origin of softball

Mary Bellis covered inventions and inventors for ThoughtCo for 18 years. According to the International Softball Federation, which was formed in 1952, teams must now be comprised of nine players manning seven positions on the field. The history of softball, how it has changed over the years as well as the creation and invention. Bellis, Mary. It dates back to 1887, more precisely Thanksgiving Day in Chicago, Illinois. He suggested it to the International Joint Rules Committee, and in 1934 it included the Amateur Softball Association. According to records, the first ever softball match was played in Chicago, Illinois. Who invented softball? The game consists of an oversized ball, eleven to 12 inches (or rarely, 16 inches) in circumference. Bellis, Mary. "The History of Softball." softball synonyms, softball pronunciation, softball translation, English dictionary definition of softball. Slow-pitch softball, a variation on the game, provides for a fourth outfielder. Softball was "invented" as the result of a football game in 1887 and has since become the recognized sport it is today. Define softball. The original softball used by the Farragut Boat Club was 16 inches in circumference. History of Fast Pitch Softball. Often, companies and organizations form amateur coed teams to play for benefits and charity fund-raiser events. Softball stayed about the same through the turn of the century and was not taken seriously by many people until the 1950s. See more. Softball was invented in 1887 and became known as 'softball' in 1926 at a National Recreation Conference meeting. Softball is a sport that sprung from the mind of George Hancock. The game has gotten more and more popular through the decades. 1887: The first version of Softball was developed by George Hancock in Chicago Illinois. Softball History. Fastpitch softball, also known as fastpitch or fastball, is a form of softball played commonly by women and men, though coed fast-pitch leagues also exist. It was invented in 1887 in Chicago, Illinois, United Statesas an indoor game. The game of softball was born almost by accident, as it occurred after the traditional Harvard vs. Yale football game on Thanksgiving Day 1887 at Chicago's Farragut Boat Club, where fans of both teams had gathered to hear the score. It was invented in 1887 by George Hancock of Chicago's Farragut Boat Club, who imagined that the popular game of baseball could be played indoors. "Indoor baseball" became very popular, and the game was soon played outside in parks and on playgrounds. Ballfield Dirt Ingredients and Maintenance, James Naismith: The Canadian Inventor of Basketball. Believe it or not, boating, boxing and football each played a role in the history of softball. It stuck. Sources of data. The friends were a mix of Yale and Harvard alumni and one of the Yale supporters threw a boxing glove at a Harvard alumnus in triumph. Discover surprising insights and little-known facts about politics, literature, science, and the marvels of the natural world. It was played with a boxing glove for a ball and a broom handle for a bat. In 1991, women’s fast pitch softball was added to the roster of the 1996 Summer Olympics—a landmark many people recognize as the ultimate success of a sport. Softball has a long and rich history in Australia dating back to 1939. Softball began in 1887 when George Hancock, a reporter for the Chicago Board of Trade, invented "indoor baseball". Although many people assume that softball was derived from baseball, the sport’s first game actually came about because of a football game. Bunting and stealing bases typically aren’t allowed. Have you ever wondered the origin of softball? History of Softball. Today, softball is one of the most popular sports in the country, and an estimated 40 million Americans engage in at least one softball game each year. Believe it or not softball was created by males. The name softball was first used by Walter Hakanson, a Denver YMCA official, in 1926. George Hancock, a reporter for the Chicago Board of Trade, jokingly called out, “Play ball!” and the first softball game commenced with the football fans using the boxing glove as a ball and a broom handle in place of a bat. George Hancock, a reporter for the Chicago Board of Trade, is credited with inventing softball in 1887. It became known in the United States by various names, such as kitten ball, mush ball, diamond ball, indoor–outdoor, and playground ball. The history of softball is still unfolding, and the game has undergone numerous modifications since its creation in 1887, but it is still one of the most preferred sports games in the country and has developed a following in several countries throughout the world, especially in Australia, China, and Japan. She is known for her independent films and documentaries, including one about Alexander Graham Bell. Still, that hasn’t deterred millions of enthusiasts in the U.S. and more than a hundred other countries from pursuing the sport. History of Softball This paper is going to be over the topic of softball. Some called it “indoor baseball” or “diamond ball.” True baseball fanatics didn’t think much of the game and their names for it, such as “kitten baseball,” “pumpkin ball” and “mush ball” reflected their disdain. Softball has only grown from this point and is a main sport in the United States. Learn the story behind the beginning of one of the greatest sports on earth. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Leo Fischer and Michael Pauley decided to organize softball on a more national basis. It was played on a thanksgiving day in the second last decade of nineteenth century i.e. Finally, more official rules were set in place in 1934 by the newly-formed Joint Rules Committee on Softball. softball meaning: 1. a game similar to baseball but played with a larger, softer ball: 2. the ball used in the game…. All-Time State Tournament Results. ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/brief-history-of-softball-4071873. But the game still didn’t have a name. The game moves at a faster pace than traditional baseball due to the field being smaller and the bases and the fielders being … After the score of the football game between the Harvard University and Yale University was announced, a Yale alumnus threw his boxing glove at Harvard supporters. The NCAA College World Series ia an annual event. All Rights Reserved. In the period prior to 1900, the game was played outdoors, using a larger ball than employed in baseball, and on a smaller playing field. History of Softball. How to use softball in a … Loved by amateurs and professionals of all ages and athletic backgrounds, the world can only anticipate what is in store for the future of America’s other favorite pastime. The first softballs were reported to be some 16 inches in circumference. All-Time State Tournament Participants. The ISF recognizes three pitching styles: medium pitch, "modified" fast pitch, and slow pitch. The Farragut Boat Club in Chicago was a host to a gathering to hear the