Page 406 - Revised Unified Sports Curriculum electronic version Rev. 8.1_2

SOFTBALL

SPORT RULES

Exception: A player who has left the game under the blood rule may return even
after missing a turn at bat.
Effect - Failure to have the required number of eligible players to start or continue a game will
result in a forfeit
A team must have the required number of players present in the team area to start or
continue a game.
Exception: (UNIFIED) A team may play with an uneven number of athletes and partner as long as
there are more athletes.
Effect- Sec. 3b: The game is forfeited.
EXCEPTION: (UNIFIED) When there are legal numbers of athletes and Unified partners, the game
is not forfeited, but an out must be declared when two athletes or Unified partners bat back-to-
back.
Starting Players
A starting player shall be official when the line-up card is inspected, and approved, by the plate
umpire and team representative at the pre-game meeting.
The names may be entered on the official line-up card in advance of this meeting.
However, in case of injury or illness, changes may be made at the pre-game meeting with the
umpires. A listed substitute may take the place of a player whose name is in his team’s
batting order. He would then be considered the starting player.
The player so replaced at the meeting could enter the game, as a substitute, at any time later
in the game.
Extra Player
An "EXTRA PLAYER," referred to as an "EP" is optional, but if one is used, it must be made
known prior to the start of the game, and the player’s name listed on the line-up card as one
of the eleven hitters in the batting order.
If the EP is used, he must be used the entire game. c. If an EP is used, all eleven must bat and
any ten can play defense. Defensive positions can be changed, but the batting order must
remain the same.
(UNIFIED) If two EP’s are used, all twelve must bat and any ten (five athletes and five partners)
may play defense. Defensive positioning may change as long as the Unified positioning is
followed. The batting order must remain the same throughout the game.
EXCEPTION: If a team cannot complete the game with two EP’s, they may continue with only the
athlete EP, but an out must be automatically recorded when the missing Unified partner EP is
due to bat.
The EP must remain in the same position in the batting order for the entire game.
The starting EP may re-enter the game one time after having been substituted, as long as he
returns to the position in the batting order that he occupied when he left the game, other
than as a Replacement Player.
Effect – Sec. 6a-f: When a team violates any of the above provisions (except Sec. 6d), or uses an Illegal
EP, the player in violation shall be ejected.
Re-Entry
Any player may be substituted or replaced and re-entered once, provided such players occupy
the same batting position whenever they are in the line-up.

51 VERSION: June 2018
© Special Olympics, Inc., 2018
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