June 20 Softball Memo
Good afternoon,
It’s hard to believe we are just 10 days away from turning the page to July and the start of regional tournaments. The season has certainly flown by. As we head into the home stretch of the 2025 softball season, here are several important items to note:
Regional Pairings
Regional pairings for all classes will be released at the end of next week. One more week of softball rankings will be taken into consideration before brackets are finalized.
Many Site Availabilities Still Missing
If your school would like to be considered as a host site for the regional softball tournament series, the site availability sheet must be filled out as soon as possible. I have uploaded the latest list of site availabilities to the website, which can also be viewed by clicking here. Before posting the list, I reviewed the form and noticed that MANY likely host schools have NOT submitted their availability. Please take care of this promptly!
Heat Reminders
This week marks the first instance of extreme heat this season. A reminder: this is the first year we are using the Wet Bulb Globe Thermometer (WBGT) to assess heat conditions.
According to softball-specific guidelines: When the WBGT reading is 87.7 or greater (Red/Black), umpires must implement a three (3) minute hydration break at the beginning and midpoint of the third inning—and continue every inning for the rest of the contest.
- The WBGT Heat Modification Policy can be viewed by clicking here.
- The sport-specific heat guidelines for softball can be viewed here.
Further heat related guidance may be viewed by going to the Athlete Health and Safety Tab in the Documents and Forms section of the IGHSAU website
Make Sure Your Officials Are Certified
Several incidents have been reported involving non-registered or non-certified umpires being assigned to games. While many schools hire someone to assign officials, it is ultimately the school’s responsibility to ensure umpires are certified.
The final list of certified officials can be viewed here.
The Penalty for using uncertified umpires is forfeit of the game in which the official worked.
Bound: Stats and Rosters
Schools have done a decent job keeping statistics updated this season. A few reminders:
- All stat categories must be completed.
- Double-check your team roster to ensure uniform numbers are accurate in Bound.
PA Sound Effects
While attending games in person and online, I’ve noticed some impressive PA systems in use. I support the use of fun effects (like glass shattering after a foul ball), but I’ve also heard effects after the visiting team strikes out or makes an error. These aren’t appropriate for high school softball.
Remember: if you're hosting, your opponent is your guest and should be treated respectfully.
On a positive note: I haven’t received a single complaint about derogatory cheers this season—thank you for your efforts in keeping things respectful!
New Run Rule
I’ve heard both positive and negative feedback on this year’s new run rule. The advisory committee’s goals were to:
- Allow more playing time for substitutes
- Provide teams another opportunity to bat
While I’m not here to tell coaches how to coach—and I don’t endorse coaches telling their players to make intentional outs—I do hope coaches are using the extra frame to get more players on the field. The advisory committee will review this rule again in the fall.
New IGHSAU Website
The IGHSAU launched a redesigned website this week. The goal was to streamline access to information. Notably:
- Coaches and administrators now share a single sport-specific page.
- Coaches can log in directly to Bound from the website.
To view the softball page, click here.
Best wishes for a successful conclusion to the regular season. Please continue to check the website for updates, and don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions.
Jason Eslinger
Senior Associate Director/Softball Administrator
