A softball match has seven innings at least, and in a single inning, each team bats until three batters are out. Teams take turns while batting. A decision for the team batting first is made by tossing a coin. However, a league may make a decision at its discretion. Generally, a home team bats second. In all forms of softball, a defensive team is the fielding team and an offensive team is batting and trying to score runs.
A softball game begins with an umpire saying ‘Play Ball’. After a batter is all set, and all fielders, except a catcher, are in fair territory, a pitcher stands at a pitching plate, and attempts to throw a ball past the batter to the catcher at the back of home plate. A throw must be made with underarm motion. Strike zone has slightly varying forms in different types of softball. A throw that passes through that zone is a strike, and a throw that is not a strike, and which the batter does not swing at, is a ball. The number of balls and strikes is referred to as the count. If a ball lands foul, it is deemed as a dead ball and no plays may be made until the pitcher receives the ball again, and the home plate umpire shouts ‘Play ball.’ Leaping or crow-hopping acts are considered illegal, and if a pitcher does them, a ball is awarded to the batter.
A batting team sends one batter at one time to home plate. The batting order must remain same throughout a game. Substitutes, if any, have to bat in the same place as the player they are substituting. In a co-ed game, boys and girls must bat alternately.
A batter stands facing the thrower inside a batter’s box, and bat is held with both hands, over a shoulder and away from a pitcher. Once a ball is hit into fair territory, a runner must try to move forward to first base or beyond. There are various other rules also. In a nutshell, the reason for the popularity of softball is the ease of modification of the rules, thereby allowing this game to be adapted to a variety of skill levels.
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