With the exception of CecilOne . . . nobody claimed they opened them!:D

Let's see, I have, open and study ;), the following rule books every year: NCAA, NFHS, ASA, USSSA, and Dixie.(Though I hardly work any Dixie anymore.)

I learned all I need to know about softball years ago.

If ASA is too high and mighty to put their rule book online, I'm not gonna waste my time reading an actual book. Besides, they fall apart if you use them. I like to keep mine looking like new.

I hope to hell I'm reading sarcasm somewhere inbetween the lines... ;)

:D I thought putting smilies all over it would take some of the bite out of the humor! ;)

SRW, do you need to borrow my BS detector??????

Nope, I sniffed it out. :)

Nobody has mentioned Babe Ruth softball, and it's probably a good thing. I had to become a Babe Ruth umpire this year to do the NJ district and state tournaments. I was amazed to find that except for obvious softball rules on pitching and leaving the base, they play pretty much OBR rules. Most of the rules on obstruction, interference, and base awards are taken word for word from the OBR book.

Also in Babe Ruth, any bat that meets their definition for weight, length, circumference, etc., is LEGAL. No going by anybody's list. Go ahead, use a Miken Ultra.

Still, neither I nor the TD nor any other umpire nor any coach of any team was sure whether the pitcher had to keep both feet on the pitcher's plate during the delivery (though the book says she has to start with both feet on).

And Babe Ruth has positively perverse rules regarding ejections, playing shorthanded, etc.

It's good to know there is a Babe Ruth softball, becaue I was worried that there might not be enough variations.

Is there also Cal Ripken softball?

SRW, did you get it? ;)

I thought that Babe Ruth baseball was co-opted by Ripken a while back...no?

Ripken apparently bought the rights to name the younger Babe Ruth Baseball leagues, the older boys still play under the Babe Ruth name, as do all the girls. Our league only got two BR Softball rulebooks and I never could seem to get my hands on one.