The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) regulates rules of play in more than 110 countries, including the United States and Canada; before the WBSC was formed in 2013, the International Softball Federation filled this role. The name “softball” was given to the game in 1926.

Softball is a team game adapted from baseball. It is played by two teams of nine players each. Each team plays one-half of an inning as the offensive or “at bat” team, and the other half as the defensive or “in the field” team. There are 7 innings.

The sport’s international governing body, World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), estimate that 65 million people play either baseball or softball in over 140 countries.

Softball is one of the most popular sports in the U.S.—some estimates are that 40 million Americans will play at least one softball game during a year. The game is played by all ages, and there are thousands of teams that compete at tournaments year-round.

The 5 Most Famous Softball Players of All Time

1. Dot Richardson. Dot Richardson began receiving attention for her softball skills when she was just 13 years old.
2. Jennie Finch. You’d be hard-pressed to find a softball player as famous as Jennie Finch.
3. Jessica Mendoza.
4. Lisa Fernandez.
5. Cat Osterman.

According to the latest World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) rankings, the U.S. and Japan are once again the top-ranked international softball teams in the world.

77 mph

The biggest reason for making softballs bright yellow is that they are easier to see. The distance between the pitching mound and the batter’s box is approximately 14 feet shorter in softball than in baseball, giving the hitter less time to react to the pitch.