Learning the Basics
Softball can be broken down into five core fundamentals - pitching, catching, throwing, hitting and fielding. Each of these core fundamentals have sub-categories, but overall are the main skills you need to be able to play this sport.
- Base on balls
- Also known as a walk, this is when the batter is allowed to go to first base after receiving four pitches outside of the strike zone
- Batting order
- The official order in which offensive players must hit.
- Bunt
- A batted ball not swung at, but tapped intentionally within the infield, often used to advance base runners
- Double play
- A play where two offensive players are legally put out due to continuous action
- Fair ball
- A batted ball is considered fair if it lands anywhere in fair territory or is touched by a fielder or runner anywhere in fair territory, unless it rolls or bounces into foul territory prior to reaching first or third base and is touched by a fielder or runner before re-entering fair territory. A ball that bounces on, over or inside first or third base is considered fair, even if it proceeds into foul territory beyond the base. A ball that hits the outfield foul pole on the fly is fair.
- Foul ball
- A batted ball is considered foul if it settles on foul territory between home and first or home and third; bounds past first or third on/over foul territory; lands in foul territory anywhere beyond first or third; is touched by a fielder or runner while on/over foul territory ; touches a batter within the batter's box; or leaves the playing field while in foul territory.
- Inning
- The portion of a game within which the teams alternate on offense and defense, and where there are three outs for each team
- Strike Zone
- The space directly over home plate between the batter's armpits and the top of her knees, when the batter assumes her natural batting stance