Softball Study Guide

These flashcards cover key concepts, rules, and vocabulary related to the game of softball as detailed in the lecture notes.

George Hancock

The inventor of the game of Softball in Chicago in 1887.

Amateur Softball Association

An organization that registered over 245,000 softball teams comprised of over 3.5 million players as of 2007.

Fundamentals of Softball

The foundational skills and strategies in softball that are similar to those in baseball but adapted for the game.

Inning

A portion of the game consisting of a turn at bat for each team, with an official game being 7 innings long.

Fast-pitch vs. Slow-pitch

Fast-pitch has 9 players on a team while slow-pitch has 10; fast-pitch allows base stealing and bunting, while slow-pitch does not.

Pitching distance

The distance from the pitching mound to home plate, which is 40 feet in high school women's fast-pitch and 43 feet in college.

Foul Ball

A legally batted ball hit outside of the baselines, which counts as a strike unless it is caught in the air.

Double Play

A defensive play in which two offensive players are legally put out as a result of a continuous action.

Strike zone

The area over home plate between the batter's armpits and knees where the ball must pass to be called a strike.

Base Running

The rules and strategies that govern how runners advance on the bases after a hit.

Grounder

A ball that is hit on the ground.

Count

The number of balls to the number of strikes the batter has during their turn at bat.