History of Softball Pitching

Softball is a sport enjoyed throughout the world. The game's rules are modified and configured to fit the level and desires of the participants. Since the game's invention in 1887, softball has grown in popularity worldwide. The rules of a softball game revolve around the speed and restrictions placed on pitchers during game play. The various styles of pitching explain why the game appeals to such a diverse group of fans and players.

  1. Early Softball Pitchers

    • The first game of softball started with the throwing of a boxing glove to a person gathered to be informed of score of the Harvard-Yale football game at the Farragut Boat Club in Chicago. A member of the Yale faithful threw the glove at a Harvard fan who swung at the glove with a broomstick and a modified indoor baseball game broke out. The game got its name "softball" from the pitching of a soft ball to a batter. That initial game grew into throwing a tied-up boxing glove that was hit with a broomstick or any type of long object. The sport was called indoor baseball.

    Evolution of Softball Pitching

    • The game of softball gained popularity in the 1890s and was played both indoors and outdoors. Pitching strategy developed, and delivering the softball as fast and hard as the pitcher could became the ultimate goal of the game. The pitchers actually would base their pitching strategy on the size of the ball used during the game. The battle over whether a 16- or 12-inch ball was better for the game was debated by pitchers. Today both sizes are used, but the 12-inch ball is the most popular.

    Fast-Pitch Softball

    • Fast-pitch softball solidified itself as a sport at the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago. Fast-pitch softball games are traditionally low-scoring games. Batters often either strike out or hit a home run as the level of competition increases. To make the game more competitive, men's fast-pitch softball pitchers stand 46 feet from home plate, while female pitchers stand 43 feet away. If the less popular 16-inch ball is used for fast-pitch games, both men and women stand 38 feet from home plate. Pitchers throw the ball underhanded as hard as they can. The goal is to strike out the batter.

    Slow-Pitch Softball

    • More offensive-minded players did not like the pitching speed of fast-pitch softball. To accommodate these hitters, a slow-pitch game was developed in 1953. The pitcher in a slow-pitch game will stand 50 feet away from home plate. The pitcher, as in fast-pitch softball, throws the ball underhanded, but he will throw the ball with a slow high arc. The batter will swing to put the ball in play. The goal of a slow-pitch pitcher is to put the ball over the plate for the batter to hit in hopes the fielders will be able to make a play on the field to get the batter out.

    Modified-Pitch Softball

    • Modified-pitch softball became popular in the 1980s. Older men were looking for a way to continue to play a game that resembled baseball. The result was a modification that had a ball that was easier to hit, pitch and field. It was pitched at a slower speed. In the modified game the pitcher can throw the ball as hard as he can underhand to the plate, but he cannot make a windmill motion with his arm to generate momentum to deliver a pitch. In a modified-pitch softball game, women pitchers are 40 feet from home plate and men stand 46 feet from home plate. This modified game more resembles the game of baseball and is a compromise between fast-pitch and slow-pitch softball.