The History of Softball: Its Origins to Modern Day
The popularity of softball can be traced to its diversity, accessibility, and simplicity. In 2023, 8.68 million Americans played softball in the United States, a 6% increase from 2022. Softball is played by all age groups and by both women and men, though it’s much more popular with women. Nearly 87% of softball players are women, according to Statista. Softball is one of the few sports that’s more popular than baseball at the college level. In 2022, the Women’s College World Series averaged 1.7 million television viewers. The Men’s College World Series averaged 1.63 million viewers in 2021. It was the first time college softball had attracted a bigger audience than college baseball.
There’re 120,000 teams in USA Softball, most of which are recreational. The allure of softball is it doesn’t take much equipment — a ball, some bats, a glove and a small field. There’s a fast pitch and slow pitch version of the game, and it can be played by anyone. In this article, we’ll trace the history of softball.
Origins of Softball
The first game of softball was played in Chicago at the Farragut Boat Club in 1887. Twenty men had come to the boat club to wait for the result of the Yale-Harvard football game. Because there wasn’t radio then, the men were waiting for bulletins from Western Union to hear who won. After it was announced that Yale was victorious, a Yale fan playfully threw a boxing glove to a Harvard enthusiast. The Harvard man hit the balled-up glove back with a stick he was holding. George Hancock, a reporter, saw this, and suggested a game of baseball. Hancock tied up the glove and etched out a small field. Then, he broke the handle off a broom. That was considered the first game of softball, which ended in a score of 41-40.o
Hancock was so enthused about the new game that he went home and refined the rules, creating a smaller bat and establishing 19 rules. Softball, which was initially called “indoor-outdoor,” was adopted by the Mid-Winter Baseball League of Chicago in 1889.
Interest in softball grew slowly until the end of the 19th century when Lewis Rober Sr., a Minneapolis firefighter, introduced softball to his work colleagues as a way to stay fit. Rober added his own modifications to softball, creating a pitcher’s mound that was 35 feet away while using a small medicine ball. The new game was immediately popular at fire stations around the country.
The sport cycled through several names. They included “Kitten Ball,” which was named after Robers’ first team, the “Kittens.” Other names included “Playground Ball,” “Diamond Ball,” “Pumpkin Ball,” and “Recreation Ball.” It settled on softball in 1926 when Walter Hakanson, who worked at the Denver YMCA, named it softball. In 1934, the size of the softball was established. The Farragut Boat Club had used a 16-inch softball in its first game while Rober opted for a 12-inch softball. The Joint Rules Committee on Softball decided the smaller ball was a better choice.
Development of Early Rules & Regulations
In 1889, Hancock wrote out 19 special rules. Most of the rules were an offshoot of baseball. Below are the original rules:
The pitcher’s box shall be 6 by 3 feet, to be marked on the floor; the nearest line of said box to be 22 feet from home base. This distance is not to be varied.
The bases are to be 27 feet from each other, forming a diamond, where the size of the hall will allow. Should the hall be too narrow, the distance between first and third bases may be lessened. The distance from home to second base should always be 37 1/2 feet.
Nine or 8 men may be played on each side.
Only shoes with rubber soles may be worn.
Only straight-armed pitching, in which the arm and hand swing parallel with the body, will be allowed, and the ball is not to be curved.
A batted ball which strikes inside or on the foul line is fair, the first point of contact with the floor, object or player deciding, regardless of where it afterwards rolls.
A batted ball first striking outside the foul lines shall be foul.
The third strike caught before touching the ground is out.
A foul tip or foul fly caught before touching the ground is out.
Four unfair pitched balls give the batsman first base.
A pitched ball striking the batter is a dead ball but does not entitle him to a base. If it should be the third strike, the batter is out, and no base can be run on the ball.
A base runner must not leave his base on a pitched ball not struck, until after it has reached or passed the catcher, on penalty of being called back.
A base runner must not leave his base while the pitcher holds the ball standing in his box.
A batted ball, caught after striking any wall, or fixture, shall be considered first bound, and is not out.
In over-running first base, the runner can turn either way in returning.
If a batter intentionally kicks or interferes with a ball he has just batted, he is out.
If a batted ball, after striking fair, rebounds and hits the batter, he shall not be declared out on that account.
The game shall be judged by two umpires; one shall take a position in center field and give decisions on second and third base plays and shall see that a base runner does not leave any base before a pitched ball has reached the catcher. The other umpire shall take a position behind the catcher and judge all other points of the game. The two umpires shall change positions at the end of every inning. Umpires shall not be chosen from the two clubs contesting.
The final rule established the name as “indoor baseball.” Most of these rules exist in some form today. Unlike baseball, where the size of the fields vary, a standard softball field has outfield fences that range from 185 feet to 235 feet in high school from home plate and 190 feet to 235 feet in college.
Evolution of Softball
There are 3 types of softball: Slow pitch and fast pitch and mush ball.
Below is a description of each kind:
Slow Pitch: Slow pitch softball is played recreationally. In slow pitch softball, the ball is tossed underhand to the batter. Pitchers try to fool batters by spinning the ball on its way to the plate. There’s no stealing in slow pitch. Since there aren’t many strikeouts on a slow pitch, the emphasis is on playing good defense.
Fast Pitch: In fast pitch, the pitchers are the stars. They throw the ball underhand using a “windmill” motion. That motion starts with your pitching hand by your waist. You whirl your hand around your head once and then throw the ball toward the plate as fast as you can. A good pitcher can get most of the outs by striking out the batters. The emphasis in fast pitch is on good pitching, bunting, and fielding. Fast pitch is played recreationally as well as in high school, college, and the pros.
Mush Ball: Mush ball is played using a 16-inch softball. Players can’t use gloves. It was popularized in the 1960s by Mike Royko, a Chicago newspaper columnist who considered it superior to any other type of softball.
Because of a strong grassroots presence and the higher visibility of the sport, particularly with women the future of softball looks bright. Softball grew by roughly 6% per year from 2020-2023, according to Statista. Those projections should stay steady as more people discover the benefits of playing softball.