Softball is a team sport where two teams of nine players each take turns batting and fielding. The objective is to score more runs than the opposing team by hitting the ball and running around a series of four bases arranged in a diamond shape. Each game is divided into seven innings, with each team having a turn to bat and field in each inning2. The key positions include the pitcher, catcher, infielders (first baseman, second baseman, shortstop, third baseman), and outfielders (left fielder, center fielder, right fielder)24.

Key skills in softball include hitting, fielding, pitching, and baserunning. Hitting requires good hand-eye coordination and timing to make contact with the ball using a bat. Fielding involves catching and throwing the ball accurately to get runners out. Pitching, especially in fast-pitch softball, involves a windmill motion to deliver the ball underhand with speed and accuracy12. Baserunning requires speed and strategic decision-making to advance around the bases without being tagged out.

For beginners, mastering the fundamentals is crucial. Proper hitting techniques include maintaining a balanced stance, keeping eyes on the ball, and following through with the swing. Fielding techniques involve staying low, using both hands to secure the ball, and making quick, accurate throws. Pitchers should focus on developing a consistent windmill motion and varying pitch types to keep batters off balance12. Baserunners should practice quick starts, efficient turns around bases, and situational awareness to capitalize on scoring opportunities.

The playing field in softball is divided into fair and foul territories, with fair territory further split into the infield and outfield. The field is defined by foul lines that intersect at home plate, forming a right angle. The baselines' length varies by classification, with official measurements provided for different levels of play1. A fence runs between the baselines, defining the field's limits, and the distance from home plate to the fence varies. The widest part of the field is the distance between the foul poles, which can range from 310 to 420 feet apart, depending on the foul lines' length1.

Home plate is one corner of a diamond with bases at each corner, numbered counterclockwise as first, second, and third base. The bases are 15 inches square and not more than 5 inches thick, usually fastened to the ground. Some fields feature a "double base" at first base to prevent collisions, more common in women's softball1. The infield includes the diamond and adjacent space where infielders play, typically "skinned" (dirt), while the outfield is grassy. Near the diamond's center is the pitching plate, surrounded by a 16-foot diameter pitching circle in fastpitch12. A warning track, 15 to 12 feet from the outfield fence, is required on official fields, though not necessary on larger fields with temporary fencing1. Coach's boxes are located in foul territory outside both baselines, each behind a 15-foot line, 12 feet from the baseline1.

The earliest known softball game was played in Chicago, Illinois, on Thanksgiving Day, 1887, at the Farragut Boat Club during a gathering to hear the outcome of the Yale vs. Harvard football game1. After Yale's victory, a playful exchange involving a boxing glove and a stick led George Hancock, a reporter, to call out "Play ball!" thus initiating the first game, which ended with a score of 41–4023. Hancock is credited with inventing the game by developing a 17-inch ball and an undersized bat, and the Farragut Club soon established rules for the sport, initially called "Indoor Baseball"13. By 1895, Lewis Rober, Sr. organized outdoor games for firefighters in Minneapolis, calling it "kitten ball"1. The name "softball" was coined in 1926 by Walter Hakanson of the YMCA, and by 1930, it had spread across the United States13. The Joint Rules Committee on Softball standardized the rules in 1936, and the sport continued to evolve, with fast pitch becoming dominant by the 1940s13. Women's fast pitch softball debuted at the 1996 Summer Olympics, marking a significant milestone for the sport13.