Ball Sports 🇺🇸United States Olympic19th century

Softball

Bat-and-ball team sport related to baseball — played with a larger ball, an underhand pitch and a smaller diamond over seven innings.

👥9 per team📐diamond⏱~100 min🌤outdoor

What is Softball?

Softball is a team sport derived from baseball, invented in Chicago in 1887 as an indoor version and now played worldwide outdoors. Two nine-player teams (ten in slowpitch) alternate offence and defence over seven innings on a smaller diamond, pitching a larger ball underhand. The two dominant codes are fastpitch — the discipline played at the Olympics, in college and internationally — and slowpitch, popular for recreational and adult league play. Rule differences from baseball include mandatory underhand pitching, a shorter pitching distance (43 ft in women's fastpitch), a larger ball (11-12 in circumference), seven-inning games, and pitchers whose motion drives their momentum toward the plate rather than off a raised mound.

Quick facts

How it works

Objective

Score more runs than the opposing team over seven innings by batting and rounding the bases before three outs per half-inning.

Match structure

The visitors bat in the top of each inning, the home team in the bottom. Three outs end the half-inning; teams switch. Runs are scored the same way as baseball — round all four bases before three outs. After seven innings, the team with more runs wins. Extra innings use the tiebreaker in most codes.

Rules

Basic rules

Underhand pitch
Pitcher must deliver the ball underhand with a straight, whip-like motion — no overhead throwing.
Windmill motion
Modern fastpitch pitchers rotate the arm in a full circle at the hip, releasing near the front foot at high velocity (70+ mph elite women).
No leadoff (fastpitch)
Runners may not leave the base until the pitcher releases the ball; leaving early is an out.
Slowpitch arc
In slowpitch, the pitch must travel with a legal arc (6-12 ft above the ground); flat pitches are called illegal.
Seven innings
A regulation game is 7 innings, not 9.
Bunts
Allowed in fastpitch; illegal in most slowpitch codes.
Foul balls
Same as baseball — strike unless already at strike 2, when it stays a ball unless caught for an out.

Advanced rules

DP/FLEX rule (fastpitch)
Designated player bats for a defensive-only 'flex' player; allows a strong hitter and a strong defender to share one lineup slot.
Re-entry
Starting players who are substituted out may re-enter once, in their original spot.
Intentional walk
Coach may signal an intentional walk without pitching (like modern MLB).
Look-back rule (fastpitch)
Once the pitcher has the ball in the pitching circle, runners not committed to a base must stop and either return or advance immediately — no bouncing off.

Scoring

Runs are the only scoring unit — same as baseball.

Action	Points
Single / double / triple / home run	1 base / 2 bases / 3 bases / all four
Walk / HBP	batter to 1B
Sacrifice fly	runner scores from 3B

Win condition · Higher score after 7 innings; extra innings with tiebreaker if tied.

Playing area

Called

diamond

Dimensions

60 ft baselines (18.3 m); pitching distance 43 ft (13.1 m) women's fastpitch, 46 ft (14.0 m) men's; outfield fence 200-250 ft (61-76 m).

Smaller diamond than baseball with a flat pitching circle (no raised mound). Fair territory extends between the two foul lines from home plate.

Equipment

Softball
11-12 inch circumference (larger than baseball); typically bright yellow with red stitching for visibility.
Bat
Aluminium or composite in most codes (wood allowed); shorter and lighter than baseball bats.
Glove
Fielding glove larger than baseball's, sized for the bigger ball.
Batting helmet
Required in fastpitch; typically has a face mask/cage.
Catcher's gear
Mask with throat guard, chest protector, shin guards.
Cleats
Rubber or metal (metal cleats banned in some age groups).

Positions & roles

Pitcher (P)
×1
Underhand pitcher; often the highest-impact player.
Catcher (C)
×1
Behind home plate, receives pitches, blocks the plate.
First baseman (1B)
×1
Fields at first, receives throws for outs.
Second baseman (2B)
×1
Right of second base; short throws.
Third baseman (3B)
×1
Reactive infielder against bunts and slaps.
Shortstop (SS)
×1
Between 2B and 3B; often the best athletic infielder.
Outfielders (LF/CF/RF)
×3
Cover the outfield; slowpitch adds a fourth 'rover' outfielder.

Officiating

Home-plate umpire calls balls, strikes, and plate plays. Base umpires cover safe/out on force and tag plays.

