Softball (game)

The softball is the simplified version of baseball accessible to everybody worldwide. Its system is similar to the classic game but requires less space than a big game. This form opened the world of sports to women and young children who needed more power for long games. Let’s explore it in detail.

History

The first documented softball game, a significant moment in the history of the sport, was played in 1887 at the Harvard and Yale universities. An incident preceded this event when the Yale alumnus threw the boxing glove towards the Harvard supporters. The fan swung the stick in response to the attack. Local reporter George Hancock called to play the ball and begin the game. It ended with the score 41-40. The game was supposed to field the soft ball with bare hands despite the broom serving as the first bat in a new sport.

Society considers Hancock the game’s inventor. He based it on the 17-inch ball and undersized bat. The Farragut club set the rules and contesting system. Softball was supposed to be played indoors to maintain the player’s abilities during the winter. The name Indoor Baseball existed until the first publication of the rules in 1889. This publication was a significant milestone in the game’s history, as it marked the first formalization of the rules, which were previously passed down through oral tradition.

Softball left the walls in 1895 when the Minneapolis firefighters organized an outdoor competition for local firefighters. It changed the name to kitten, lemon, or diamond ball. The firefighters used a 12-inch ball, and their leader, Lewis Rober, didn’t know the Farragut rules well. This resulted in the dominance of the Minneapolis ball. Fire station No. 19 joined the historic places list and was thanked for contributing to sports development. The ‘first softball league’ was born in Toronto in 1897. This league was a significant step in the game’s development, as it provided a structured and organized platform for competitive play.

The game’s name was finally cemented in 1926, widening its popularity at that time. The number of tournaments and rule variations scaled regularly. Final standardization of the rules lasted until 1936, despite the first tournament being held in 1933.

The 1950s marked a significant milestone in the development of softball. Many high schools integrated it into their athletics programs, allowing women to participate in a game that was initially accessible only to men. Softball’s reach extended beyond borders in 1957 with the establishment of the British federation. Including fast-pitch women’s softball in the 1996 Summer Olympics program was a testament to the sport’s continuous evolution.

The sport is governed by various bodies, including the International Softball Federation, established in 1952, and other organizations like the Babe Ruth League, AAU, NSA, PONY, etc. These bodies are responsible for setting and enforcing the rules of the game, organizing international competitions, and promoting the sport globally.

Overview

Softball is a sport that embraces everyone, from children in early school to young adults and older individuals, regardless of their sex, country of origin, or profession. All it takes to form a team is understanding the rules and a group of nine or ten friends. This inclusivity is what makes softball a truly global and diverse community.

The field usually consists of dirt or brick dust in the shape of a diamond, with running lanes in the infield and grass in the outer field. An artificial or asphalt infield is also useful, but safety is the priority. It contains all bases and home plate as in classic baseball, but the distances between the points and size of the field can vary depending on the age and possibilities of the target audience. Thus, the distance between the bases for schoolchildren maybe 35 feet and 43 feet for teenagers and older players.

The gameflow

The average softball game consists of seven innings. An ‘inning’ is a division of the game during which each team has a turn at bat and in the field. The objective, like in other competitive sports, is to score more points than the  opponent. In softball, this often means hitting more home runs. The teams take turns at bat and on pitch, with the away team batting in the top half of the inning and the home team batting in the bottom half.

The team must build the batting order before the start of the game. Batters must appear at home plate according to the fixed turn, and changes are impossible. This team is the ‘offence ‘, responsible for scoring runs. The ‘defensive’ team includes the pitcher, who stands atop the rubber and pitches toward the batter. The latter attempts to hit it with the wood, metal or composite bat shaped like a stick. In the case of success, the batter transforms into the runner who tries to occupy the base. If the batter misses the pitch or the pitcher sends the ball to foul territory, the defence gets the strike record, and the batter is stroked out. Three strikeouts finish the player’s at-bat, and the next performer takes place at home plate. If the pitcher sends four consecutive balls to the legal territory outside the strike zone, the batter occupies the first base in a walk way.

