Softball By: Lindsay Harjak

Types of Softball There are two types of softball. Slow Pitch and Fast Pitch

Softball - Object of the Game- To score more runs than the opposing team. The team with the most runs at the end of the game wins. Slow pitch softball is an American pastime that can be enjoyed by all ages. Leagues are formed for children, men, women and coed teams. The rules differ from baseball and fast pitch softball.

Softball - History Softball originated in Chicago on Thanksgiving Day, 1887. A group of about twenty young men had got together in the gym.. A man picked up a stray boxing glove and threw it at someone, who hit it with a pole. The first softball game was played using a rolled up boxing glove as a ball and a broom stick as a bat.

Softball - Game length Softball games are played in units called innings. There are seven scheduled innings in a softball game, during which each team has the opportunity to bat. The visiting team bats in the first half of each inning, called the “top of the inning;” the home team bats in the second half of each inning, called the “bottom of the inning.” There is no set time that an inning lasts; each half of the inning continues until the defense accumulates three outs. If the game is tied after the last inning, the game goes into “extra innings,” and continues until one team holds a lead at the end of an inning. There are also often run rules that can also end the game early. For example, a league may specify that if a team is ahead by 10 runs or more in the fifth inning, the game will be over.

Softball- Rules Batting- Some PE games allow teams to have all batters bat regardless of 3 of outs.as they'd like. Coed leagues usually require teams to alternate male and female batters. Bases are 65 feet apart, and neither base stealing nor bunting is allowed. The count includes three balls for a walk and two strikes for an out. Foul balls are considered strikes. Failure to slide when a play is at the base toward which a player is advancing can also be called an out. Infield fly rule: automatically called a outs when there are two players on base and less than 2 outs. Runners have the option to advance on a caught fly ball, but they must wait until the ball is caught to move forward.

Softball – Primary Offensive objective: score runs and avoid outs Softball – Primary Offensive objective: score runs and avoid outs. Defense objective: prevent runs and create outs Offensive strategy- A run is scored every time a base runner touches all four bases, in the sequence of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and home. A hit occurs when the ball is hit into the field of play and the batter reaches 1st base before the defense throws the ball to the base, or gets an extra base (2nd, 3rd, or home) before being tagged out.

Batting Stance When you are batting, you want to make sure your legs are a little more than shoulder widths apart. You should try to keep your back elbow up and your bat off your shoulder. .

Swing You must make sure when you are batting, that you watch for the pitcher’s release point. As soon as the pitcher releases the ball, take a 1-5inch step with your front foot (but must keep your back foot in one place.) When you are making contact with the ball, twist your foot. This is usually called “Squishing the bug.”

Softball- Defensive strategy There are 9 defensive players allowed on the field at once. On defense, when a player is at-bat, the pitcher has an opportunity to get them out by throwing three strikes, called a strikeout. If the batter hits a pitch, the defense can create a force out by throwing the ball to 1st base before the batter can reach the base, tag out by tagging the base runner, or fly-out by catching the ball in the air. Once the defense creates three outs, it switches to be on offense. PE class options:1) all bat-all hit- NO OUTS. 2) use 3 balls & 2 strikes to 3 outs per inning.

Softball - Pitching The pitcher's mound is 50 feet from home plate. All pitches are thrown underhand. The pitcher must have contact with at least one foot and the rubber mound marker before throwing a pitch. In Slow Pitch, the pitcher has to lob the ball in the air. 6 ft min arc to 12 ft high arc, with slow speed If the batter does not swing and it hits home plate, it is considered a strike. .

