Softball Basics

The Goal

Two teams take turns batting and playing defense. The batting team tries to score runs, while the defensive team tries to record outs and prevent runs from scoring.

A run scores when a player safely advances around first base, second base and third base and reaches home plate.

The team with more runs at the end of the game wins.

Game Format

A standard softball game is seven innings.

Each inning has two halves. One team bats while the other plays defense, then the teams switch.

The batting team's turn ends after the defense records three outs.

If the score is tied after seven innings, extra innings are played until a winner is determined.

Batting

A batter stands at home plate and tries to hit a pitch into fair territory.

A batter can reach base in several ways, including getting a hit, drawing a walk, being hit by a pitch, or reaching because of a defensive play or error.

A batter receives a walk after four balls and strikes out after three strikes.

Hits

A hit is classified by how many bases the batter safely reaches:

Single

The batter reaches first base.

Double

The batter reaches second base.

Triple

The batter reaches third base.

Home Run

The batter circles the bases and scores, along with any runners already on base.

Outs

The defense needs three outs to end the batting team's half of the inning.

Common ways to record an out include:

Strikeout

The batter receives three strikes.

Flyout

A defensive player catches a batted ball before it touches the ground.

Force Out

A defensive player controls the ball and touches the required base before a runner who is forced to advance reaches it.

Tag Out

A defensive player tags a runner with the ball before the runner safely reaches a base.

Pitching

Unlike baseball's overhand delivery, softball pitchers throw underhand from a pitching circle.

The pitcher tries to prevent hitters from reaching base while working with the catcher to select and locate pitches.

Pitchers can vary the speed, movement and location of their pitches to make them more difficult to hit.

Positions

A defensive team has nine players on the field.

Pitcher (P)

Throws the ball to the batter from the pitching circle.

Catcher (C)

Plays behind home plate, receives pitches and helps direct the defense.

First Base (1B)

Covers first base and fields balls hit to the right side of the infield.

Second Base (2B)

Plays in the infield between first and second base.

Third Base (3B)

Covers third base and handles many hard-hit balls on the left side of the infield.

Shortstop (SS)

Plays between second and third base and is involved in many infield defensive plays.

Left Field (LF)

Covers the left portion of the outfield.

Center Field (CF)

Covers the middle of the outfield.

Right Field (RF)

Covers the right portion of the outfield.

Players may also appear in designated offensive or flexible lineup roles depending on the competition rules.

Base Running

Runners try to advance from base to base and eventually reach home plate to score.

Unlike baseball, runners in softball generally cannot take a lead off the base before the pitch is released.

A stolen base occurs when a runner successfully advances to another base without the ball being hit.

Fair and Foul Balls

The lines extending from home plate past first and third base define fair territory.

A ball hit into fair territory can generally be played by the defense and allow runners to advance.

A ball outside those boundaries is generally a foul ball.

The Count

Every batter has a running count of balls and strikes.

Four balls result in a walk.

Three strikes result in a strikeout.

A foul ball generally counts as a strike when the batter has fewer than two strikes, but an ordinary foul ball does not create a third strike.

Double Play

A double play occurs when the defense records two outs during the same continuous play.

You will often see this when there is a runner on base and an infielder quickly gets the lead runner out before throwing to another base for a second out.

RBI

RBI stands for Run Batted In.

A batter generally receives an RBI when the result of their plate appearance causes a run to score, such as on a hit or certain other offensive plays.