The Difference Between Baseball And Softball: The Soft Ball Baseball

749 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Comparing and contrasting baseball and softball

Introduction:
The Soft ball sport was invented in 1887 in Chicago, America, it was developed from the game of baseball, however a larger ball is used, and the field is smaller. Pitching is another difference between baseball and softball, in softball the pitcher pitches under arm whereas baseball is overhand. The name softball was only developed in 1926, the years before 1926 many names were given to the game such as ‘ladies baseball’, ‘kitten ball’, ‘mush ball’ and a number of others.
There are two types of softball, slow-pitch and fast-pitch soft ball. Mechanical differences involving, the speed, location and technique, to name a few, are what set these very similar types of softball apart.
With pitching there are a number of rules that need to be followed so that no foul balls are pitched. Stepping: when releasing the ball, a step needs to take (using the non-pivot foot) place at the same time as the ball is released. The step needs to be in the momentum of the pitching movement. (as the ball is being pitched you need to step). The pitcher however may not step more than +/- 60cm (24 inches) forward (it has to be within the pitchers plate).
Another rule is that when the pitcher is pitching, one foot has to remain on the floor at all times. If the pitcher moves both feet, by dragging them, hopping, any movement causing them both to exit the pitching plate the ball will be illegal. Raising both feet from the ground when pitching (Leaping is also illegal).

The different pitching techniques:
The main differences are in the technique used to throw the ball and the number of players on the field, both styles of soft ball use the underhand throwing style.
In a slow-pitch softball, the ball is 25.5cm (12 inches) and has to curve befor...

... middle of paper ...

...th line. This motion is an easy, semicircular movement. As the pitcher brings their arm back, they put their body weight onto the drive leg (pitching-arm leg) and steps forward with the drive leg as they release the ball in front of the body.
The pitch must start with the pitchers foot on the plate, the foot may only be taken off the plate when the ball is released. The pitch must come in slowly, between 1.8m-3.6m from the ground, the wrist must not be snapped quickly in order to achieve a consistent motion and perceptible arc. The ball must be pitched within the strike zone, which is between the batters back shoulder and knees.
After releasing the ball, the pitching arm continues forward, with their hand ending high and their arm close to their ear, this is known as the follow through. After the follow through, several steps are taken backwards for fielding.

Show More
Related

  • Softball Informative Speech

    929 Words  | 2 Pages

    The big question for people who don’t play this question is really, what is softball? Softball is a little bit more modified version of baseball but softball is played on a smaller field,with a larger ball, played with 7 innings instead of 9 and with underarm pitch in a circular motion. Now that we know what the basic part of softball is let’s talk about the equipment. The equipment used to play softball is a bat about waist level give or

    Read More

  • The Physics of Baseball

    1526 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many people might think that swinging the bat straight through the ball would be enough to hit the ball a decent distance off the bat. There's many more mechanics involved in the swinging process. Muscle has only a small part to play in the swinging a bat for power. There are two types of mechanics involved while swinging a bat, Linear and Rotational. Rotational mechanics are the dominant source of power in the swing. Out of the rotational mechanics come the two forces that help generate the speed and power of the swing, torque and the other comes from the energy of rotation. Speed from the energy of rotation comes from the path that your hands follow as you swing the bat. The speed generated by the circular rotation from your hands is like a ball at the end of a string, as long as your hands are moving in a circle then the ball continues to accelerate in a circle. So the bat will also move in at an increasing speed as long as your hands are following a circular path as you swing. Any foward movement of the hands or body in a straight line won't add to the overall bat speed.

    Read More

  • Softball Is Harder Than Baseball Essay

    976 Words  | 2 Pages

    The first reason is, softball players have less time to react to the ball while batting and fielding. Softball fields are closer and smaller than baseball fields. Baseball infields are 16,700 feet and softball infields are only 7,200 feet. This leaves softball players in the infield, outfield and the batters with less time to react to a pitch or a hit. The distance from home plate to the pitcher's mound in softball is 43 feet while in baseball it is 60 feet. Sarah Trifoso plays for the Niagra Purple Eagles

    Read More

  • Baseball versus Softball

    341 Words  | 1 Pages

    While the games of baseball and softball each have many fans, many players prefer to play one or the other but not both. Although baseball and softball are similar in many ways, they have some notable differences. The pace with which each game is played, the rules of each, and the level of leagues are different for each.

    Read More

  • Changes in Baseball

    1358 Words  | 3 Pages

    Plays that are not allowed to be reviewed include pitches called ball or strike, obstruction, interference, infield fly rule, and check swings.... ... middle of paper ... ... This is a way that almost one hundred percent of grantees know that the best teams will face off in the World Series. Baseball has been a game of adaptation, with the end of the dead ball era by putting cork in the ball, the games popularity grew because the chance of home runs and harder hit balls made the game more entertaining and interactive.

