What is softball?

Softball is a mixed-sex recreational, social and enjoyable game that's easy to learn and play, even for people who are not "athletes" or don't have much experience of team sports.

The rules of Softball are relatively simple. The playing field is split between the infield and the outfield. The infield is marked by the four bases (1st, 2nd, 3rd and home) that make up the diamond shape and these are situated 60 feet apart. The pitcher's mound is in the centre, 46 feet from the home plate. Located outside of the diamond but within the line extending from the home plate to 3rd base and beyond and the line from home plate to 1st base and beyond is the outfield. Anything within the infield or outfield is fair territory. Anything just outside of this area is foul territory or dead ball territory where all action stops.

In the Windsor and Maidenhead District Mixed Softball League, teams consist of ten players, five of whom must be female and five male. It is possible to replace a male with a female but not a female with a male. Players bat in a pre-arranged order alternating between men and women. After the last batter in the order has hit, the first batter comes up again. If the final out in an inning is made by, say, the fourth batter in the order, then the fifth batter will be the first to hit when the team comes in to bat again.

The pitcher throws the ball underarm to the batter who attempts to hit and then run around as many bases as possible before the ball is retrieved and returned under control by the defensive team. The aim of the game is to score more as many runs as possible, or at least more than the opposition. A run is scored when a player on the batting team advances around all three bases and back to the home Plate.

If the batter gets round all four bases from their own hit, this is called a home run. If a batter hits a home run when there is a runner on all three bases so that four runs are scored then this is called a grand slam home run. More than likely the batter will have to stop at one or more bases on their way around and wait for the another batter to hit the ball so they can advance further.

A batter can be called out if, after three strikes (pitches that are in the target area but are not hit within the infield) or if they are caught out (a fielder catches the ball before it hits the ground). A runner can be called out if they are tagged with the ball before reaching a base, the ball gets to 1st base before the runner who has just batted or the runner travels more than three feet outside of the baseline to avoid being tagged. Runners must touch each base in order and can only overrun 1st base, overrunning 2nd or 3rd can result in the runner being tagged and called out. Runners must remain on base until the ball has been pitched.

An official game lasts seven innings (an inning is when both teams have had their turn to bat) and an inning is over for each team when they have had three players called out.