The pitcher for softball has the same duties as the pitcher in baseball, including pitching to batters and fielding batted balls, but the field and the underhanded delivery make for a different set of terminology. Since softball pitchers throw underhand, they are capable of throwing pitches that an overhand baseball pitcher could not.
Pitching Circle and Rubber
There is no pitcher's mound on a softball diamond; instead, there's a pitcher's circle that is level with the playing field and simply outlined in chalk. There is a rectangular pitcher's rubber in the center of the circle that the pitcher must keep her foot on, maintaining contact until she releases the ball.
Strike Zone
The strike zone is the area that a pitcher aims for to get batters out. It is the width of the plate and from the bottom of the sternum to the top of the knees. This zone is very similar to baseball, and varies slightly between umpires based on the human element of determining where the ball crossed the plate.
Riseball
The riseball is a term unique to softball and is made possible by the underhand delivery of a pitch. It is accomplished by using your fingers to put spin on the seams at the bottom of the ball so that the ball rotates from bottom to top, causing it to rise slightly as it approaches the plate. Your fingertips should be the last thing to touch the ball, at the bottom seam, to get the proper spin. This is a difficult pitch to master, as it requires great velocity and spin, and only a small percentage of softball pitchers ever develop a true riseball.
Screwball/Curveball
A screwball is another pitch predominantly used in softball and breaks from left to right for a right-handed pitcher lined up on the left side of the rubber. The curveball breaks in the opposite direction, from right to left for a right-handed pitcher.
Dropball
A dropball is essentially the opposite of a riseball, in that it drops off rather than rises as it approaches the plate. A pitcher can accomplish it by snapping the wrist and fingers above the ball, so that the front spin causes the ball to drop off toward the plate.
Other Terminology
Almost all of the other terminology is the same in softball pitching as it is in baseball. Pitchers can pitch out to try to catch runners attempting to steal, and go through a windup do deliver the ball to the plate. The goal is to retire the batters via strikeout, ground out or fly out.
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