Unlike many other sports, which are timed, softball does not have a time limit but rather a set number of outs for each team. This can make it difficult to predict how long a game will last, but it also gives teams the chance to decide a winner without worrying about time. Late game comebacks remain possible in softball, because teams can keep scoring until stopped by the defense.
Outs per Inning
Each offensive team gets three outs per inning. This means that over the course of an entire inning, you see six outs recorded. Once the defensive team records three outs, the teams switch places and the defensive team becomes the offensive team. You cannot score any runs after the third out of a half inning.
Outs per Game
Softball games consist of seven completed innings. Therefore, every team has 21 outs per game. In a tied game, teams will play additional innings to decide a winner. The teams will still receive three outs per inning, but the game will continue until one team scores more runs in an inning than the other team.
Recording an Out
You can record outs in many different ways, starting with catching a fly ball. You must make sure that you hold onto the ball long enough for the umpire to announce the out, because dropping it can negate the out. A force out occurs when you throw the ball to a base before the runner arrives and the runner cannot return to his previous base because another runner has arrived there. Strikeouts in softball occur after the batter reaches two or three strikes, depending on the type of softball played. You can also record an out if you tag a runner away from the base while holding the ball.
Exceptions
Situations do arise where teams do not receive three outs in an inning. If your team leads after six and a half innings of play and has last at-bat, you will not go up to bat in that inning. Your team will win that game without needing its final three outs. In a tied game, the team with last at-bat in the seventh inning might not need all three outs, as the game will end as soon as that team scores one run. The umpire can also call a game early if weather or darkness call for such a ruling, in which case both teams do not receive the allocated number of outs per game.
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