Softball pitching tips for slowpitch and fastpitch focus on wrist flick and windmill techniques. Understanding the latest ASA rules on obstruction and substitutions is critical for competitive league play.
Americans love their sports and softball is no exception. It's a game for all ages and skill levels; but like any game, there are rules. Under the Amateur Softball Association rules, stealing bases depends on the age of the players and whether a team is playing fast pitch or slow pitch softball.
Read more →
In softball, the distance between the pitcher’s mound and home plate varies. The distance is often shorter in fast-pitch softball, where the ball is pitched fast with little arc, and in leagues for children, who may struggle with longer distances.
Read more →
Fastpitch softball is a variation of the game of softball in which the pitchers throw the ball underhand at speeds that can top 75 mph. On a regulation softball diamond, the pitcher’s mound is 43 feet from home plate. In baseball, that distance is 60 feet.
Read more →
Good fast bowlers, also called pace bowlers, are the prize of a successful cricket team, but not all fast deliveries are the same: Strike bowling, swing bowling and seam bowling are all types of fast deliveries. Depending on the method used, a batsman might have anywhere from .05 to .
Read more →
The best stretches before playing softball prepare your body for the practice or game ahead and help you prevent injury. You’ll be doing fancy stepping to get your lower body stretched with dynamic movements that increase your range of motion.
Read more →
A softball player doesn't have to run long distances or bench press 300 pounds to play successfully, but she does need to prepare her body for the rigors of the game. Softball involves sprinting and throwing, both of which require intense muscle contractions and a certain level of anaerobic fitness.
Read more →
Fastpitch softball is a game that is dominated by pitching. Pitchers can throw the ball at speeds up to 70 mph and they can also throw drops, risers, curves and changeups. A fastball that reaches 70 mph thrown from a distance of 46 feet corresponds to a baseball thrown at better than 90 mph.
Read more →
Softball rules for pitchers in 10-and-under, or 10U, leagues reflect the fact that players are relatively new to pitching at this level. Rules of the American Softball Association, or ASA, allow 10U pitchers to throw the softball from a shorter distance and use a smaller ball for an easier grip.
Read more →
Though pitches in softball and baseball are similar, softball pitchers employ different techniques to throw their pitches. Because softballs are pitched underhand rather than overhand, pitchers grip and release the softball differently.
Read more →
Slow pitch softball gets its name from the fact that pitchers must put a 6-foot arc on their pitches, slowing the speed of incoming pitches. The Amateur Softball Association of America is the governing body of softball in the U.S. and sets the rules for most recreational and all Olympics-sanctioned leagues.
Read more →
Youth and beginner softball players may benefit from drills that teach them not to fear the ball. Many of these drills substitute a lighter ball for a traditional softball to make catching and throwing less hazardous. In addition, many such practice sessions focus on building a player's confidence.
Read more →
You have several options if you want to improve your softball pitching speed. Strengthening your body is one obvious method, but improving your pitching mechanics can be equally as effective.
Read more →
Some may argue this point, but the catcher might just have the most dynamic position on a softball team. She has more jobs than any other player -- giving signals, catching pitched balls, blocking bad pitches, throwing out base runners, catching foul balls, tagging players at home plate and fielding bunts.
Read more →
Softball, while similar to baseball, has many crucial differences, including its substitution rules. In baseball, when a player is taken out of the game, he can't re-enter. This is partially due to the high number of active players on a baseball roster, which can be 24 or more.
Read more →
Softball pitchers need unique workouts to strengthen their arms and improve performance. However, simply concentrating on the throwing arm and shoulder won’t translate into increased pitch velocity.
Read more →
If you play baseball or fast pitch softball, you are all too familiar with the difficulty of hitting a well thrown fastball. It takes less than a half second for a fastball to travel from the pitcher’s hand to home plate. That is all the time you have to react to the pitch.
Read more →
Throwing a drop pitch is essential in fast-pitch softball. Pitchers tend to dominate fast-pitch softball because they have an array of pitches, including the fastball, the rise ball and the change up. However, the drop is probably the most important pitch besides the fastball.
Read more →
Girls’ fastpitch softball is a popular high school and recreational sport across the United States. It's even an Olympic Sport. The rules of fastpitch softball govern all areas of the game, including base runners.
Read more →
Softball for 8-year-olds can be a fun game, but practices that involve simply taking turns hitting and playing the field will bore young players after a while. Incorporate drills that teach important skills and add a little competition to practices to keep your players involved.
Read more →
The Amateur Softball Association determines the rules for fastpitch softball in the United States. These rules ensure consistency from team to team and across all leagues, ensuring that the game is fair and consistent wherever it is played.
Read more →