    Read More

  • The Softball Swing

    2506 Words  | 6 Pages

    The purpose of this paper is to describe the softball swing anatomically, mechanically, and analytically. By analyzing each move one makes when...

    Read More

  • Cheating in the Game of Baseball

    534 Words  | 2 Pages

    Every baseball fan knows of the term spitball. A spitball is when the pitcher spits his tobacco juices onto the b...

    Read More

  • Physics of Baseball

    1477 Words  | 3 Pages

    Baseball is a fascinating sport that is exceptionally fun to play. This assignment is all about understanding the physics of a few key aspects of this sport. One might ask what physics could have to do with baseball? Like most sports baseball involves physical motion. Baseball encompasses all three planes of motion through throwing, hitting, and fielding. All of the classical laws of mechanics can be applied to understand the physics of this game.

    Read More

  • How To Pitch

    417 Words  | 1 Pages

    The first thing that you have to do in your wind up is to step back with your right foot behind the rubber. Second you have to swing you right foot up and balance on your left foot. Finally you have to push your left foot off of the mound while balancing and throw the ball towards the plate. After you throw the ball you have to be in a fielder’s position in case the ball is thrown hit back at you.

    Read More

  • How To Throw A Baseball Essay

    698 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throwing a baseball is a lot like throwing any other object. Children grow up throwing things around the house, and it very similar to how you throw a baseball. From a young age, I grew up throwing objects around the house. My father was smart enough to recognize this trend and sign me up for baseball later on when I was much older. To throw a baseball you first need to understand the shape of the object. The baseball has seams around the circumference which are placed around the outer edges of the baseball for added grip. Before we get into the types of pitches and grips, we need to understand the arm and body movement. The movement of your body and arms happens in many steps that follow a fluid form to increase accuracy

    Read More

  • Baseball

    805 Words  | 2 Pages

    The team on offense tries to score runs, while the pitching and defense tries to prevent the offense from scoring runs. To score a run a player on the offense attempts to hit a small special white ball that the pitcher throws to him. If he hits the play in the filed of play he can attempt to run to a base. If the player reaches the base before the defense can get the ball there or tag him with the ball he will be safe. There are four square bases and are lined up in a diamond. The player starts from the home plate, he has to round the bases to score a run. From base to base is 90 feet, so from home plate to first base is 90 feet and from first base to second base is 90 feet, ect. When the player on offense hits the ball it must stay in the filed of play which is restriced from: the right side of third base to the left side of first base and up until the hom...

    Read More

  • The Baseball Of Baseball : America 's Pastime

    845 Words  | 2 Pages

    Its America’s pastime. Since 1869, the MLB has been the sweetheart of American sports. A requisite to be a true American is to have a conceptual understanding of baseball; the seventh inning stretch, “Take Me Out To The Ball Game,” as well as hotdogs and warm summer nights at the ball park are all favorite memories of American pastime. However, what one might not realize is the extreme physics behind the game. The velocity of the pitch, and degree of the ball exiting the bat, the exit speed, and how an outfielder throws are entailed within the physics of baseball. It is important to understand the physics involved with baseball to grow in understanding and appreciation of the sport.

    Read More

  • Cultural Artifact: Baseball

    1137 Words  | 3 Pages

    June 28, 2018. Alexander Cartwright’s new set of rules formed the basis for modern baseball. The rules included a diamond-shaped infield, the three-strike rule. And tagging runners by throwing balls at them was not allowed in his rules.

    Read More

  • Female Pioneers of Softball

    769 Words  | 2 Pages

    Softball was developed as an indoor game in 1887 by George W.Hancock in Chicago. He used a 17-inch ball with outward turned seams. In the Spring of 1888, Hancock’s game moved outdoors. It was played on a small diamond and called indoor-outdoor. In 1889 Hancock published the first set of rules because of such high popularity in the sport. In 1895 a fire department officer with the name of Lewis Rober decided that he needed an activity to keep the firefighters active during their free time. Rober was unfamiliar with Hancock’s version of the game and in 1895 adapted the game for outdoor play. Rober used a 12-inch ball with a cover like a baseball. In 1900, Rober named the league Kitten League Ball.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Baseball And Softball

    1122 Words  | 3 Pages

    The first component we can look at is the pitching/hitting element of the two. In baseball (pro, college and high school) the distance from the pitcher’s mound to home plate is 60 feet 6 inches. In softball, college level is 43 feet from the mound to home plate, and high

    Read More

More about The Difference Between Baseball And Softball: The Soft Ball Baseball

Open Document