Have you wondered how was softball invented? Well, the game is a combination of the elements of several other sports, including boating (boating club), boxing (boxing glove) and football (football game). The first mention of the sport was made at Harvard-Yale football game on Thanksgiving day in 1887.
Then, the American journalist George Hancock invented the game, similar to everyone’s favourite baseball, but it could be played in a hall. He wrote the rules and gave the dimensions of the field. The first demonstration of the new sport was held in Chicago, at the club Farragut Boat. In 1895, it was held the first outdoors softball game. The first women’s softball team was also formed. The sport received its present name in the 20s of the 20th century.
In 1933 was founded the ASA organization – softball association. In 1952 was founded the ISF – International Federation of Softball. Today it includes more than 130 countries. The first softball competition has been for women only (1965), and a year later appeared a men’s tournament. In the program of the Olympic Games softball was included for the first time in 1996.
The essence of softball as the rules are very similar to baseball. It is played by two teams of nine participants each. Playground for the match looks like a rhombus with sides of 27.4 meters (90 feet). On each corner there is a “base”. First, the visiting team is attacking, while the hosts are defending. The main player is standing in the middle of the diamond. In all the “bases”, there are the defenders. For the strikers it is important to run all the “bases” and return to “home”, the defenders need to bring three hitters of the game (out of bounds). The batter – attacking player stands in front of the catcher, next to the “home” with a bat.
But, I already wrote about the positions in softball and so on… It’s interesting that now there are so many teams, in which play both men and women. That’s why softball is so popular and interesting sport, because I haven’t heard about any other sport to unite men and women at the same time. Of course, that’s more common for the amateur leagues. The sport is practiced mostly by women, which makes it the most popular and trained by girls, sport in the United States.
In conclusion, it can be said that softball has now its traditions among the people all over the world and especially in the USA. It becomes more popular and practiced and it is very sad that it was excluded of the Olympics.
