About Fastpitch Softball
The Game of Fast Pitch Softball
The sport of softball is relatively young compared to most sports. It originated in 1887 in Chicago, Illinois by a man named George Hancock. It began as an indoor version of baseball. As the sport's popularity grew throughout the United States, Canada quickly adopted it as it was easily played indoors during the winter months. As the summer season came around, softball turned to a permanent residence on the outdoor fields. Today, the sport of softball is played by more than 3 million Canadians. Softball is played on almost any surface, although grass is the most common. It is played on a field called a diamond, and the field is divided into two areas, the infield and the outfield. The infield is bounded by the home plate and the three bases. The distance between the bases is 60 feet for fast pitch.
A team consists of nine players. A game lasts seven innings. In each half inning, one team will field while the other team bats. The team to score the most runs at the end of the seven innings wins.
Players bat in the order on the scoresheet. The batter stands within the batter's box and the pitcher pitches to the batter. There are two types of pitches, a strike and a ball. A strike is a ball pitched into the strike zone, that the batter does not swing at, or swings and misses, or hits into foul territory. A ball is a ball pitched outside the strike zone and not swung at by the hitter.
Once a batter hits the ball they must run to first base, or beyond. If a batter does not hit the ball on the third strike they are out if the catcher catches the ball, or is the batter is hit by the ball or the ball is bunted into foul territory or fewer than two teammates are out and the first base is occupied; if they are not out they must run to first base before the ball is caught by a player touching first base. If before three strikes are reached four balls have been pitched the batter may walk to first base.
After hitting the ball the batter tries to advance from base to base around the diamond. A batter can only run when the ball is hit into "fair territory," that is the area between the two sides of the diamond from the home plate. A run is scored each time a batter runs around the diamond to the home plate. If a batter runs all the way around the bases as a result of one hit this is referred to as a "home run."
(from Softball Victoria website)
Comparison of Softball and Baseball
The following table compares baseball and softball. Both games are usually low scoring.
| Item | Baseball | Men's Fast Pitch Softball |
|---|---|---|
| Size of ball | 9 inch | 12 inch |
| Length of bases | 90 feet | 60 feet |
| Innings | 9 | 7 |
| Pitching distance | 60 feet 6 inches from a mound | 46 feet and there is no mound in softball |
| Number of players on field | 9 | 9 |
| Stealing | Allowed to take a lead | No lead until ball leaves the pitchers hand |
| Type of pitching | Overhand | Underhand; one revolution of the arm |
| Dimensions of the field | Outfield fence up to 400 feet | Outfield fence 225 feet |
| Length of time for a game | 3 hours | anywhere from 1 hour on but usually 1.5 hours |
Types of Softball Pitching
There are 3 types of softball pitching:
- fastpitch where the player winds up and uses a windmill motion with only one revolution
- slow pitch where the ball is arced and pitched slowly towards the plate and
- orthodox where pitchers pitch with no windmill motion