It is about 12 in (about 30 cm) in circumference (11 or 12 in for slow-pitch), which is 3 in (8 cm) larger than a baseball. For example, if the pitcher pitches a fastball, in softball the ball would most likely rise while in baseball because the pitcher is on a hill, the ball would drop.ĭespite the name, the ball used in modern softball is not soft, unless using a foam practice ball. This changes the arc of the ball when approaching the plate. Softballs are pitched underhand, but baseballs are pitched overhand. Softball mounds are also flat, while baseball mounds are a small hill. In fast pitch softball the entire infield is dirt, whereas the infield in baseball is grass except at the bases and on the pitcher's mound which are dirt. There is less time for the base runner to get to first while the opponent fields the ball yet, the fielder has less time to field the ball while the opponent is running down to first base. The game moves at a faster pace than traditional baseball due to the field being smaller and the bases and the fielders being closer to home plate. Two major differences are that the ball must be pitched underhand-from 50 ft (15.2 m) in slow pitch, or 46/43 ft (14/13.1 m) for men/women in fast pitch as compared with 60.5 ft (18.4 m) in baseball-and that seven innings, or 1–2 hours depending on the league, constitute a regulation game compared with nine innings in baseball. Softball rules vary somewhat from those of baseball. Sixteen-inch softball, a variant, is less common but remains a direct descendant of the original game created by George Hancock. Slow-pitch softball is the most common type, while women's fast pitch softball is a Summer Olympic sport. There are two rules codes for softball generally: slow-pitch softball and fast pitch softball. Today, softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level.

Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball (11 to 16 inches or 28 to 40 cm circumference) on a field that has base lengths of 60 feet, a pitcher's mound that ranges from 35 to 43 (professional is 43) feet away from home plate, and a home run fence that is 220–300 feet away from home plate, depending on the type of softball being played.

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

Diamond dimensions 220