winner of a football game between Yale University and Harvard University. History of Softball Softball is believed to have been invented in Chicago in 1887. The word earlier was a term in sugar candy making (1894). But in some leagues, players go to bat with a strike and a ball already against them. In 1991, fastpitch softball was added to the list for the 1996 summer Olympics, where it made its first appearance. The ball used in this game. Softball definition is - a sport similiar to baseball played on a small diamond with a ball that is larger than a baseball and that is pitched underhand; also : the ball used in this game. However, if the teams are tied at the end of the seventh inning, the game can go into extra innings, until the tie is broken. Softball History. However, many Chicagoans still hold fast to the belief that real softball is played using a 16-inch ball. The game quickly spread from the comfy confines of the Farragut Boat Club to other indoor arenas. Thanksgiving day is celebrated across the USA and Canada. The Harvard supporter swung at the glove with a stick he happened to be holding at the time. When Yale was announced as winner, a Yale alumnus playfully threw a boxing glove at a Harvard supporter. Past Tournament Results and Brackets . OHSAA State Softball Record Book. Games using these 16-inch balls are often referred to as “cabbage ball,” “super slow pitch,” and “mush ball,” and unlike competitive softball, players are not allowed to wear fielding gloves. softball (n.) baseball of larger than usual size, used in a scaled-down version of the game, 1914, from soft + ball (n.1). The term “softball” was introduced in 1926 by the YMCA’s Walter Hakanson at a meeting of the National Recreation Congress. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our. Softball originated in Chicago, with the first official women’s team being organized in 1895, approximately eight years after the game was created for men. With the advent of spring, it headed outdoors. This is thrown (pitched) underhand by a player called a pitcher and hit by an offensive player called a batter with a bat (usually wooden, metal or composite material). A variation of baseball played on a smaller diamond with a larger, softer ball that is pitched underhand. People consider it a women’s sport though. Although many people assume that softball was derived from baseball, the sport’s first game actually came about because of a football game. Similar to baseball, the team with the most runs at the end of the seventh inning is named the winner. The International Softball Federation (ISF) is the international governing body of softball. Although softball was later dropped from the 2012 Summer Olympics lineup, the game is still one of the most popular participant sports in the United States and 113 countries have officially joined the International Softball Federation since the organization’s formation in 1952. It is generally agreed that softball developed from a game called indoor baseball, first played in Chicago in 1887. The game was first called softball at the National Recreation Congress meeting in 1926. Credit for the name goes to Walter Hakanson who represented the YMCA at the meeting. Softball was invented inside the Farragut Boat Club on a blustery, winter day in November, 1887, in Chicago, IL. The game of softball was first birthed through a playful indoor baseball game after a Harvard-Yale football game. Ohio Fast Pitch Softball Coaches Association All-State Teams. There are actually three outfielders positioned in the center, right and left field. Softball is a form of baseball that is played nine to a side on a smaller playing field. In 1934, the Joint Rules Committee on Softball collaborated to create a set of standardized rules. The team did not acquire a coach until 1899 and there was little interest in the game from spectators. The players take the positions of pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman, shortstop, third baseman, and outfielder. Usually, there are three outfielders holding the positions of right fielder, left fielder, and center fielder. circumference) on a field that has base lengths of 60 feet, a pitcher's mound that ranges from 35–43 feet away from home plate, and a home run fence that is 220–300 feet away from home plate, depending on the type of softball being played. However, slow pitch softball allows for a fourth person in the outfield. According to the official rules developed early in the history of softball, and eventually defined by the International Softball Federation, there are nine players on the field at a time. The Farragut Boat Club invented the first softball rules pretty much on the fly. Softball, a variant of baseball, was invented as an indoor recreation in Chicago in 1887 by newspaper reporter George Hancock. Softball definition, a form of baseball played on a smaller diamond with a ball that is larger and softer than a baseball. Women’s fast-pitch softball became an official sport of the Summer Olympics in 1996 but was dropped in 2012. A man named George Hancock witnessed the incident and tied a boxing glove to be used as the ball and the first game took p… A young man named Abner Doubleday is often credited with developing the game, but the real history is older—and more complicated. Softball History and Evolution of Softball (“History of Softball,” 2009.). The Harvard fan swung at the balled-up glove with a stick, and the rest of the group looked on with interest. The first women’s team was formed at Chicago’s West Division High School. Founding and early years of the sport Softball is a game that has great tradition to it and a very interesting history. The first game was played indoors, with a tied up boxing glove used as a ball and a broom stick pole used as a bat. "The History of Softball." Copyright © 2001 - 2021. Up until this point, the game was being played with varied rules, player positions, and ball sizes. While the sport was originally advertised as an indoor game for baseball players looking to maintain their dexterity during the off season, it gained so much popularity and recognition that it quickly became its own official sport. They eventually shrunk to 12 inches when Lewis Rober Sr. introduced softball to a group of Minneapolis firefighters. By the spring of 1888, the game had spread outdoors. Bellis, Mary. The History of Softball. Due to the initial excitement surrounding the game, the Farragut Boat Club decided to officially devise their own set of rules, and the game quickly leaked to outsiders in Chicago and, eventually, throughout the rest of the Midwestern U.S. As the history of softball shaped itself over the next decade, the game went under the guise of “indoor baseball,” “kitten baseball,” “diamond ball,” “mush ball,” and “pumpkin ball.” In 1926, Walter Hakanson coined the term “softball” while representing the YMCA at a National Recreation Congress meeting, and by 1930, the term stuck as the sport’s official name.

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