Softball (Fast Pitch)

At the youth level, softball is a game primarily played by girls. Its rules are quite similar to baseball's, in which one team attempts to score runs by hitting a ball with a wooden or metal bat, and the defending team attempts to limit hits or runs by fielding or pitching. 9.8 million people participated in softball in 2007, 5.6 million of which were female.

Fast Pitch Softball is a slow-paced game that requires strength and hand-eye coordination. Although the pitcher throws the ball underhand at a high speed (70MPH and above are not uncommon), it is a slower game because the ball is harder to hit. Due to the speed of the pitch and the difficulty of hitting this larger, less-dense ball, fast pitch softball fields are usually smaller than slow pitch fields.

A softball game can last anywhere from four to nine innings, depending on the league and rules. Softball is the most popular participant sport in the United States with almost 60 million people participating at some level each year!

MomsTeam's goal is to provide comprehensive information on softball: advice on the equipment needed and how to buy it, a primer on the rules of the sport, and videos and advice from experts, parents, and manufacturers of softball gear.

But to do that we are going to need your help. If you are a parent of a child who plays or has played softball, we hope you will share what you have learned with other MomsTeam parents. Please consider writing a blog, contributing an article, posting on and/or hosting a Forum, or becoming a softball expert. If you know of someone who used to play or coach softball who has knowledge to share, ask him or her to join. Together we can make MomsTeam a true community of sports parents!

-Brooke de Lench, MomsTeam Founder and Editor-in-Chief