Rather than be lauded for their abilities, the women's leagues were fielded for laughs and advertising ventures. Some have succeeded, and most have failed, but none have made a serious impact. Check at any park or ball diamond in the spring and summer, and you are sure to find both kids and adults tossing a ball and trying to figure out how to hit the perfect home run. A baseball field has the following dimensions: |Measurements||Distance|. The undersized field still made its way to the softball diamond, though, where the length between bases and the overall field size is significantly smaller than its baseball counterpart, about 50 percent smaller. A ball smaller than a baseball prospectus. In 1996, women's fast pitch softball made its first appearance at the Atlanta Olympic Games.
Soon, overhand pitching took over as well, and the only remaining difference between the girls and the guys was the size of the field. Home to First||90 feet|. Other Popular Articles:; Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of, Inc, or its affiliates. The playing diamond is much smaller than baseball's, with only 60 feet between bases. What is illegal in slow-pitch softball?
Rather, women were finding their way onto baseball fields with leagues forming as early as 1866 when the all-female students at Vassar College fielded teams of their own. In softball, leading off is not allowed which is much different than baseball. If you go watch both sports, you may find yourself wondering: Is baseball harder than softball? However, since the pitcher's mound and the home plate are much closer than in baseball, (40 feet versus 60 feet) the player must react to the pitch just as quickly. In fact, at that time, softball wasn't for women at all. Fast pitch is different from the looping, relaxed pitch often used in recreational softball leagues. 44 seconds, which is slightly longer than baseball reaction time! As you can see the normal softball field is much smaller than a baseball field, which creates a different perspective in how players position themselves on the fields in the two sports. Why not let girls play baseball instead of softball? | Sports | carolinacoastonline.com. Baseball and softball are two sports that are growing in popularity due to the evolution of travel baseball. In softball, the mound is flat which means that softball pitchers are typically throwing the ball at an upward trajectory as it heads toward hitters. In 1887 some men started playing baseball with a large broom and a large ball, and named the sport softball and were mostly played inside for men who could not play baseball. In softball, you will see players laying down bunts toward the left side of the infield and trying to make their way to first base before the pitcher or third baseman can throw them out with regularity.
A baseball, on the other hand, is approximately nine inches around and has a weight of up to 5. Today's softball is 12" in diameter, significantly bigger than the standard base ball at 9", and all white. The distance between home plate and second base is a little over 84 feet on a softball field, while it's 127 feet apart on a baseball field. More than 600 women took the field as professional athletes, including the Racine Belles, the team popularized in the 1992 film, "A League of Their Own. A ball smaller than a baseball america. Baseball swings have evolved as more data has become available and are using an upward launch angle on the ball to try and drive the ball out of the ballpark. In softball, most pitchers throw between 58-65 miles per hour and if you throw over 60 MPH you will likely get the attention from professional softball leagues.
Perhaps confusion on the part of the Olympic committee caused them to drop women's fast-pitch softball from the London games. Or why not lower the net a foot or two for the girls basketball players, or maybe even let the girls swim team compete in smaller pools with shorter laps? The United States team took the first gold medal in the sport, beating China in the gold medal game 3-1. In baseball, the distances create an additional element of athleticism that is required to get down the lines to beat the throw from the infielder. A ball smaller than a baseball hall of fame. Softball is actually a misnomer, as the ball used in the game is no softer than a baseball, just larger. There are several differences, aside from the size of the ball, that set the two sports apart. In terms of size, if a pitcher must throw for 35 feet, the baselines are approximately 55 apart. This is slower than baseball, but certainly much faster than the meandering slow pitch game. In baseball, pitchers have the additional responsibility of trying to keep runners close to the base so they do not steal bases.
What is the hardest position in softball? The reasoning behind both items is that women have smaller hands and don't have the power necessary to throw the ball as efficiently on a baseball-sized field. Softball Vs. Baseball: What Are the Similarities and Differences. The game evolved over time, finding its niche as a co-ed activity usually played in non-competitive environments, although several men's leagues were formed during the early part of the 20th century. Players can steal bases in softball but they have to wait until the pitcher has released the ball, which makes it much more difficult to get a head start toward the base, unlike baseball. Baseball: What Are the Similarities and Differences?
Unfortunately, the Olympic committee doesn't seem very interested in recasting this important ballot. Is softball the girl version of baseball? Baseball and softball are equally as hard and it depends on the level that is being played to determine which is harder. If you head to a Major League Baseball game and then go watch a beer league softball game you would probably say baseball is much harder. In softball, the baselines are much shorter than on a traditional baseball diamond. In some softball leagues, there are limits to the types of bats that can be used.
A smaller infield also affects how the defense is played. 25-7 oz while baseballs weigh between 5-5. 35 seconds of reaction time. And give them a beach ball to kick around, while you're at it? Slap hitting creates an element of urgency for infielders in softball since the fielders need to be ready to quickly field the ball and throw it over to the first base, compared to baseball, where you will see infielders sometimes get their footing and take a couple of side hops before throwing over to the first base.
Both sports are equally exciting for all age groups. An entertaining matchup from years ago was famous softball pitcher Jenny Fitch facing off against Albert Pujols: Baseball swing vs Softball swing. Let's take a look at the key differences between baseball and softball to give more insight on which one is harder: Contents. One of the biggest things you will notice between softball and baseball is the size of the field. Perhaps it would transform softball as we know it. All-female teams such as the New York Bloomer Girls and the Fort Wayne Daisies formed shortly after the turn of the 20th century and only added to the image that women were frail and much too girly to seriously compete on a baseball field. But with the shorter distance to home plate, does baseball or softball have to react to the ball faster than the other? Since then, women all over the country, and now the world, have fought for the chance to play on their school's baseball team. So not only do women work with a smaller field, they use the oversized ball as well. An orthopedic surgeon from Florida, Dot Richardson, hit the first Olympic softball home run ever to win the game for the United States, an achievement she calls her most memorable.
Why is women's baseball called softball? I hope this post brought some clarity to the key differences between the two sports. The barrels for baseball bats are around 2-⅝' around where softball bats are 2-¼' in diameter. In softball, the pitching mound is level making it easier for the pitcher to keep the ball within the strike zone. On the other hand, softball players that go out and play baseball will realize very quickly that the extra dimensions of the field create the need for more athleticism to cover more ground and make longer throws to get runners out! Softballs are about 12 inches in circumference while baseballs measure 9 inches. Whatever their motivations, we hope that the committee will reconsider and reinstate women's fast pitch softball. When Title IX, the 1972 law that required equal funding to both male and female sports teams, finally appeared, women were given fair ground on nearly every sport. Recreation and Sports|. All I'm saying is, the girls deserve a chance, so let's give it to them. Softball, like most every sport, is a game that was founded by chance. Many truly love their softball and pursue the game with an almost fanatic passion.
If you went to a professional softball league and then went to watch a high school baseball game, you would probably say that softball is the harder sport! Send comments or questions to or follow him on Twitter @zacknally). Perhaps only a handful of girls would even sign up, opting for the more traditional softball. Baseball swing vs Softball swing. Baseball diamonds have 90 feet between each base. Instead of encouraging a coed venture like that one, why not just create a girls baseball team? I'm not sure that's the right way to go about it either, though. If you have played baseball and gone out to play slow-pitch softball you will learn quickly that it is a totally different swing and can take a while to pick up.