3RD QUARTER, 2ND SEMESTER HEALTH OPTIMIZING PHYSICAL EDUCATION 11

SOFTBALL
Prepared by: Ms. Shirmaine P. Pascua
 SOFTBALL
a modified form of baseball played on a smaller
field with a larger ball, seven rather than nine
innings, and underarm pitching.
The game evolved during the late 19th century from
a form of indoor baseball.
Softball is a variant of baseball played with a larger
ball on a smaller field
 HISTORY OF SOFTBALL
The earliest known softball game was played in
Chicago, Illinois on Thanksgiving Day, 1887. It took place
at the Farragut Boat Club at a gathering to hear the
outcome of the Yale University and Harvard University
football game.
When the score was announced and bets were settled, a
Yale alumnus threw a boxing glove at a Harvard
supporter. The other person grabbed a stick and swung
at it.
 HISTORY OF SOFTBALL
George Hancock called out "Play ball!" and the
game began, with the boxing glove tightened into
a ball, a broom handle serving as a bat.
George Hancock is credited as the game's
inventor for his development of ball and an
undersized bat in the next week.
 HISTORY OF SOFTBALL
The Farragut Club soon set rules for the game,
which spread quickly to outsiders. Envisioned as
a way for baseball players to maintain their skills
during the winter, the sport was called "Indoor
Baseball". Under the name of "Indoor-Outdoor",
the game moved outside in the next year, and the
first rules were published in 1889.
 HISTORY OF SOFTBALL

1895 - Lewis Rober, Sr. of Minneapolis

organized outdoor games as exercise for
firefighters; this game was known as kitten ball
 DIMENSION OF SOFTBALL FIELD
The playing field is divided into two:
Fair territory
is the area between the foul lines, including the foul lines
and foul poles. A batted ball that first contacts fair territory
is considered fair.
Foul territory
The area outside the first and third base lines extended to
the fence and perpendicularly upwards. The foul lines and
foul poles are not part of foul territory.
 DIMENSION OF SOFTBALL FIELD

Behind home plate is a “backstop”.

It must be between 25 and 30 feet behind home plate
depending on the type of division that is playing.
Home Plate is one corner of a diamond with 'bases' at each
corner. The bases other than home plate are 15 inch
square, of canvas or a similar material, and not more than
5 inch thick.
 EQUIPMENTS IN SOFTBALL

The ball is most often covered in white or yellow leather

in two pieces roughly the shape of a figure-8 and sewn
together with red thread although other coverings are
permitted.
The core of the ball may be made of long fiber kapok, or
a mixture of cork and rubber, or a polyurethane mixture,
or another approved material.
 EQUIPMENTS IN SOFTBALL

The bat used by the batter can be made of wood,

aluminum, or composite materials such as carbon fiber.
Sizes may vary but they may be no more than
34 inches long, 6 inches in diameter, or 1.2 kilograms in
mass. The standard bat barrel diameter for both slow
pitch and fast pitch softball is 21/4 inches.
 EQUIPMENTS IN SOFTBALL

The glove is used by all defensive players, made of

leather or similar material. Gloves have webbing between
the thumb and the forefinger, known as the “pocket”
Gloves used in Softball are usually larger than one used
in baseball. No glove larger that 14"
 EQUIPMENTS IN SOFTBALL

The uniform may include a cap or visor, a shirt, tight

sliding undershorts (optional), socks. and pants; these
are the components for which standards are set. All
players are required to wear shoes. They may have
cleats or spikes. The spikes must extend less than 0.75
inch away from the sole. Rounded metal spikes are
illegal, as are ones made from hard plastic or other
synthetic materials.
 PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENTS
A helmet must have two ear flaps, one on each side.
Helmets and cages that are dan or altered are forbidden.
Helmets must be v batters and runners in fast pitch.
Helmets are optional in slow pitch. In fast pitch, the
catcher must wear a protective helmet with a face-mask
and throat protector, shin guards and body protector.
Shin guards also protect the kneecap
 PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENTS

In slow pitch, the catcher must wear a helmet and mask

at youth levels.
At adult levels, there is no formal requirement for the
catcher to wear a mask, although the official rules
recommend it a female catcher may optionally wear a
body protector in slow pitch
 GAME PLAY IN SOFTBALL

A softball game can last anywhere from 3 to 7 innings,

depending on the league, rules, and type of softball;
however 7 innings is the most common. In each inning,
each team bats until three batters have been put out. The
teams take turns batting.
 GAME PLAY IN SOFTBALL

Officially, which team bats first is decided by a coin toss,

although a league may decide otherwise at its discretion.
The most common rule is that the home team bats
second. Batting second is also called "last at-bat".
 GAME PLAY IN SOFTBALL

Pitching- play begins with the umpire saying "Play Ball".