Home-plate umpire
1-2 base umpires

Strategies

Slap hitting
Left-handed hitters slap-hit while running toward first, using speed to beat throws.
Small ball
Bunts and steals matter more than in baseball because of shorter basepaths.
Rise-ball / drop-ball
Elite pitchers make the ball rise, drop, or curve within the strike zone.
Defensive shifts
Reading batter tendencies to position infielders and outfielders.

Terminology

Fastpitch: Discipline with fast underhand windmill pitching; the international / Olympic form.
Slowpitch: Recreational discipline with mandatory pitch arc; common in adult leagues.
Rise ball: Fastpitch pitch that appears to rise as it approaches the plate — a top pitch.
Slap hit: A left-handed swing while running toward first base to leg out infield hits.
Drop ball: Fastpitch pitch that dives sharply just before the plate.
Change-up: Slower pitch thrown with the same motion as a fastball to disrupt timing.
Sacrifice bunt: Bunt intended to advance a runner at the cost of an out.
Tie-breaker rule: Extra-inning rule placing the previous inning's last-out batter on 2B to speed the game.
Circle rule: Fastpitch rule requiring runners to commit or return once the pitcher holds the ball in the circle.
Mercy rule: Games are called early when one team leads by a large margin after a set number of innings.

Major competitions

WBSC Softball World Cup (women)
quadrennial · worldwide · since 1965
Summer Olympic Games
quadrennial · worldwide · since 1996
Women's fastpitch; in-out sport (1996-2008, 2020, 2028).
NCAA Women's College World Series
annual · USA · since 1969
Japan Softball League
annual · Japan · since 1968

Where it is played

Governing bodies

World Baseball Softball ConfederationWBSC
Founded 2013 · Lausanne, Switzerland
Official site ↗
USA Softball
Founded 1933 · Oklahoma City, USA
Official site ↗
National Pro Fastpitch (Athletes Unlimited)
Founded 1976 · United States

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

Cat Osterman
Jennie Finch
Lisa Fernandez
Yukiko Ueno
Monica Abbott
Michele Smith
Dorothy 'Dot' Richardson
Natasha Watley

Records

Most consecutive Olympic gold medals (women)
USA — 3 (1996-2004) (2004)
Fastest recorded fastpitch pitch
Monica Abbott — 77 mph (124 km/h) (2016)
Most NCAA D-I softball titles
UCLA — 12 (2019)

Learn this sport

beginner

1
Underhand throwing
Practise a smooth arm circle at the hip and release near the front foot.
2
The bat-strike zone
Softball zone is armpit to knee — similar to baseball.
3
Base-running rules
No leading off in fastpitch; wait for the release.
4
Catch and throw drills
The larger ball changes hand positioning — practise with a size-appropriate glove.

intermediate

1
Windmill mechanics
Full arm-circle motion; explosive hip drive off the back foot.
2
Slap-hitting basics
Cross-over step at contact; run-through the box toward first base.
3
Bunt defence
Third baseman and pitcher chargeing on any bunt attempt.
4
Situational hitting
Move the runner, sacrifice, hit-and-run tactics.

advanced

1
Pitch arsenal
Add rise ball, drop, curve, screw and change-up to compete at elite level.
2
Reading the catcher
Understand pitch calls and set-up sequences.
3
Analytics & scouting
Spray charts, count tendencies, umpire-zone maps at the pro level.

Frequently asked

Is softball the same as baseball?+

No — softball uses a larger ball, underhand pitching, a smaller field, 7 innings, and slightly different rules (no leadoffs in fastpitch, mercy rule, tie-breaker).

Why is the ball called 'soft'?+

Original 1887 balls were soft (a boxing glove tied with rope). Modern balls are firm — the name stuck from tradition.

What is the difference between fastpitch and slowpitch?+

Fastpitch has fast, flat pitches; slowpitch requires a legal arc, with 10 players per side and typically no bunts or stealing.

Do men play international softball?+

Yes — men's fastpitch has its own WBSC World Cup, but the Olympic version has been women-only since 1996.

Is softball at the Olympics?+

Women's fastpitch was an Olympic sport 1996-2008, returned for Tokyo 2020, and is back for Los Angeles 2028.

Sources & provenance

Wikipedia — Softball— Wikipedia
WBSC Softball Rulebook— World Baseball Softball Confederation
USA Softball— USA Softball

Last verified 2026-08-24.community