THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
PHYSICAL EDUCATION UNIT
SOFTBALL NOTES
History , equipment and safety precaution
Softball was invented in American, 1887
The original name was given as Kitten ball or mush ball
All batter must wear a helmet to prevent head injuries.
Different gloves are specifically tailored made for each position. Right handed player should
wear left hand glove for catching.
The catcher must wear mask and body protector to prevent face and body injuries.
Softball is bigger size than baseball
Offensive skill
Batting
It is the most important skill among all offensive techniques.
Batting grip-Long grip is good for increase power and strength
Batting stance is good for beginner to stand as square
Base hit-is to hit the ball so as to enable the batter to reach base safely, it is easy to have base
hit by hitting a line drive between two players.
Contact point- a left handed batter can hit to the left field with contact the ball late, then it
can help the base runner to have more time to advance base.
The batter should run as fast as he can towards the first base, when the ball is hit without
watching at the ball
Bunting
Aim for helping base runner to run advance base by hitting infield ball
Base running
Baser running is an important offensive skill
Base runner has to decide whether to stay on the base or attempt to score after the ball is
caught
running around the base curve out a bit several feet from the base and touch the inside corner
Force out: If the batter hits a pitched ball in play that is not caught in the air, the defense may
field the ball and touch first base (or more likely, throw it to the first baseman, who then
touches first base) before the batter reaches the base to record the out.
Defensive skill
Throwing and catching
A right handed player should direct left shoulder toward target and step ahead on the left foot
forward for making an overhand throw. It is good for speed and power.
P.1
THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
PHYSICAL EDUCATION UNIT
SOFTBALL NOTES
Shortstop should requires good throwing ability and always have to back up other infielders.
A fly ball will be caught by outfielder if it falls between the infielder and outfielder and
calling for balls that can prevent collision between each other.
Different defensive position players should approach and responsible to catch the ball within
their respective area.
Catcher always squats behind the home plate and faces the entire defense.
A side arm throw is most often used if the infielders need to make a quick throw. They do
not have time to backswing and windup.
Pitching
The most important thing for a pitcher to learn is how to control and pitch with accuracy and
considerable speed.
The pitcher should step forward after releasing the ball, alert for catching the batted ball.
The pitcher should have same windup on all pitches, the batter is impossible to guess what
types of the pitching will be.
Strike zone is that space between armpits and knees over the home plate
Tag
The best place to tag a sliding base runner is below the knees.
Positions
In softball, there are six infields and three outfielders.
Pitcher
Pitchers are almost the most important player on a softball team. The objective of a pitcher is
to throw the ball from the pitcher’s mound to the catcher so that the batter cannot bat the ball,
eventually striking him out. Required Skills & Attributes: Windmill throwing motion,
Excellent hand-eye coordination, Powerful & strong throwing arm, Mastering many different
types of throws, Comfortable with responsibility & pressure, Ability to take the role of a
leader
Catcher
Catchers are the mental support on a softball team, and the physical part isn’t easy either.The
objective of a catcher is to catch balls that the pitcher throws. Catchers require physical
strength, especially on the legs and knees, as they are in a squatted position right behind the
batter. Also, catchers offer emotional support and advice to the pitcher and signal strike
counts to the team. Required Skills & Attributes: Great lower limb strength, Good overall
strength and athleticism, Excellent hand-eye coordination, Good reflexes, Great catching arm,
Supportive and helpful to the team, especially to the pitcher, Ability to take the role of a
leader
P.2
THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
PHYSICAL EDUCATION UNIT
SOFTBALL NOTES
First Basemen
First basemen are the most powerful throwers on a team, so they are often big and strong.
The objective of a first baseman is to stand at the first base on the right side of the pitcher.
As the batters always try to proceed to the first base, they are in contact with the ball. This
requires fast reflexes, good hand-eye coordination, long reach, and a very powerful throwing
arm. Required Skills & Attributes: Very strong throwing arm, Long reach around the first
base and infield, Positioning him or herself in a good receiving target to other team members,
Fast reflexes, Good at reading the game, A left-handed throwing arm would be a bonus
Second Basemen
Second basemen are quick and smart but often don’t have the best throwing arm. The
objective of a second baseman is to catch balls at the second base, field groundballs
alongside the shortstop, and help to kill players wherever it is needed, especially with the
first baseman. Generally, second basemen are right-handed and very fast, as it is optimal for
their position. Required Skills & Attributes: Agile speed, Great throwing accuracy,
Intelligent sense of the game and infield, Great teamwork skills, especially with the shortstop
and first base.
