Softball has been one of the favorite pastimes and sports in the United States for a very long time, but many people worldwide are still not familiar with it, and if you’re among them, you might want to learn more about it.
Softball has two versions: fastpitch and slowpitch. Fastpitch is a more popular version, but that doesn’t mean that slowpitch softball is less attractive.
Let’s dive deeper into this version of softball and help you better understand the game.
Rules and Playing Field
Slowpitch is played on a field that looks very similar to a baseball field but is much smaller. The length differences between bases are 65 feet, while the pitching distance is 50 feet.
A slowpitch team consists of 10 players but may start the game with as few as 7 players. The positions in slowpitch softball are pitcher, catcher, shortstop, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, left fielder, left-center fielder, right fielder, and right center-fielder.
The game consists of 7 innings but there are leagues that allow 9 innings. The match lasts usually an hour but can last up to 90 minutes.
Slowpitch doesn’t allow for base stealing and bunting is also not allowed.
Game Momentum
As its name suggests, slowpitch is a much slower version of softball than fastpitch. The game focuses more on batting and fielding than pitching. The batters usually have a longer time to react to pitches and they also have less speed. This means that they must rely more on their defense and teamwork to win.
The Pitch
A pitcher in slowpitch softball pitches the ball underarm without the use of a windmill motion. That means that the pitching speed is pretty slow compared to pitching speeds in fastpitch softball, and that gives more time for the batter to react.
Ball Size
The ball size in slowpitch is 12″, and that is pretty much the standard. 12″ slowpitch softballs are softer than 11″ balls used in fastpitch, therefore are slightly harder to pitch.