SOFTBALL

1. Definition
Softball is a team game very similar to baseball, but played on a smaller
dimensions and with a different material.

It was created in 1887 by journalist

George Hancock. The first name
was mushball or kittenball.
Little by little it became more
popular and a large number of
foundations and associations were
created that brought together
softball players.
In 1991, women's fast pitch softball
was selected to debut as a medal
sport at the 1996 Summer Olympics
in Atlanta, Georgia.

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 2. How do you play?
The purpose of softball is to hit the
ball hard with a bat to send it away
and run along the three bases
distributed on the field, arranged in a
diamond shape, to return to the
starting point and score a run.
The team with the most runs wins
after seven innings, that is, after
seven team changes, which occur
when they manage to eliminate
three players.

In softball, there are two teams of nine participants each, who will alternate
during the game to adopt the defensive or offensive figure. The first of these is
spread over the field, in order to cover the entire playing area. There are two
special positions within this group, the pitcher, who is located just in front of
first base and is in charge of throwing the ball to the batter, and the catcher,
who is positioned behind the batter to pick it up in case of a miss.
The rest of the players will be near the bases or on the grass area.

The offensive team is the one that hits the ball; only one does it per turn and
for this they use a bat. After hitting it, he must run to first base and go through
the rest.

In case of throwing it too far, the participant can even complete all the bases to
home plate in a game, and thus the rest of the players will pass through the
base to bat, while those who are on the field move along the others. A run is
scored when all three bases are completed and the launching point is reached.

There are a few ways for softball batters and runners to be eliminated, such
as:

● If the ball is caught in the air: If the ball is caught by a member of the
defensive team before it touches the ground, the batter will be
eliminated.
● When the runner is touched with the ball: If the runner is touched with
the ball before reaching any base, he must leave the field.
● If the ball is placed on the base: If a defensive player catches the ball
and touches the base with it before the runner arrives, the base is
nullified, so the player will be eliminated.

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 ● Three strikes: Hitting the ball badly, not hitting it, or throwing it outside
the delimited side zones, is a strike, and when three in a row occur the
participant is ejected from the game.

There are some rules when it comes to throwing the ball, thus, the hand of the
player who puts the ball in play must do so below the chest and towards an
area above the base (home) and an imaginary rectangle between the armpits
and knees of the batter; if it is done outside that area it will not be valid.

The umpire will stand on each pitch behind the catcher to check that this is
being met.

3. Positions

1. Pitcher: He is in charge of throwing the ball in such a way that the batter
cannot connect with it. In conjunction with the catcher, he decides what pitch to

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make for this purpose. In addition, he participates in bunt coverage, covers the
first and third bases, or home plate in case he makes a wild pitch.

2. Catcher: Stands behind home plate to receive pitchers' pitches. In addition,

he is in charge of eliminating runners who try to steal a base and sending
signals to the rest of the team about the plays to be executed.

3. First baseman: He is in charge of first base; receives pitches from infielders

(second, shortstop, third, pitcher, and catcher) to eliminate a batter who did not
hit advantageously. It also covers delayed touches and thefts.

4. Second base: Take care of second base; When a hit goes out between first
and second base, he is in charge of catching it and throwing it to first base to
complete the out. If there is a runner on first and the bat goes into the shortstop
field, he is responsible for covering second for a double play. He also does bunt
coverage and relief shots from the outfield.

5. Third base: Take care of the third base. He is in charge of preventing a bat
from sneaking over the line that delimits the field on the left wing. It also has the
function of touch coverage.

6. Shortstop: Plays between second and third base, and his role is to prevent
balls that go through that sector from sneaking into left field. He can cover
second and third base. If there is a runner on first and the ball goes into the
second baseman's field, he is responsible for covering second to execute a
double play. He also participates in bunt coverage and relief shooting from the
outfield

7. Left fielder: He is in charge of preventing the balls raised by that sector from
falling on good ground and of fielding the grounded balls that exceed the
square. Because most hitters are right-handed, it is the outfielder who has the
most chances of responsibility. He covers the center fielder on balls that go into
the field between the two of them and gets behind the third baseman in case he
lets go of a ball.

8. Center fielder: This is the fielder who covers the most ground and supports
the other two on all balls directed at the ground between them. Because center
field is deeper, he is usually in charge of making throws to the plate to prevent
runs by step and run.

9. Right fielder: He is the outfielder who receives the fewest balls, as the
minority of hitters are left-handed. He is in charge of assisting the center fielder
and first baseman in case he does not catch a throw to get the batter out.