Some Lebanese, Syrians, Maltese, Tunisians, Algerians and a small percentage of Somalis, along with certain other island folk in the Mediterranean, still consider themselves descendants of Phoenicians.
By allowing these and other modifications, softball can be enjoyed by children, teenagers, and adults.
Softball is played, at some level, in over a hundred countries around the world..
Like in the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball, the committee decided to implement a World Cup of Softball, a yearly tournament showcasing the best softball teams throughout the world.
Due to the popularity of the sport, there are a multitude of governing bodies such as the United States Specialty Sports Association and the National Softball Association.
Softball has a set number of innings, usually seven or nine.
After World War II, Canadian soldiers introduced softball to the Netherlands.
Pony Girls Softball (Protect our Nation's Youth), one of the organization’s flagship programs, has categories on fast pitch and slow pitch, and is based on an “and under” age concept.
Equipment required in softball includes a ball, a bat, gloves, uniforms and protective gear, including helmets for the offensive team and a helmet and chest protector for the defensive catcher.
The 117th IOC Session of the International Olympic Committee, held in Singapore in July 2005, voted to drop softball and baseball as Olympic sports for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
Softball was introduced to the United Kingdom in 1962 when the movie A Touch of Class was being filmed in London.
Softball is also popular in Japan, Australia, Canada, China and New Zealand.
Steel is often cited as the first of several new areas for industrial mass-production, which are said to characterize a "Second Industrial Revolution," beginning around 1850.
Softball is a direct descendant of baseball, which is sometimes referred to as hardball to distinguish it from softball, but differs from it in several ways.
Sixteen-inch softball, also sometimes referred to as "mush ball" or "super-slow pitch," is a direct descendant of Hancock's original game.
The first softball league outside the United States was organized in Toronto in 1897.
The formation of the Joint Rules Committee on Softball in 1934 standardized the rules and naming throughout the United States.
One reason for the popularity of softball is the ease of modification of the rules, thereby allowing the game to be adapted to a variety of skill levels.
In Chicago, where softball was invented, it remains traditional to play with a ball 16 inches in circumference.
The support and stronghold that the ASA provided helped softball's popularity spread swiftly, as over 70,000 spectators flooded into stadiums to watch teams play in tournaments.
Cages are required at most age levels except the youngest level but are mandatory at higher levels of youth softball.
Gloves used in softball are generally larger than the ones used in baseball.
When the Amateur Softball Association sent its first team to compete in the first ISF Women’s World Championship in 1965, it was its baptismal in national team play for all practical purposes.
Some umpires wear a variant of the uniform: umpires from the United States Slo-Pitch Softball Association (USSSA), for example, wear red shirts with black shorts.
The International Softball Federation (ISF) holds world championships, held every four years, in several categories.
The 1996 Olympics also marked a key era in the introduction of technology in softball; the IOC funded a landmark biomechanical study on pitching during the games.
In 1991, women's fast-pitch softball was selected to debut at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Nowadays, the ASA is the main governing body of Softball, and hosts national championships annually.
The World Softball League is a coveted league in which the world's best men and women's softball players congregate and play for the WSL/Miken North American Championships in Florida.
Despite the fact that it was originally intended to be played indoors, softball is usually played outdoors.
Slow pitch achieved formal recognition in 1953 when it was added to the program of the Amateur Softball Association, and within a decade had surpassed fast pitch in popularity.
The first British women's softball league was established in 1983.
In 2002, 16-inch slow pitch was written out of the ISF official rules, although it is still played extensively in the United States under Amateur Softball Association of America, or ASA rules.
An estimated 40 million Americans will play at least one game of softball during a year.
The first version of softball was invented in Chicago, Illinois on September 16, 1887 by George Hancock as a winter version of baseball.
In all forms of softball, the defensive team is the fielding team; the offensive team is at bat or batting and is trying to score runs.
Gloves used in softball are generally larger than the ones used in baseball.
Defensive players are not allowed to wear fielding gloves; however, a 16-inch softball is actually soft, and can be fielded safely with bare hands.
Softball is played by two teams of 9 players each who try to score more runs than their opponent by rounding the bases and crossing home plate as many times as possible. The batting team stays up to bat until the fielding team puts out 3 batters.
The history of softball dates back to Thanksgiving Day of 1887, when several alumni sat in the Chicago, Illinois Farragut Boat Club, anxiously awaiting the outcome of the Yale versus Harvard football game. When Yale was announced as winner, a Yale alumnus playfully threw a boxing glove at a Harvard supporter.
As you know there are two different sizes for softballs: 1) The small ball – which a circumference of 11 inches and a diameter of 3.5 inches. This ball is used in youth softball – usually 10 and under. 2) The big ball – which has a circumference of 12 inches and a diameter of 3.8 inches.
George Hancock
It was invented in 1887 in Chicago, Illinois, United States as an indoor game. It was at various times called indoor baseball, mush ball, playground, softball, kitten ball, and because it was also played by women, ladies' baseball. The name softball was given to the game in 1926, because the ball used to be soft.
Softballs. Softballs are made of three components: The Center: Softball centers are generally composed of polyurethane, but sometimes have a cork center. The Cover: Softball manufacturers use either leather, synthetic materials or rubber coverings, which are glued or cemented to the softball's center.
A pitcher in baseball throws the ball overhand and a pitcher in softball throws the ball underhand. Baseball pitchers throw from an elevated mound. Softball pitchers throw from a surface level with that of the batter. The softball pitching area is much closer to the batter than the baseball pitching area.Sep 30, 2011
Average Length. Games typically last an hour or two, although longer and shorter games are possible. The length depends on the number of innings in the game. The typical game has seven innings, but the rules allow anywhere between three and seven innings -- or even additional innings, in the event of a tie score.
An inning in baseball, softball, and similar games is the basic unit of play, consisting of two halves or frames, the "top" (first half) and the "bottom" (second half). In each half, one team bats until three outs are made, with the other team playing defense.
Softball Rules. The Field - The baselines will be 65 feet. The distance from pitcher's mound to home plate will be 50 feet. The Players - A team must have 9 players to start or to continue a game with the maximum of 10 players (not including an EP - SEE LAST RULE UNDER BATTING).