Sports : Softball (Slow Pitch)

What’s Slow Pitch Softball?

Softball is a team sport in which a ball (about the size of a grapefruit) is thrown underhand by a player and hit by an offensive player called a batter. In softball there is an offensive team, the team that bats to attempt to score, and a defensive team, the team that occupies the field. Scoring is accomplished when a batter from the offensive team advances and touches a series of three raised markers on the ground called bases, and then touching the final base, called home plate.

Both teams switch between offense and defense after the defensive team makes three outs. Outs can be made in many ways. A defensive player (a fielder) can catch a hit ball before it hits the ground, making an out. A fielder can also hold the ball while touching a base, when an offensive player (here, a base runner) is forced to advance, before the runner reaches that base. If the runner is not forced to advance, the runner must be tagged with the ball to be called out. A pitcher "strikes" out the batter, resulting in an out.

A strikeout is when the pitcher throws three strikes to the batter. A strike is given when there is a good pitch, which the batter does not hit, when the batter swings at the ball and misses it or when the batter fouls off the ball. The batter is also given four balls. A ball is a bad pitch. If the batter receives four balls, the batter is awarded first base. This is known as a walk. Good and bad pitches are determined by the strikezone. The strike zone is a rectangular area that extends for the width of homeplate and the length runs from the knees of the batter to just below the shoulders.Softball has a set number of innings, usually seven or nine. An inning is one series of both teams playing offense and defense. At the end of the set number of innings the team with the highest score wins.Softball is a direct descendant of baseball.