Softball Encyclopedia

1. Historical origins

Birth background

Softball originated in the United States at the end of the 19th century and evolved from the sport of baseball. On Thanksgiving Day in 1887, George Hancock of the Farragut Club in Chicago established simplified rules for baseball indoors, using boxing gloves as balls and broom handles as bats, which is considered the prototype of softball.

Name evolution

In the early days, it was called "Indoor Baseball", and later it was called "Kitten Ball" and "Softball", and in 1926 it was officially named "Softball".

Internationalization

The first National Championship was held during the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, the first Women's World Softball Championship was held in 1965, and softball became an official Olympic sport in 1996 (after a break in 2008 and returned to Tokyo 2020).

2. Basic Rules and Venue

Format of the competition

Each team has 9 players (fast-pitch softball) or 10 players (slow-pitch softball) taking turns attacking and defending.

Number of rounds: Usually 7 rounds, the player with the highest score wins.

Site Specifications:

The infield is a diamond-shaped base bag with a distance of 18.29 m (60 ft).

Pitcher distance: 13.11 m (43 ft) for fast-pitch softball, 14.02 m (46 ft) for slow-pitch softball.

The home plate is pentagonal and made of rubber.

Scoring rules

The batter runs counterclockwise after hitting the ball, touches first, second, and third base in turn and returns to home plate to score 1 point.

3. Equipment and equipment

ball

Circumference 30.2-30.8 cm, weight 177-198 grams, core of cork or polyurethane, outer layer of leather or synthetic.

Color: Bright yellow is often used at international events to improve visibility.

bat

Materials: Metal (aluminum/composite metal), carbon fiber or wood.

The length does not exceed 86.4 cm and the diameter does not exceed 5.7 cm.

glove

Garrison gloves must be made of leather and vary in size depending on the location (catcher gloves are the largest).

Protective gear

Catchers are required to wear face shields, chest guards, leg guards and other equipment.

Fourth, the classification of competition forms

Fastpitch

Pitchers use windmill pitching and can reach speeds of up to 120 km/h.

This format is used for the Olympic Games and World Championships.

Slowpitch

Pitching is done in a parabolic trajectory over home plate, emphasizing team defense.

Modified Softball

A hybrid rule between fast and slow bets.

Indoor softball

The variant, which is carried out in a confined space, uses a softer safety ball.

5. International Organizations and Events

World Baseball and Softball League (WBSC)

It was established in 2013 by the merger of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and the International Home Softball Federation (ISF) to coordinate global events.

Top Tournaments

Softball World Cup

World Games

Asian Cup softball tournament

Olympic History

The 1996-2008 and 2020 (2021) Olympic events were not included in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

6. Analysis of technical terms

Pitch type

Rise Ball

Drop Ball

Changeup

Combat terminology

Home Run

Sacrifice Hit

Strike (Bunt)

Defensive tactics

Double Play

Run Down

Fielder's Choice

7. Famous athletes

Lisa Fernandez

Legendary American pitcher, three-time Olympic gold medalist, with a maximum ball speed of 118km/h.

Jennie Finch

At the beginning of the 21st century, the United States represented pitchers and was known for his signature ball ascent.

Yukiko Ueno

Japan's ace pitcher, the gold medal match at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics ended with the United States team.

8. Characteristics and value of sports

Gender equality

The women's program is well developed and the professional league system is complete.

Educational value

More than 65 million people worldwide participated, emphasizing teamwork and tactical thinking.

Age-appropriate

From the U12 Junior Championship to the Over-50 Senior Championship, there is a perfect competition system.