| Fastpitch
Softball Tips for New Fans
Like any sport, softball is confusing to watch
if you never played it yourself or you didn’t
grow up watching it. Here are a few things you
can do to learn more about the game.
1. Understand what type of sofball you
are trying to learn about. We are focusing
on women's fastpictch softball, not slowpitch
softball.
2. Read about the basics. Here
are a few sites you should visit to learn more
about the game:
SportSpectator Fan’s
Guide to Softball: Our 10-minute guide to
baseball basics.
Wikipedia
Softball Write-up: Good wiki community write-up
on softball.
3. Watch televised games. The
commentary makes the game much easier to follow
and will help you pick up the lingo. Commentators
use the language and provide analysis that will
help you learn. Watching games live at the stadium
is a slower learning process. Here is a good resource
for clips:
CSTV:
Women's softball clips and articles. There is
also live coverage of the college playoffs.
4. Pick a college team and follow it
throughout a season. Games are much more
fun to watch when you have “your team”
and you know the players, record, etc. You don't
have to watch every game. A team that is has performed
well historically is UCLA.
5. Understand the major differences between
softball and baseball. If you understand
baseball, you are well on your way to understanding
softball. Below are the major differences:
What are the major differences between softball
and baseball?
A. 7 Innings: 7 innings are played
instead of the 9 innings played in professional
baseball.
B. Smaller Field: The distance
between the bases is 60 ft instead of 90 ft and
the outfield is not as deep.
C . Underhand Pitching: The ball
is delivered underhand on the pitch.
D . No leading off: Base-runners
must wait until the ball is released before they
can leave the base.
E. Ball is larger: A softball
is slightly larger than a baseball.
5. Ask questions. If you have
a question, don't be afraid to ask. Good resources
are coaches or players. You can ask them in person,
or contact us
and we'll try to help you out.
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