Softball was invented in Illinois, thanks to a group of Ivy Leaguers. According to the Amateur Softball Association of American, alumni from Harvard and Yale gathered at Chicago's Farragut Boat Club to hear the results of the schools' 1887 football game. The popularly accepted story is that upon learning of Yale's 17-8 win, one of the victor's alums threw a tied up boxing glove at a Harvard alum. What happened next became the sport known as softball.
A Tied-Up Boxing Glove
The Yale alumnus' throw became the first softball pitch on record. The ASA says the intended target swung at the glove with a stick, batting the boxing glove back at the pitcher. A bystander, George Hancock, suggested playing a game of indoor baseball in the club's gymnasium. After dividing the group into teams, Hancock tied off the boxing glove into the shape of a ball and used chalk to mark bases, a batter's box and pitcher's space. The game followed baseball's rules and was played for one hour. The result was the first softball game, which ended in a final score of 41-40.
An Indoor Game
Softball was never intended to be played outside. Its accidental founding led to Hancock developing a indoor winter alternative to baseball, as Chicago was known for its brutally cold winters and its nickname, "The Windy City."
Hancock's Innovations
Driven by the development of something new, Hancock had a round, symmetrical ball constructed. It was softer than a baseball to minimize damage to indoor walls and floors. According to World of Sports Science, Hancock also had a small, rubber-headed bat commissioned. He went back to the boat club and had the floor painted with permanent, even foul lines. World of Sports Science says Hancock's design of the game placed emphasis on tactics and strategy rather than just hitting the ball hard.
Move to Minneapolis
Minneapolis firefighter Lewis Rober is credited with making the biggest changes to the game, namely bringing it outside. Rober, in need of activities to keep his firefighters occupied while on duty, moved the game to a field adjacent to his firehouse. According to Softball Performance, Rober employed a softer ball measuring 10 to 20 inches in diameter. He was also the first to use innings instead of a clock to measure the game length. Rober's games were limited to seven innings.
Standardizing Softball
The founding of the ASA in 1933 brought the various iterations and regional rules of the American game under one organization. One of the major advancements made by the ASA was varying rules by age group. Recognizing that age groups had differing abilities, the ASA adopted rules governing the distance between home plate and the pitcher's rubber -- 35 feet for youth and 50 feet for adults -- and between each base, 55 feet for children and 65 feet for adult players. It also standardized the size of the ball.
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