Third Basemen
The third basemen are equipped with strong throwing arms and great pressure tolerance
ability. The objective of a third baseman is to secure the third base. In addition, they need to
throw the ball with great power and accuracy for long distances. In most instances, the third
baseman is responsible for throwing the ball to the home plate when an opposing player is
running to score. Required Skills & Attributes: Powerful throwing arm, Very good hand-eye
coordination and accuracy, The mental toughness of throwing the most critical throw in the
game (from third base to home plate), Good at covering the area around third base, Great
catching arm
Shortstop
Shortstops are arguable the hardest and most important position in softball. The objective of
a shortstop is to catch and field the infield and play well with the whole team. Shortstops are
most in contact with the ball, so they need to be athletic, fast, strong, and aware of their
surroundings. Shortstop is the most difficult position on the field, so mental toughness is
required. Required Skills & Attributes: Very fast and agile, Great catching skills, Excellent
throwing arm, Clear awareness of the game, teammates, and opponents, Mental toughness
and can withstand pressure, Good leadership skills
Left Fielder
The left fielder is considered the easiest position on the outfield, but they still require a great
catching and throwing arm. The objective of a left fielder is to catch balls that go beyond the
infield and throw it to where it is required. The left fielder has considered the easiest outfield
P.3
THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
PHYSICAL EDUCATION UNIT
SOFTBALL NOTES
position as the closest players are the third baseman and shortstop. Regardless, they need
great catching skills and strong throwing arms. Required Skills & Attributes: Strong
throwing arm, Great catching skills, Decent agility, Good sense of the game
Center Fielder
Centerfield is the hardest outfield position to play, and they need to be fast, strong, and
possess excellent hand-eye coordination. The objective of the center fielder is to cover the
largest area of the outfield, which requires fast speed, excellent catching skills, long reach,
and a strong throwing arm. They are located in the center of the outfield, and they do a lot of
teamwork, especially with the shortstop and the second base. Required Skills & Attributes:
Explosive and fast travel speed, Good overall athleticism, Very strong throwing arm, Great
catching skills, Good at determining fly balls
Right Fielder
The right field is like the left field, but the skillset needs to be slightly higher as they work
mostly with the second and first base. The objective of a right fielder is to cover the right
side of the outfield. Generally, right fielders aren’t as skilled as center fielders overall, but
they tend to have a stronger throwing arm as they need to throw the ball to the first base.
Required Skills & Attributes: Strong throwing arm, Great catching skills, With decent agility,
Good sense of the game
Rules
There are seven innings for an official game.
Each team should have at least 9 players.
An infield fly-
An infield fly is a fair fly ball which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, when first
and second, or first and second bases are occupied or bases loaded, before two are out (either
one out or no one out). The umpire shall declare, the batter is out for the benefit of the runners.
Runners may advance at the risk of the ball being caught.
The team that scores the most runs will win.
Fair ball is a batted ball settles or touches on fair territory between home and first base or
between home and third base.
Three strikes are required to be called for the batter out.
Base on balls- a base on balls permits a batter to gain first base without liability to be out and
is awarded to a batter by the umpires when four pitches are judged to be balls.
Reference
1. Martin, B. & Malloy, T. (2022) The Blue Book (14th ed): The Ultimate Guide to Fast Pitch
Softball Rules for Umpires, Coaches, and Players Paperback. X60 Media, LLC
P.4
THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
PHYSICAL EDUCATION UNIT
SOFTBALL NOTES
2. Allen, C. (2018). A Young Slugger's Guide to Hitting: Building a Solid Foundation for
Baseball and Softball Players. Wheelhouse Baseball Clinic.
3. Dagenais, M. O. (2017). 150 Softball Pitching Drills. M.O. Dagenais & Associates, Inc.
4. Nic S. (2021) Fast Pitch. Crown Books for Young Readers
5. Erica, W. (2017) Fastpitch: The Untold History of Softball and the Women Who Made the
Game. Touchstone; Reprint edition
Hong Kong China Softball Association homepage https://softball.org.hk/
International Softball Federation homepage http://www.internationalsoftball.com/
Chinese Taipei Amateur Softball Association homepage http://www.softball.org.tw/
Batting swing
P.5
THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
PHYSICAL EDUCATION UNIT
SOFTBALL NOTES
Pitching(Windmill)
Throwing
Catching
P.6
THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
PHYSICAL EDUCATION UNIT
SOFTBALL NOTES
Fair or Foul Ball
P.7
