Currently, the Amateur Softball Association registers more than 245,000 softball teams each year, which includes more than 3.5 million softball players. Softball is played by men and women, both recreationally and competitively. Softball originated in 1887 and is currently played in different forms, including slow-pitch and fast-pitch.
Origination
Developed by George Hancock, a reporter for the Chicago Board of Trade, softball was played indoors with no gloves and a broomstick to hit the ball. Hancock added 19 special rules to play the game as an indoor game. The softball had a 16-inch diameter to keep the ball from going far and it was soft enough that players could safely catch the ball. To save players money during the Depression, gloves were not used.
Original Rules
In 1888, softball was moved outdoors to a field smaller than a baseball field. The same rules for strikes and outs were followed. A 10th player was added as the short center -- a position that covers the area around second base. The bases were moved from 45 feet to 60 feet and the ball was pitched with a slow and high arc. Until 1973, the game was still played without gloves.
Women and Slow Pitch
During a 55-team woman's team tournament in 1933, Leo Fischer, a sports reporter, and Michael Pauley, a sporting goods salesman, introduced the game of slow-pitch softball in Chicago. The tournament was a huge success and the Amateur Softball Association produced the first official rulebook of softball the following year.
Basic Rules
In softball, 10 players, including the pitcher, cover the infield and outfield. It is a direct descendant of baseball, but key differences include a larger ball; pitchers who throw underhand, in both fast-pitch and slow-pitch; and a smaller diamond and outfield. An average distance from home plate to the center field fence is 220 feet for females and 250 feet for males, compared to an average of 410 feet in baseball at center field. Up to nine innings can be played, but typically seven innings are played.
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