OBJECTIVES:

• Relate and discuss the nature and background of

softball.
• Explain the health and fitness benefits derived from
playing the game.
• Interpret rules and regulations of softball.
• Exhibit enjoyment in playing the game.
• Execute basic skills in softball.
SOFTBALL
Softball
• a modified form of baseball played on a smaller field
with a larger ball, seven rather than nine innings, and
underarm pitching. The game evolved during the late
19th century from a form of indoor baseball.

• Softball is a variant of baseball played with a larger

ball on a smaller field.
History of Softball
• The earliest known softball game was played in
Chicago, Illinois on Thanksgiving Day, 1887. It took
place at the Farragut Boat Club at a gathering to hear
the outcome of the Yale University and Harvard
University football game. When the score was
announced and bets were settled, a Yale alumnus
threw a boxing glove at a Harvard supporter. The
other person grabbed a stick and swung at it.
History of Softball
• George Hancock called out "Play ball!" and the
game began, with the boxing glove tightened into a
ball, a broom handle serving as a bat.

• George Hancock is credited as the game's

inventor for his development of ball and an
undersized bat in the next week.
• The Farragut Club soon set rules for the game, which
spread quickly to outsiders. Envisioned as a way for
baseball players to maintain their skills during the winter,
the sport was called "Indoor Baseball".
• Under the name of "Indoor-Outdoor", the game moved outside
in the next year, and the first rules were published in 1889.
• 1895 - Lewis Rober, Sr. of Minneapolis organized outdoor
games as exercise for firefighters; this game was known
as kitten ball.
• 1926 - The name “softball” was coined by Walter
Hakanson of the YMCA.
• 1930 - The name softball had spread across the United
States.
• 1934 - The formation of the Joint Rules Committee on
Softball standardized the rules and naming throughout the
United States.
• Sixteen-inch softball, also sometimes referred to as
"mushball" or "super-slow pitch", is a direct descendant of
Hancock's original game.
• 1933 - World's Fair, the main course of action taken
was to lengthen the pitching distance.
• 1953 - Slow pitch achieved formal
recognition.
• 1991 - women's fast-pitch softball was selected to
debut at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
• 1996 Olympics - introduction of technology in
softball. The IOC funded a landmark bio-
mechanical study on pitching during the games.
Equipment & Dimensions
• The playing field is divided into 'fair territory' and
'foul territory'. Fair territory is further divided into
the 'infield', and the 'outfield', and the territory
beyond the outfield fence.
• The field is defined by 'foul lines' that meet at a right
angle at 'home plate'. A fence running between the
baselines defines the limits of the field; distance
from home plate to the fence varies by field.
• Behind home plate is a 'backstop'. It must be
between 25 and 30 feet behind home plate
depending on the type of division that is playing.
• 'Home Plate' is one corner of a diamond with
'bases' at each corner. The bases other than home
plate are 15 inch square, of canvas or a similar
material, and not more than 5 inch thick.
Official Baseline Dimensions
The BALL
• Permitted circumferences in international play
are 12±0.125 in; mass between 178 g and198.4
g in fast pitch, 11±0.125 in circumference, 166.5
g and 173.6 g in slow pitch.
• Under the current rules of Major League Baseball:
mass between 142 and 149 g, and is 229–235
mm in circumference and 73–76 mm in diameter.
• A 12-inch circumference ball is generally used
in slow pitch.
• The ball is most often covered in white or
yellow leather in two pieces roughly the
shape of a figure-8 and sewn together with
red thread, although other coverings are
permitted. The core of the ball may be
made of long fiber kapok, or a mixture of
cork and rubber, or a polyurethane mixture,
or another approved material.
The BAT
• The bat used by the batter can be made of
wood, aluminum, or composite materials
such as carbon fiber.
• Sizes may vary but they may be no more
than 34 inches long, 6 inches in diameter, or
1.2 kilograms in mass.
• The standard bat barrel diameter for both
slow pitch and fast pitch softball is 21⁄4
inches.
The GLOVES
• All defensive players wear fielding gloves,
made of leather or similar material. Gloves