After the batter is ready and all fielders (except the
catcher) are in fair territory, the pitcher stands at the
pitching plate and attempts to throw the ball past the
batter to the catcher behind home plate.
 GAME PLAY IN SOFTBALL

The throw, or pitch, must be made with an

underarm motion: the ball must be released below the
hip when the hand is no farther from the hip than the
elbow to get it in the strike zone.
 GAME PLAY IN SOFTBALL

For fast pitch softball, the traditional pitching style is a

"windmill" motion, extending the throwing hand around
the body and releasing the ball at about hip level at
maximum speeds. The pitcher tries to throw the ball so
that it passes through the "strike zone". A pitch that
passes through that zone is a "strike".
 GAME PLAY IN SOFTBALL

Batters
The offensive team sends one batter at a time to home
plate to use the bat to try to hit the pitch forward into fair
territory. The order the players bat in, known as the
batting order, must stay the same throughout the game.
The batter stands facing the pitcher inside a batter’s
box.
 GAME PLAY IN SOFTBALL
• Fly ball - a batted ball hit high in the air .
• Pop fly- a fly ball hit upward at an angle greater than
45 degrees.
• Line drive - a batted ball driven in the air through the
infield at a height at which an infielder could play it if
in the right position.
• Ground ball- a batted ball which hits the ground
within the diamond.
 GAME PLAY IN SOFTBALL
The batter is out if:
• three strikes are called "strikeout" hit by the batter is
caught before touching the ground "flyout".
• the batter goes to a base that is already tagged
("tagged" or "tag play")
• a fielder holding the ball touches a base which is the
only base towards which the batter may run before
the batter arrives there (a "force out" or "force play")
 GAME PLAY IN SOFTBALL

Run- is scored when a player has touched all four bases

in order, proceeding counterclockwise around them. A
run is not scored if the last out is a force out or occurs
during the same play that the runner crosses home plate.
PLAYING POSITIONS IN SOFTBALL

There are 9 players out on the field at one time in fast-

pitch softball and 10 players in slow-pitch softball.
1. Pitcher- is the individual who throws the ball from the
middle of the diamond.
[Link]- the catcher is normally behind home plate in
squatted position.
PLAYING POSITIONS IN SOFTBALL
3. First baseman- is the position to the right side of the
diamond when facing the field. The major role of the first
baseman is to receive throws from other defensive
players in order to get a force play at first base.
4. Second baseman- plays between the first baseman
plays in between the first baseman and the gap at
second.
PLAYING POSITIONS IN SOFTBALL
5. Shortstop - The shortstop fields all balls hit to the
infield between the second and third bases.
6. Third baseman - The third baseman is the position on
the left side of the diamond when you are looking at the
field.
7,8, [Link] - The outfielders are players that cover
the grassy area behind the infield. Outfielders are named
for their positions in the field relative to home plate.
 RULES AND REGULATIONS
• Field, Players, and Equipment
• The Field - The baselines will be 6 feet. The
distance from pitcher's mound to home plate will be
50 feet.
• The Players - A team must have 9 players to start or
to continue a game with the maximum of 10 players
 RULES AND REGULATIONS
• Substitutes - A player is officially in the game when
her name has been entered on the official score sheet.
Once a player leaves the line- up, she may re-enter the
game. FREE SUBSTITUTION- All teams must turn in
batting order. Only in case of injury and that player
cannot return to the game.
• The captain is the only player who may address the
officials during the game, but only on matters of rules
interpretation.
 RULES AND REGULATIONS
• Equipment - No metal screws or screwin cleats are
allowed. Rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets are
advised not to be worn. Bats official softball bats.
• The pitcher must take a position with both feet firmly
on the ground and with one or both feet in contact with
the pitcher's plate.
 RULES AND REGULATIONS
• The pitcher shall not deliberately stop, roll, or bounce
the ball while in the pitching position in order to prevent
the batter from striking it.
• Intentional walks may be made by informing the plate
umpire, no pitches are necessary.
• The batter shall not hinder the catcher from fielding or
throwing the ball by stepping out of the batter's box, or
intentionally hindering the catcher while standing
within the batter's box.
 RULES AND REGULATIONS
• 4 balls constitute a walk.
• 3 strikes constitutes an out (strike out).
• If the batter has a foul after receive the second strike,
the batter is out.
• Each batter will start with a 1 ball/1 strike count.
• Games consist of 7 innings.
 SKILLS IN SOFTBALL

• Catching and Fielding- above waist and below waist-

ground balls and fly balls.
• Throwing- over arm or underarm.
• Pitching- basic offensive skill includes grip, stance,
stride, and swing.
 TERMS IN SOFTBALL

• Base on balls- batter to advance base by the umpire

calling four pitches outside the strike zone
• Defense team- team on the field
• Double- two base hit
• Double play- defensive play results in two outs as a
result of continuous action.
• Error- mishandling of the ball by the defense team
 TERMS IN SOFTBALL

• Fair ball- ball hit within the area boundaries of the field
first, second, third base
• Fly ball- any ball batted into the air
• Foul tip- foul ball which goes directly from the bat, not
higher than the batter's head, to the catcher's hand and
is legally caught.
 TERMS IN SOFTBALL

• Force Out- runner is forced to move may tag runner or

touch base.
• Home run- ball batted into fair territory which enable
the batter to all four bases in one play.
• Infield- portion of the field which is included within the
diamond made by the baseline.
 TERMS IN SOFTBALL

• Infield Fly- fair fly ball which can be caught with

ordinary effort when first and second or first, second,
and third bases are occupied before two are out.
• Offensive team- team at bat
• Foul Ball- ball hit outside of the baseline. determined
by; infield- where it rests and outfield- where it first hits