Sometimes, the batter hits the ball to the field of play or fair territory to become the runner. The defenders throw it freely between the players aiming to field it and out the runner. The runner is out if two players are involved in the defensive play. Only one runner can touch the base; in this case, the out is impossible. The runners can’t cross their routes or interfere with each other. As a result, half of the inning ends when the pitchers out the opponents, resulting in strikeouts, the outs of runners or a mix of them.

The runner is out if the fielders catch the ball in the air before it fell to the ground. All runners must return to the bases they occupied earlier. If the defense threw the ball to the base before the runner returned, it’s the double play. The player who remains on the base at the moment of catch or returns after it is eligible to advance further but with the risk of receiving the ‘tag’ en route. A ‘tag’ is when a fielder touches a runner with the ball or with the hand holding the ball, while the runner is not touching a base.

The offence builds the ‘strategy’ to advance enough runners and hit the ball skillfully. This involves careful planning and execution of plays to outsmart the defensive team. The number of counts and scores helps estimate the batter’s aggression level. ‘Sacrifice’ is the most important skill in softball because it allows the runners to advance despite the out. Sacrifice plays are strategic moves that involve intentionally getting out to advance other runners.

Playing field

The official playing field is 50 to 70 feet wide. According to the classification, 50 feet is the size for wheelchair athletes, 60 feet for fast-pitch football, and up to 70 feet for slow-pitch football.

The ‘pitching distance’ depends on the age or social group. For example, wheelchair athletes throw the ball 28 feet, and kids throw from 43 to 46 feet. The classic 50-foot pitch is available to teenagers and adults. In fast pitch variation, the standard distance is 43 feet for women and 46 feet for male athletes. The coach pitch is used if the players are too young (7 years or under). These variations in pitching distance cater to the players’ different physical abilities and skill levels.

Equipment

• Ball. The ball isn’t as soft as considered, but it’s much softer than the ball for classic baseball. Its size is 11 inches for children under 12 years old. The shield mass is 166 to 173 grams. The teenagers and adults use the ball 12 inches in size and weigh 177 to 198 grams. On this occasion, the ball contains rubber or fibre kapok in its cork, covered with leather or synthetic material. The continuous seam marks the division of two halves of the shield. A white ball was the standard for a long time, but in 1993, the fluorescent yellow balls replaced those classic balls. However, the Chicago team still trusted the first 16-inch ball, as it happened in the first recorded game.
• The bat may be made from aluminium, wood or composite materials. Its size varies but is usually 34 inches long and 2.4 inches in diameter. The bat can’t weigh more than 1.1 kg. Many players exploit the smaller barrels to have favor in hitting.
• The gloves mustn’t exceed 14 inches in size. This accessory may be leather or synthetic, with the pocket webbing between the thumb and forefinger. In most cases, the size of the gloves can identify the position. Catchers usually exploit the mitt, which is the biggest among the assortment. The outfielders use gloves sized between 12 and 15 inches, and the infielders use gloves that are 11.5 to 13 inches in size. To that end, the pitcher’s glove is about the same size as the infielder’s. All players must wear them during the defensive sessions to prevent possible injuries. The colours may be different except those repeating the colour of the ball. An umpire is eligible to estimate the gloves.
• The uniform consists of the cap, shirt or jersey with the player’s number, socks, pants or shorts, and compression shirts. All players in the team must wear the same distinctive uniform. According to the rules, the visible jerseys must contain minimum elements. The possible information is the player’s number in the range between 0 and 99 and last name or nickname on the back, the team’s, league and optional sponsor logos on the front side are allowed. The shoes are obligatory, but the players can choose the comfortable models with cleats or spikes. However, the rounded spikes are prohibited, but some states legalized them for the high school level.
• Protective equipment. The offensive players, including the batters and runners, must use helmets. It must include two ear flaps and a cage protecting the face and eyes. The face mask is optional in the majority of cases. Batters and runners can use it for medical reasons, but the NCAA requires them for batters.