Early history
The earliest known softball game was played in Chicago, Illinois, on Thanksgiving Day, 1887. It took place at the Farragut Boat Club at … 展开

The playing field is divided into fair territory and foul territory. Fair territory is further divided into the infield, and the outfield.
The field is defined by foul lines that meet at a right angle at home … 展开

A softball game can last anywhere from 3 to 7 innings, or 1–2 hours depending on the league, rules, and type of softball. The teams take turns batting. Officially, which team bats first is decided by a coin toss, although a league may decide otherwise at its discretion. The … 展开

Field
Fastpitch softball is played between two teams on a large field, with nine players (in 10u and above; 8u and below is usually played with ten players on a field at once) from one team on the field at a time. Slow-pitch softball is played … 展开

Equipment required in softball includes a ball, a bat (composite, metal or wooden), gloves, uniforms and protective gear. For example, helmets for the … 展开

Decisions about plays are made by umpires. The number of umpires on a given game can range from a minimum of one to a maximum of seven. There is never more than one … 展开

There are nine players out on the field at one time in fastpitch softball and ten players in slow-pitch softball. Although the pitcher and catcher have … 展开