Softball will be the first instrument to be played at the Tokyo Olympic Games. With great tradition in the Asian country, formality returns to the Olympics, after being absent in two editions (London-2012 and Rio-2016). Very confused with baseball, not all Brazilians know the sport, which Americans have as a force, apart from the Japanese. Then see what softball is and what the main rules are.
What is softball?
Softball is a sport that is very similar to baseball, but it is usually played by women. In a match, two teams of nine players each duel, which consists of seven innings. The main objective of the game is to hit the ball with the bat.
If the batsman hits the ball correctly, he has to run around the field and touch the four bases marking the corners. Whoever scores the most points out of the seven entries played wins the match.
What are the main rules?
There are several basic rules for playing the game in softball. See the main ones below:
- The match consists of seven rounds, but at the end of each one the attack and defense positions change between the teams. That way whoever was attacking starts defending.
- The throwing athlete is in the center of the field, while the catcher is behind home plate, a base that starts the game with the batter.
- If the batsman tries to hit the ball and misses, a strike is scored, which represents a loss. However, if you don’t try to hit, the referee can score a strike or ball, which means an advantage for the team. If it hits the ball, the batsman must run towards base.
- Three strikes force the batsman to leave the field and move to another athlete on the team. On the other hand, if you get four balls, you complete a walk and advance to first base, which increases your chances of scoring.
- Each time the batsman hits, the opponents must attempt an out, voiding a play.
- Disqualification can occur if the opponent catches the battered ball and manages to touch it to the batsman or sends the saved ball to home plate, but before it reaches the batsman’s base.
- If the defending team is unable to abort the game, the batsman reaches any ground on a save. If you complete the circuit, you score a rum.
- Each team attacks until three scouts are eliminated. In the end, whoever has the most runs wins.
What are the differences between softball and baseball?
Images already show that softball is very similar to baseball, a traditional sport in the United States. But despite the similarities, there are some differences between the two games.
- In softball, the shot must be taken by moving the arm from the bottom to the top. On the other hand, in baseball, the motion is up-and-down;
- The ball is larger than a baseball and has a circumference of 30.4 cm;
- Differences in modalities also include fields: the radius of the playing field in baseball is 68.58 m and the radius of the playing field in softball is 60.96 m;
- Baseball has nine innings, softball only has seven.
Which teams compete in softball at the Olympics?
Only six teams compete in the softball method at the Tokyo Olympic Games: Australia, Canada, Italy, the United States, Japan and Mexico.
According to the official Olympic website, softball matches take place in two areas – one in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, and the other in Fukushima Prefecture.
Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium hosts the tournament’s opening round on July 21 and 22. On the other hand, all other clashes take place at Yokohama Stadium.
Also read- Why was Neymar not invited for the Olympics?
