2. History  The name softball dates from 1926, and by the 1930s, similar sports with different rules and names were being played across the country, and into Canada.  Rules and the name “softball” were standardized in 1933 as the Amateur Softball Association was formed.

3. Women Begin to Play  The first women's softball team was formed in 1895 at Chicago's West Division High School.  They did not obtain a coach for competitive play until 1899.  The adoption of Title IX in 1972 by high schools and colleges fueled an explosion in women's softball, giving women more opportunity for scholarships, and a professional softball league, the International Women's Professional Softball League, was formed in 1976.

4. Softball Today  Today, the game is generally played in areas where baseball is also popular  Softball is the most popular participant sport in the United States, with an estimated 40 million Americans playing the game at least once a year, most playing the slow-pitch variety.  It is played by both genders socially as well as competitively.

5. Softball Field  Home Plate  17 x 17 inch plate that sits at the center of a 30-foot diameter, making up the home plate area.  Players must cover a 60-foot sprint to reach each consecutive base.  Bases  60 feet apart  Batter’s Box  3ft x 7ft  17 inches from home plate  Pitcher’s Circle  Pitcher’s circle, which is a full circle with the radius of 8 feet. Home plate is 46 feet away.  The pitchers plate which is located in the center of the pitcher’s circle is 6in x 24 in.

6. Softball  Softball allows two sizes of balls–those measuring 11 inches in circumference and those measuring 12.  The ball’s core consists of a mixture of rubber and cork.  Synthetic material covers the core, and cement joins the core and the cover. Waxed cotton or linen thread stitches the cover shut.  Despite their name, softballs are just as hard as baseballs.

7. Softball Bat  Bats measure up to 34 inches long and 2.25 inches in diameter, and they weigh up to 38 oz.  Softball bats include a safety grip of cork or tape measuring up to 10 inches and a safety knob at least a 1/4-inch long extends perpendicularly to the bat.  Most softball bats contain aluminum and composite material.

8. Softball Glove  Most players wear the same type of glove, except for the catcher and first baseman.  The webbing between the glove’s thumb and body cannot exceed 6 inches.

9. Softball Cleats  Rules dictate that all players wear shoes or cleats.  Players can wear cleats but not detachable cleats that screw into the shoes.