have webbing between the thumb and
forefinger, known as the "pocket".
• Gloves used in softball are usually larger
than the ones used in baseball. No
glove larger than 14".
The UNIFORM
• The uniform may include a cap or visor, a shirt, tight
sliding undershorts (optional), socks, and pants; these
are the components for which standards are set.
• All players are required to wear shoes. They may have
cleats or spikes. The spikes must extend less than 0.75
inch away from the sole. Rounded metal spikes are
illegal, as are ones made from hard plastic or other
synthetic materials.
The PROTECTIVE
GEAR
• A helmet must have two ear flaps, one on each side. Helmets
and cages that are damaged or altered are forbidden.
Helmets must be worn by batters and runners in fast pitch.
Helmets are optional in slow pitch.
• In male fast pitch masks are generally only used for medical
reasons. In fast pitch, the catcher must wear a protective
helmet with a face-mask and throat protector, shin guards
and body protector. Shin guards also protect the kneecap.
• In slow pitch, the catcher must wear a
helmet and mask at youth levels. At adult
levels, there is no formal requirement for
the catcher to wear a mask, although the
official rules recommend it. A female
catcher may optionally wear a body
protector in slow pitch.
Gameplay
• A softball game can last anywhere from 3 to 7 innings,
depending on the league, rules, and type of softball; however
7 innings is the most common. In each inning, each team bats
until three batters have been put out. The teams take turns
batting. Officially, which team bats first is decided by a coin
toss, although a league may decide otherwise at its
discretion.
• The most common rule is that the home team bats second.
Batting second is also called "last at-bat".
• Many softball players prefer to bat second because they feel
they have more control in the last inning, since they have
the last at-bat.
• In the event of a tie, extra innings are usually played until the
tie is broken except in certain tournaments and
championships. If the home team is leading and the road team
has just finished its half of the seventh inning, the game ends
because it is not necessary for the home team to bat again. In
all forms of softball, the defensive team is the fielding team;
the offensive team is at bat or batting and is trying to score
runs.
PITCHING
• Play begins with the umpire saying "Play Ball".
• After the batter is ready and all fielders (except the catcher)
are in fair territory, the pitcher stands at the pitching plate and
attempts to throw the ball past the batter to the catcher
behind home plate. The throw, or pitch, must be made with
an underarm motion: the ball must be released below the
hip when the hand is no farther from the hip than the elbow
to get it in the strike zone.
• For fast pitch softball, the traditional
pitching style is a "windmill" motion,
extending the throwing hand around the
body and releasing the ball at about hip
level at maximum speeds.
• The pitcher tries to throw the ball so that it
passes through the "strike zone". A pitch
that passes through that zone is a "strike".
• A pitch which is not a strike and which the batter does not
swing at is known as a "ball". The number of balls and
strikes is called the "count". The number of balls is always
given first, as 2 and 1, 2 and 2, and so on. A count of 3 and 2
is a "full count", since the next ball or strike will end the
batter's turn at the plate, unless the ball goes foul.
• Crow-hopping- an illegal pitch which occurs when the pitcher
pushes with the pivot foot from somewhere other than the
pitching plate.
• "the well" – consider as perfect pitch.
Types of pitches in fast pitch softball:

• Fastball • Changeup
• Dropball • Riseball
• Screwball • Curveball
• Dropcurve • Dropchange
BATTING
• The offensive team sends one "batter" at a time to
home plate to use the bat to try to hit the pitch
forward into fair territory. The order the players bat
in, known as the "batting order", must stay the
same throughout the game.
• The batter stands facing the pitcher inside a
"batter's box".
• Fly ball - A batted ball hit high in the air
• Pop fly - A fly ball hit upward at an angle greater
than 45 degrees
• Line drive - A batted ball driven in the air through
the infield at a height at which an infielder could
play it if in the right position
• Ground ball - A batted ball which hits the ground
within the diamond
 The batter is out if:

