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Coaching at the club level is about more than just strategy—it’s about building confidence, developing skills, and fostering a love for the game. As a coach in our softball community, your leadership directly impacts players' enjoyment and growth throughout the season.
Minimum Requirements and Knowledge:
- Qualifications: All club coaches must hold a minimum Foundation Level coaching accreditation or higher.
- Rule Familiarity: Coaches are expected to be familiar with both the NSW Rules of Softball and the specific rules of the NSDSA competition, including:
- Play-up rules
- Player qualification for finals
- Game result rulings in the event of uneven innings
Competition Rules
- Code of Conduct: Coaches must adhere to Softball Australia’s Coaches Code of Conduct, promoting respect, fairness, and integrity at all times.
Coaches Code of Conduct
Development and Team Management:
- Skill Development: Coaches should create and implement a season-long training program that supports the development of all players, regardless of skill level.
- Positive Environment: Always remember that players are here because they enjoy softball. Encourage participation, foster team spirit, and build a sense of belonging.
- Supportive Coaching: Be mindful of individual player abilities. Recognise and encourage strengths while patiently supporting areas for improvement.
- Appropriate Expectations: This is club-level competition, not representative and expectations as to playing standards should be appropriate.
Game day responsibilities:
- Stay up to date with the weekly draw, team umpiring assignments, and other Association-prescribed duties.
- Coaches are responsible for on-diamond placements during games.
NSDSA Diamond Etiquette
Pre-Game
- Safety of spectators and players is to be considered at all times
- All batting warm-ups are to be done off-diamond - this includes areas behind the bases and foul ball areas.
- All batting warm-ups are to use whiffle balls.
- Batteries to warm up using off-field areas only until 10 minutes before the game and then it must be undertaken in foul ball area.
- No on-diamond warm-ups
During the Game
- Safety of spectators and players is to be considered at all times
- All batting warm-ups to be done in the on-deck circle or off-diamond, behind the net.
- Battery warm up must be undertaken in dead ball area
Training
- Safety of spectators and players is to be considered at all times
- All batting to be done using the batting box or off-diamond i.e. in dead ball areas, NOT the infield or outfield foul areas and certainly not directly behind the bases.
- Batteries to use off-field areas or pitch from the pitcher’s mat to a catcher at home plate
- Set up temporary diamonds in outfield areas to practice fielding drills.
Note: At no time are balls to be hit or thrown into back nets
Participation - Competition rounds
- Each teeball player should have the opportunity to play all positions on the diamond, with equal off time
- During the early rounds, all team players should expect even numbers of 1/2 games providing that:
- players have attended training regularly, and
- players have trained with a positive attitude.
- Pitchers and catchers may be exempted from this rule, e.g.: where there is only 1 pitcher/catcher in a team
Participation - Final Series
- Coaches set player positions on diamonds to get the best from the team. All team players should take the diamond at some time during a final series game, having regard to the exceptions noted above.
- Play to win. Players should be made aware that once a team has attained a finals position, coaches have discretion to use their players in whichever way they judge appropriate to give the team the best chance to win.
- Those players not taking the diamond during final series games should be given tasks to perform so that they assist the team and partake of the game in other appropriate ways e.g. warming up outfield, responsible for bats, kit etc.
These guidelines aim to balance development, fairness, and competitiveness throughout the season and into the finals.
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