Softball : eBay Guides

Softball is a team sport in which a ball, eleven to twelve inches in circumference, is thrown by a player called a pitcher and hit by an offensive player called a batter with a round, smooth stick called a bat. Scoring is accomplished by the batter running and touching a series of three markers on the ground called bases, and then touching the final marker, called home plate. Thus in the shape of a diamond. Softball is a variation of baseball, which is sometimes referred to as hardball.

Fast Pitch softball is a very defensive, pitcher-oriented game. The pitcher delivers the ball at maximum speed with a flat-smooth arc, making the ball difficult to hit. There are many strikeouts and ground balls and fly balls. Good pitchers are premium players.

Slow Pitch softball gives batters more dominance by making it easier for them to hit the ball. There are two types of slow pitch softball, which use different-sized balls. Slowpitch with a 12 inch ball and fastpitch with an 11 inch ball.

The Bat used by the batter is made of metal. It may be no more than 34 in  long, 2.25 in diameter, or 31oz. in weight. Also, in fastpitch a "drop" of no more than 12 is allowed. The drop is calculated by taking the length of the bat and subtracting the weight.