2004 mark or the 2020 USA Softball Certified mark (These marks can be found听on the 2024 91海角社区 adaptations page) AND NOT听be listed听on the USA softball non-approved bat list. If there is no mark, it is ILLEGAL. If a bat has one of the two permissible marks, please听make sure听it is also NOT on the illegal list.

The current list of non-approved bats can be found听by clicking听here.

On-site Administrator -听On-site administrators and site managers听are required听for all home contests.听Please designate an adult for each location if hosting a baseball/softball doubleheader. If the AD is responsible for baseball and softball at one site, they should听designate听another qualified adult (not the head coach) as a designee in case they are unavailable. Umpires have been advised not to begin games unless the designated site supervisor/administrator is present and identified听to听them.

Lightning and Weather Delays -听Take a few minutes to visit with school site administrators regarding lightning and weather delays. Before the start of any game, the host school administration is responsible for monitoring the weather. Once the game is in progress, the umpires are responsible for delays due to thunder and/or lightning. If thunder is heard or sky-to-ground lightning is observed, CLEAR THE FIELD and follow your school's inclement weather plan for teams, fans, and workers. A 30-minute delay is mandatory after each lightning strike. During this delay, more information will be gathered via websites and the National Weather Service. Software is available that helps indicate the distance of the lightning strike and the storm's movement.

Field Markings -听Please be advised of the proper field markings.听Media boxes no longer need to be marked.

Official Games -听Games may not be shortened even if by mutual agreement of coaches. By rule, the home team must be ahead after 4 陆 innings or the visitor after five complete innings. 91海角社区 margin-of-runs rules are as follows:听Games will end if a team owns a 10-run lead after four innings (or if the home team owns a 10-run lead after 3.5 innings) or owns an eight-run lead after five innings (or 4.5 innings if the home team is ahead).听If a time limit听is placed听on games during tournaments and the game is not official, tournament procedures should include completing the game. If bad weather is forecasted, consider playing the varsity game first so听that听it听will not be shortened.听

Game Ending Procedures听-听All regular-season games must be听legal,听per NFHS rules, i.e., home leading after 4 1/2 innings. This includes any games played in tournaments. For schools hosting tournaments and听are听now preparing tournament information for the participating teams, please provide written communication on the game-ending procedures for the tournament, mainly when there is a time limit or weather delays.听Those procedures should also be shared听with umpires and discussed at the pre-game conference with coaches during the tournament.

Ejection Policy: If a coach/player听is ejected from a game, they do not coach/play for the remainder of that game/match. They may coach/play in other competitions later听that same day.听Any sanction issued by the school or State Office will be served听on a subsequent date after a review of the filed reports.

When a coach is serving a suspension, they may not coach and must be out of sight and sound at the contest venue. They are not permitted to watch the contest(s) as a spectator unless they have a daughter playing听in听the game (s). If a player is serving a suspension, she may not be in uniform or participate in the contest(s) or pre-game warm-up but may be in street clothes on the bench, dugout, etc.

If you have an ejection, an ejection report must be filed with the 91海角社区 by the umpire and the player/coach ejected.听The report may be downloaded听by clicking听.

Junior High Softball听-听It is up to听the local school听when junior high softball can start.听Junior high softball听cannot begin before the varsity season starts on May 5.听Sixth graders may participate (practice or play) on the junior high team on the first day of听practice.

NEW FOR 2025: Cheering in the Dugout:听Dugout cheers are encouraged if they are positive. Cheers that are negative and directed at the opposing team will not be tolerated this season.听NFHS Rule 3-6-13-b (Page 41) states:听鈥溾�� Unsporting acts shall not be committed including, but not limited to 鈥� b. use of profanity, intimidation and/or deceitful tactics,听baiting or taunting听鈥︹�澨�听If officials working the game are notified about negative cheers during the game, they will be instructed to issue a warning to the offending dugout. Any subsequent offenses will result in the head coach being restricted to the dugout, followed by ejection.听Let鈥檚 get this nipped in the bud before the season begins so it does not become an issue during the season.

Rosters and Statistics in Bound -听If you have not done so already, please get your schedules and rosters posted in Bound.听It is mandatory to post softball stats.听ALL听stat categories must be filled in. If we are asking for a stat, the expectation is that the info is kept. If you are having issues with Bound, please get in touch with me, and I'll be happy to help. A great tool I recommend having your parents and fans download is the Bound Mobile App, which includes driving directions to away games, matchups, rosters for each game, and statistics.

Keeping Score:听Every year, I get asked various questions about keeping the听score book, the rules on scoring, how ERA is kept, the difference between a hit and a fielder's choice, etc. I enjoy answering those questions, and I refer to the NCAA Baseball and Softball Scorebook. The book offers great interpretations of scoring decisions. You can download it by clicking听.听I strongly encourage coaches to utilize individuals who know the basics of keeping a scorebook.

Posting Your Scores:听The 91海角社区 will have a daily score page on the website and a daily score page on the Bound website. The score page is only as good as the information that听is posted听to it. The basic rule of thumb is this: the home team should post scores on Bound after each contest(s) as soon as possible. When a score听is posted, it automatically is posted to the Bound site and the 91海角社区 daily score page. Coaches should plan on adding their scores when playing games at a neutral site.

It鈥檚 On the Website!听If you haven鈥檛 done so already, please view the听Softball Coaches and Administrators page听on the 91海角社区 website. There are many important items, and I have also posted helpful information from the NFHS. I will also post memos and correspondence from Officials Coordinator Cathy Creighton. Check the page for updates frequently.

Tell Us About Your Milestones鈥�The 91海角社区 wants to hear about anything unique that happens during the season. Please let us know if a coach reaches a milestone victory or a player achieves a specific milestone (100th career wins, school records, no-hitters, etc.). We will be sure to mention it through our Twitter account. You can email me with any milestone achievements.

Thanks for taking the time to read, and best wishes to all of you as you begin your season.听Please feel free to call or email with any questions you may have. Best wishes to you and your squad this summer!

Jason Eslinger
Senior Associate Director/Softball Administrator