Equipment: The ball will be regulation 16 inch softball. … Batting: The batter must make a full swing at the ball. No bunts or half swings are allowed. A bunt or a half swing will cause the batter to be out.
What is a 16-inch softball used for?
Game play. Game play for 16-inch softball is mostly consistent with standard softball game play. In contrast to standard, or 12-inch (30.48 cm) softball, it is played with a ball 16 inches (40.64 cm) in circumference. Leagues may form co-ed, all-male, or all-female teams.
Is 16-inch softball a Chicago thing?
16-inch softball is an official sport in Chicago Public Schools. Only the boys play 16-inch whereas girls play fast-pitch, according to the Chicago Public Schools website. “We got the (public) high schools to start it as a lettered sport about 20 years ago,” said Al Maag, co-founder of the 16-inch softball Hall of Fame …
Can you bunt in slow pitch softball?
S6. No Bunting: Bunting is prohibited.
In what city is 16-inch softball most popular?
While it isn’t well known outside of the city, 16-inch softball has deep roots in Chicago. The game originated on Thanksgiving Day 1887 at the Farragut Boat Club. The first game was played between a group of Harvard and Yale alumni.
How far can you hit a 16-inch softball?
The Playing Field
The official 16 inch diamond base lines will be sixty (60) feet. The pitching distance will be thirty-eight (38) feet. All batters start with 0-0 count ● No Extra foul balls!
Do you need a glove for 16-inch softball?
no gloves. The ball’s 16-inch softball precludes the use of a glove and that makes the game more cost effective. During the Depression the game became popular because it could be played in many places and a team could buy a ball for a dime. Also, women played the game because they felt it was safer than baseball.
How many positions are there in a 16 inch softball?
Ten defensive players are allowed on the field: Pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, right fielder, right center fielder, left center fielder, and left fielder.
Is there bunting in softball?
A bunt is a legally batted ball not swung at but tapped or intentionally tapped into the infield with the bat. … In USA Softball, the batter can leave the bat over the plate on a bunt attempt, provided she doesn’t move the bat toward the ball, and not have a strike called if the ball is out of the zone.
Is bunting allowed in baseball?
Official Baseball Rules define a bunt as follows: “A BUNT is a batted ball not swung at, but intentionally met with the bat and tapped slowly within the infield.” To bunt, the batter loosely holds the bat in front of home plate and intentionally taps the ball into play.
Can you steal a base in slow pitch softball?
D. Base stealing is not allowed. Runners can leave their bases when a pitched ball has reached home plate or is hit. If the batter does not hit the pitch, base runners must return to their bases immediately.
Who invented softball?
Softball began in 1887 when George Hancock, a reporter for the Chicago Board of Trade, invented “indoor baseball”. By the spring of 1888, the game had spread outdoors. It was originally called either mushball, kittenball or indoor baseball, but by the 1920s it had acquired the name of softball.
What does Mushball mean?
Mushball meaning
(sports) A variant of softball with a bigger, softer ball and no gloves or mitts worn by the fielders. noun.
What is the biggest softball?
The largest softball approved by the ASA for regulation play is 16 inches in circumference and used in men’s 16-inch softball games. The 16-inch softball dates back to the beginning of the sport, when the first balls used to play were 16 inches in diameter.