Blog: Ace

Softball in the UK

Softball was invented in the late 19th century as a variation of the American sport of Baseball – though Softball is now a completely separate sport in its own right.

Softball is played by women and girls, men and boys or by both sexes together, and it has two main formats: Fastpitch and Slowpitch. Both are played in the UK, though Slowpitch is the main format in this country. Slowpitch Softball is one of the few sports in which teams are usually made up of women and men (or girls and boys) playing together.

Softball is essentially an outdoor warm-weather game, with the season running from mid-April through September (though there is also an indoor form of Softball played in sports halls during the winter). The rules, equipment and field of play are very similar to Baseball, except that the ball is somewhat larger (it’s not really soft!) and the field is smaller.

The most important difference between the two formats of Softball has to do with the way the ball is “pitched” (thrown) to the batter. When the ball is pitched to the batter in Slowpitch Softball, it’s simply lobbed underarm in a gentle arc. This means that everyone can hit it! The result is lots of exciting action and the game often turns on how well the defending team can deal with those hits. In Fastpitch Softball, the ball is still thrown with an underarm motion, but at considerable speed, so hitting is more difficult and games often turn on tactics, strategy and the central confrontation between pitchers and batters.

The rules and the basic techniques of Softball are easy to pick up, and Slowpitch Softball, in particular, is not a game that requires great athleticism or endurance to play successfully – which is why it literally has players ranging in age from 8 to 80! But whatever format of Softball is played, it is a fascinating and exciting game with tactical depth and a range of satisfying skills to be learned and enjoyed.

Who Plays the Game?

Slowpitch Softball has been one of the fastest growing adult team sports in the UK over the past two decades. Beginning with a handful of teams in 1984, the sport now has over 20 leagues and 400 teams located in cities and towns all over the country, from Brighton to Edinburgh. Softball is also well entrenched in Jersey, Guernsey and the Republic of Ireland.

Initially, Softball enjoyed its major growth in London and the South, and around two-thirds of all teams are still found there. But since the mid-1990s the rest of the country has been catching up fast.

Teams are often formed through companies, sports clubs, voluntary organisations, schools – or simply groups of friends. There are some single-sex Slowpitch teams for both men and women, but over 90% of Slowpitch teams are mixed, generally with equal numbers of men and women on the field. Fastpitch teams are almost always single-sex, and while most Fastpitch teams in the UK are female teams (for both women and girls), there are also men’s teams. Most adult Fastpitch players are in their 20s or 30s, but many Slowpitch players carry on into their 50s or even longer.

The game is also beginning to take hold in many schools, colleges and youth organisations in Britain, as an enjoyable summer team sport that’s more interesting and challenging than rounders but less demanding and more accessible and social than cricket.

Softball is now recognised within the National Curriculum and is an ideal sport for mixed or single-sex groups of young people from eight upwards. Tee-Ball, a “short form” of the game, is used with younger children; while from the age of 10 or 11, Modified Schools Softball allows young people the option of moving towards either the Fastpitch or Slowpitch format.

Worldwide, Softball is played by nearly 10 million people in 128 countries and one format, Women’s Fastpitch, has been a Medal Sport in the Olympic Games since 1996 (though the sport has sadly been dropped from the Olympic programme after 2008).

Where is Softball Played?

A Softball pitch, or “diamond”, can be marked out on any level and reasonably flat area of grass. The field of play is contained within a right angle, with the sides of the angle approximately 85 metres long for adult Slowpitch play and approximately 64 metres for Fastpitch or youth play.

The only field equipment required is a set of four bases, including a home plate where batters stand to hit the ball when it’s thrown by the pitcher.

How is Softball Played?

A Slowpitch Softball team consists of 10 players. When on defence, there are four inner defenders (“infielders”), four outer defenders (“outfielders”), a “pitcher” (equivalent to a bowler in cricket), and a “catcher” (equivalent to a wicket-keeper). A Fastpitch team has nine players, with one less outfielder.

A game consists of seven innings, in each of which both teams bat until three players are out. The “visiting” team always bats first in each inning. The team that has scored the most runs after seven complete innings wins. If the score is tied at the end of seven innings, extra innings are played until one team wins.

A typical game of Slowpitch Softball takes anything from 45 to 90 minutes, depending on the efficiency of the teams at getting opposing batters out! A game of Fastpitch Softball generally takes between one and two hours.

In Britain, Softball teams – especially Slowpitch teams – usually compete in leagues where games are played on midweek evenings after work or school. But keener teams can also play in a large number of tournaments that are available around the country on every weekend during the season, and there are some independent teams that only play in tournaments and not in leagues.

National Championships are held every year in three grades of Mixed Slowpitch and two grades of Men’s and Women’s Slowpitch, and also in Junior and Senior Women’s Fastpitch.

What Equipment is Required?

Softball doesn’t require a great deal of equipment – though baseball-style uniforms and accessories have become fashion items and some teams sport some pretty fancy gear!

The basic items of equipment, available from specialist suppliers and increasingly from sports shops, are Softball Bats, Softballs and Fielder’s Gloves. Starter Kits containing these items, plus a set of bases, are available at concessionary rates to equip new youth and schools teams.

Most teams wear some kind of uniform, ranging from simple T-shirts to full kit and accessories.

How Does Britain Rate Internationally?

Considering that Softball is a small sport in the UK without media attention or very much funding, our national teams have done amazingly well on a world level.

The Great Britain Co-ed Slowpitch Team has won the European Championship five straight times since the competition started in 1998, and won a Slowpitch World Cup competition in 2002. Great Britain will be hosting the European Slowpitch Championships in Southampton in July 2008.

The GB Women’s Fastpitch Team has narrowly failed to qualify for the Olympics, but finished 10th at the 2006 World Championships and is currently ranked 5th in Europe. The GB Men’s Fastpitch Team finished ninth at the 2004 World Championships and is ranked fourth in Europe.

How is Softball Administered?

The British Softball Federation (BSF) is the governing body for the sport in the UK. The BSF carries out a range of administrative and membership services, including organisation of national championships, sanctioning of leagues and tournaments and the provision of insurance and player registration.

An agency called BaseballSoftballUK (BSUK) is funded by Sport England and is responsible for the development of the sport, particularly in such areas as youth and schools Softball and the creation of coaching structures and programmes. BSUK provides training materials and manuals for coaching, school curriculum materials, coach training from Levels 1-4, training for teachers and youth workers, player training through courses and clinics and the provision of qualified coaches as requested by groups inside or outside Softball. The agency also maintains a website for Softball, publishes newsletters and runs the British Softball Youth Academy. For more information on the BSF or BSUK and their services and activities, contact: info@baseballsoftballuk.com.

The BSF’s umpiring arm, the British Association of Softball Umpires (BASU), provides training materials and manuals for umpiring, umpire training to various levels, rules clinics and courses for leagues and teams, qualified umpires as requested for leagues and tournaments, and umpire and safety-related merchandise for umpires and the wider Softball community. For more information on BASU and its services and courses, visit the BASU website on: www.basu.org.uk.

How Can I Start Playing?

Chances are that there are youth or adult Softball teams near you that will welcome new players or leagues that will welcome new teams. Clinics and training sessions are available in many regions to help new players and teams learn basic rules and skills.

To find out about Softball in your area or for more general information about the game, contact: info@baseballsoftballuk.com.

by Ace on 19:41 on 14th January 2008