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Softball is a team sport for two teams in which the object is to score runs by advancing around a circuit of four bases. It is a direct descendant of baseball, (sometimes referred to as "hardball" to differentiate the two) but differs from it in several ways, of which the chief four are:
the ball is always pitched (thrown to the batter) underarm – that is, it is released when the hand is below the hip and no further from the body than the elbow – while in baseball the ball may be released in any position and is usually thrown overarm or sidearm
- the ball is larger, a bit softer, and less dense than a baseball
- the playing field is normally smaller.
- the game is seven innings long
Softball is the most popular participant sport in the United States. An estimated 56 million Americans will play at least one game of softball during a year.
It is played by both genders socially as well as competitively, and is an Olympic sport for women. The International Softball Federation holds world championships in several categories. The championships are held every four years, but in different years for each category.
Types of softball
There are two general forms of softball–slow pitch and fast pitch.
In slow pitch softball, a pitched ball must describe an arc with an apogee at least above the batter's head. In order for a strike to be called, the ball still must cross the plate between the batter's shoulder and knees, or land in a small area directly behind home plate. The strike zone can vary from league to league and umpire to umpire. Because of the requirement for an arc, the pitcher must throw the ball relatively slowly. There is no such restriction in fast pitch softball.
A regulation game of slow pitch softball requires one more player than a game of fast pitch – usually an additional outfielder.
Full article under softball.
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