 three strikes are called (a "strikeout"); a ball hit by the batter is

caught before touching the ground (a "flyout");
 the batter goes to a base that is already tagged
("tagged" or "tag play")
 a fielder holding the ball touches a base which is the only
base towards which the batter may run before the batter
arrives there (a "force out" or "force play")
Run - is scored when a player has
touched all four bases in order,
proceeding counterclockwise around
them. A run is not scored if the last out
is a force out or occurs during the same
play that the runner crosses home plate.
POSITIONS
There are nine players out on the field at one time in
fast-pitch softball and 10 players in slow-pitch softball.
• Pitcher - The pitcher is the individual who throws
the ball from the middle of the diamond.
• Catcher - The catcher is normally behind home
plate in a squatted position (some plays may
require the catcher to stand at an angle for
intentional walks).
• First baseman - The first baseman is the position to
the right side of the diamond when facing the field.
The major role of the first baseman is to receive
throws from other defensive players in order to get
a force play at first base.

• Second baseman - The second baseman plays in

between the first baseman and the gap at second.
• Shortstop - The shortstop fields all balls hit to the
infield between the second and third bases.
• Third baseman - The third baseman is the
position on the left side of the diamond when
you are looking at the field.
• Outfielders - The outfielders are players that
cover the grassy area behind the infield.
Outfielders are named for their positions in the
field relative to home plate.
 RULES AND
REGULATION
• Field, Players, and Equipment
• The Field - The baselines will be 65
feet. The distance from pitcher's mound
to home plate will be 50 feet.
• The Players - A team must have 9
players to start or to continue a game
with the maximum of 10 players
• Substitutes - A player is officially in the game when
his/her name has been entered on the official score
sheet. Once a player leaves the line-up, he/she may
re-enter the game. FREE SUBSTITUTION/All teams
must turn in batting order. No pinch runners. Only in
case of injury and that player cannot return to the
game.
• The captain is the only player who may address the
officials during the game, but only on matters of rules
interpretation.
• Equipment - No metal screws or screw-in cleats are allowed.
Rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets are advised not to
be worn. Bats must be official softball bats.
• The pitcher must take a position with both feet firmly on the
ground and with one or both feet in contact with the pitcher's
plate.
• The pitcher shall not deliberately stop, roll, or bounce the
ball while in the pitching position in order to prevent the
batter from striking it.
• Intentional walks may be made by
informing the plate umpire, no pitches
are necessary.
• The batter shall not hinder the catcher from
fielding or throwing the ball by stepping out
of the batter's box, or intentionally hindering
the catcher while standing within the batter's
box.
• 4 balls constitute a walk.
• 3 strikes constitutes an out (strike out).
• If the batter has a foul after receiving the
second strike, the batter is out.
• Each batter will start with a 1 ball / 1
strike count.
• Games consist of 7 innings.
Skills
• Catching and Fielding - above waist and
below waist (ground balls and fly balls)
• Throwing - Over arm or underarm
• Pitching - basic offensive skill includes
grip, stance, stride, and swing
Terms
• Base on balls - batter to advance to first base by
the umpire calling four pitches outside the strike
zone
• Defense team - team on the field
• Double - two base hit
• Double play - defensive play results in two outs
as a result of continuous action
• Error – mishandling of the ball by the defense
team
• Fair ball - ball hit within the area boundaries of
the field first, second, third base
• Fly ball - any ball batted into the air
• Foul tip - foul ball which goes directly from the bat,
not higher than the batter’s head, to the catcher’s
hand and is legally caught
• Force Out - runner is forced to move - may tag runner or
touch base
• Home run - ball batted into fair territory which enable the
batter to all four bases in one play
• Infield - portion of the field which is included within the
diamond made by the baseline
• Infield Fly - fair fly ball which can be caught with ordinary
effort when first and second or first, second, and third
bases are occupied before two are out.
• Offensive team - team at bat
• Foul Ball - ball hit outside of the
baseline. determined by:
• Infield - where it rests
• Outfield - where it first hits