If you find 15 slow pitch softball players, you can form your own league using the 5x5x5 format.
By placing FREE ads on the sports pages of your local newspaper, you will get players. Use craigslist.org too. Check out the local church leagues and you’ll find plenty of players. Post ads at local YMCA gyms/schools/universities.
As an example, we’ll call these teams Red, White, and Blue. You will have 3 teams of 5 players each.
The 5 players from the red team win first. The white team plays 1st base-2nd base-shortstop-3rd base-catcher. The Blue team plays left fielder-left center fielder-right center fielder-right fielder-pitcher.
Play the standard slow pitch rules.
Write down the runs the red team wins until they get 3 outs and then the 3 teams rotate. The red team players go to the outside positions and the pitcher… The white team players go to bat… The blue team players go to the inside positions. Resume the game.
After the white team reaches 3 outs, the teams rotate again. The white team goes to the outside positions and the pitcher… The red team goes to the inside positions… The blue team comes in to bat.
After all 3 teams beat, the first inning is complete. Play 7 innings using this format.
Play a doubleheader once a week and you’ll have your own softball league. If you can get 20 players, you can build 2 standard 10 player teams and go from the 5x5x5 format to the standard 10 player team format. She’s back to playing doubleheaders once a week and has a slow-pitch softball league.
Go online or call your local softball organizations like ASA…USSSA…NSA and ask them about penalty fees (this will cover insurance liabilities) and add credibility to your league and qualify you for local tournaments, regional and national. .
They can also provide certified referees for the games (use certified referees to add more credibility to your league, which will promote growth). Contact your local parks department to rent softball fields. Add up the cost of your expenses and charge each player/team a league entry fee to cover costs (this fee is usually very low throughout the season).
Your league can be a mixed league with male and female players combined, a men’s only or women’s only league, or a senior league made up of players 50+.
Work to expand your league each year and you will see it grow rapidly. Softball is the #1 amateur sport played in the United States and is growing around the world.