NFHS Rules
Quick reference organized by topic. The full rulebook is published by the NFHS — official links below.
Quick Reference by Topic
Field, equipment, uniforms. Bat specifications, ball specifications, catcher's protective gear (mask, chest protector, shin guards), batter's helmet requirements, jewelry restrictions.
2026 update — Rule 1-9-6: Players cannot record audio or video from the playing surface. Penalty: ejection unless judged minor.
Definitions. Terminology used by umpires — interference, obstruction, dead ball, foul tip, infield fly, etc.
Players, substitutes, coaches. Lineup card, designated player / flex, courtesy runners, re-entry, ejections, coaching boxes.
Starting and ending the game. Game length, run rule, suspended/forfeit games, weather.
Dead ball, suspensions, time. When the ball is live vs. dead, time-out procedures, charged conferences.
Pitching. Legal delivery, illegal pitches, no pitch, pitching position, intentional walks.
Batting. Batting order, on-deck batter, strike zone, batter interference, hit by pitch, slap hits.
Baserunning. Advancing with and without liability to be put out, obstruction, interference, force outs, tag-ups.
2026 update: Rule 8 was reorganized into a structured outline. Section 8-4 was split to clearly separate "advance without liability" from "advance with liability" situations.
Scoring, record-keeping. When a run scores, official scorer's responsibilities, statistical decisions.
Umpiring. Number of umpires, jurisdiction, signals, protests.
2026 Points of Emphasis
Obstruction
Obstruction is the act of a defensive team member that hinders or impedes a batter's attempt to make contact with a pitched ball, or impedes a runner or batter-runner legally running the bases.
- Obstruction does not apply if the fielder has the ball, is making the initial play on the ball, or if the ball is within a step and a reach of the fielder.
- If the runner is not actually impeded, there is no obstruction.
- With the exception of a fake tag, a fielder's positioning alone can never result in obstruction.
Tag plays — what umpires watch for
- Defense contacting the offense with the ball
- Defense controlling the ball through the tag
- Offense contacting the base
Official NFHS Resources
- NFHS Softball Rules — official page
- Softball Resources (poster, points of emphasis, signal chart, field diagram, uniform rules — free PDFs)
- 2026 Comments on the Rules
- Buy the 2026 Softball Rules Book ($12)