Field & Player Positions

Softball – Positions - Nine players man the field, while nine batters hit in a predetermined order for each team, know as the “batting order” or “lineup.” Infielders: Pitcher: Pitches the ball from the pitcher’s mound to the catcher. Catcher: Crouches behind home plate and receives pitches thrown by the pitcher. Also receives throws from fielders attempting to make outs at home plate. First baseman: “Fields,” or defends, balls hit near the 1st base line. Receives throws from fielders attempting to make outs at 1st base. Second baseman: Fields balls hit near 2nd base. Receives throws from fielders attempting to make outs at 2nd base. Makes double-play. Third baseman: Fields balls hit near the 3rd base line. Receives throws from other fielders attempting to make outs at 3rd base. Shortstop: Fields balls hit between the second baseman and third baseman. Covers 2nd base when the ball is hit to the second baseman. Outfielders: Three outfielders — left fielder , center fielder and right fielder — attempt to catch balls hit into their portion of the outfield. Balls hit to the outfield are generally ground balls or fly balls hit past the infield. Other positions include substitute players called “pinch hitters” who replace a batter, or “pinch runners” who replace a base runner.

Field & Player Positions

Softball - Equipment Equipment differs for offensive and defensive positions. On offense, batters have a wooden or aluminum bat, batting gloves for grip, and batting helmets for protection. On defense, fielders use a leather glove. The catcher has special protective equipment, including a face mask, chest protector, and shin/leg guards. The uniform consists of a jersey; pants, shorts, or skirt; and a baseball cap, visor, or headband.

Glossary At-bat: A player’s turn batting while their team is on offense. Ball: Pitch that travels outside the strike zone that the hitter does not swing at. Four balls result in a walk. Count: Term used to describe a batter’s balls and strikes during an at-bat. The number of balls is first, followed by the number of strikes. “Three and two” is three balls and two strikes. Double play: A play in which the defense records two outs. Error: Charged to a defensive player for mistakes that should have resulted in an out. Fair: A ball that, when hit, lands between the two foul lines and stays in bounds past first or third base. A home run is also a fair ball. Fly ball: Ball hit with a high, arcing trajectory. Fly-out: If a ball is caught by one of the nine fielders before it bounces, the batter is out. Base runners must tag-up during a fly-out. Force out: After a batter hits the ball, she must advance to 1st base. The defense can get her out by throwing the fielded ball to 1st base before the runner reaches the base. Additionally, other base runners must advance if they are forced by a base runner behind them.

Foul: Ball hit outside the two foul lines. Results in a strike Foul: Ball hit outside the two foul lines. Results in a strike. When a batter hits a foul ball with two strikes, the count remains the same and at bat continues, because a foul cannot cause a strikeout. A “foul tip” is a foul ball hit directly behind the batter. Ground ball: Ball hit with a low trajectory that bounces on the ground in the infield. Hit: A batted ball that allows a batter to safely reach base. A single (advances to 1st base), double (advances to 2nd base), triple (advances to 3rd base), and home run are all types of hits. A ball’s trajectory is usually a ground ball, linedrive, or fly ball. Home run: Fair ball hit over the outfield fence between the foul poles. Batter & runners on base are awarded home plate and each scores a run. Line drive: Ball hit with a trajectory almost parallel to the ground. Out: The defense must create three “outs,” by strikeout, force-out, fly-out, or tag-out, before it can switch to offense. Referees/ umpires, govern the game to ensure fair & safe play. They use hand gestures and verbal calls to signal their rulings on the field. The two most important signals in softball are safe and out.

Run: Scored when an offensive player safely tags home plate. Sacrifice: A batter strategically hits the ball into an out situation to advance or score a runner. Usually a “sacrifice bunt” or “sacrifice fly.” Safe: Called when a runner reaches a base without getting tagged out or avoids a force out. Strike: A ball that a batter swings at and misses, hits foul, or fails to swing at that crosses the strike zone. A batter strikes out after three strikes. Strike zone: The area above home plate between a batter’s knees and her armpits. Tag out: A base runner that is not on a base when she is tagged by a player with the ball is out. Tag up: A player waits for a fly ball to be caught before advancing to the next base or else the defense can throw the ball to the base that the runner was on before she can return to it and record another out. Walk: Four balls from a pitcher results in the batter receiving a “walk,” and the batter automatically advances to 1st base. Players on successive bases who are “forced” to advance may move to the next base.