7. THE INFIELD IS DIAMOND SHAPED, AND THE
4 CORNERS ARE MARKED WITH SQUARE
BASES. THERE ARE 4 BASES: 1ST, 2ND, 3RD, &
HOME PLATE
8. THE LINE FROM HOME PLATE OUT TO
THE EDGE OF THE LEFT OUTFIELD (LEFT
FIELD) AND FROM HOME PLATE OUT TO
THE EDGE OF THE RIGHT OUTFIELD
(RIGHT FIELD) ARE FOUL LINES
9. EVERYTHING FROM THE FOUL LINES
INWARDS IS “IN BOUNDS”, AND
EVERYTHING OUTWARDS IS “OUT OF
BOUNDS”.
10. THERE ARE TWO TEAMS IN A SOFTBALL
GAME, EACH WITH 9 PLAYERS. THE TWO
TEAMS TAKE TURNS PLAYING OFFENSE
& DEFENCE.
11. WHEN A TEAM IS ON OFFENSE, THEY TRY
TO SCORE POINTS. THIS IS KNOWN AS A
RUN
12. A RUN IS SCORED WHEN SOMEONE
FROM THE OFFENSE TOUCHES ALL 4
BASES: 1ST, 2ND, 3RD, & HOME, IN ORDER
13. WHEN A TEAM IS ON DEFENCE, THEY
TRY TO STOP THE OFFENSE FROM
SCORING RUNS BY COLLECTING 3
OUTS
24. AS WE SAID, THE DEFENCE’S GOAL IS TO
COLLECT 3 OUTS. THERE ARE SEVERAL
WAYS TO DO THAT
25. FIRST, IF A BATTER ON THE OFFENSE HITS A
BALL IN THE AIR, A DEFENSIVE PLAYER CAN
CATCH IT. IF THE PLAYER CATCHES THE BALL
BEFORE IT HITS THE GROUND, IT IS AN OUT
26. IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT THIS TYPE OF OUT
WILL HAPPEN WHETHER OR NOT THE BALL IS
HIT IN-BOUNDS OR OUT OF BOUNDS. IT’S OUT
SO LONG AS IT DOES NOT HIT THE GROUND
BEFORE IT IS CAUGHT
27. SECOND, IF A DEFENSIVE PLAYER CATCHES
THE BALL, BUT THE BALL ALREADY HIT THE
GROUND, THE DEFENSIVE PLAYER CAN TAG
AN OFFENSIVE PLAYER (THE RUNNER) IF THE
RUNNER IS NOT TOUCHING A BASE (OR
THROW THE BALL TO A PLAYER WHO CAN
TAG). THAT TOO, IS AN OUT
28. NOTE THAT THIS CASE ONLY APPLIES IF THE
BALL WAS HIT IN-BOUNDS. I’LL COVER WHAT
HAPPENS IF IT WENT OUT OF BOUNDS LATER
29. BY THE WAY, IF AT ANY POINT, A RUNNER IS
NOT TOUCHING A BASE, AND IS TOUCHED
WITH THE BALL BY A DEFENSIVE PLAYER, IT IS
AN OUT
30. CHECK OUT THIS COMICAL APPROACH TO
THAT RULE!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5wGxsxjmy0
31. THIRD, IF THE DEFENSIVE PLAYER CATCHES
THE BALL, BUT THE BALL HITS THE GROUND
FIRST, THE DEFENSIVE PLAYER CAN TOUCH
THE BASE (OR THROW TO ANOTHER PLAYER
TOUCHING THE BASE) THAT THE RUNNER IS
RUNNING TO BEFORE THE RUNNER REACHES
32. BUT THIS IS ONLY ALLOWED IF THERE IS
ANOTHER RUNNER THAT IS RUNNING TO, OR
STANDING ON, THE PRECEDING BASE, OR IT IS
THE BATTER RUNNING FROM HOME PLATE TO
1ST BASE
33. IF THESE CONDITIONS ARE MET, THEN IT IS AN
OUT. NOTE THAT JUST AS IN THE LAST CASE,
THIS APPLIES ONLY IF THE BALL WAS HIT IN-
BOUNDS. I’LL COVER WHAT HAPPENS IF IT
GOES OUT OF BOUNDS LATER
34. FINALLY, THE PITCHER ON THE DEFENCE CAN
“STRIKE OUT” AN OFFENSIVE BATTER. BUT
WE’LL COVER THIS CASE AFTER WE HAVE
SPOKEN A BIT MORE ABOUT THE BATTER
36. AS YOU RECALL, THE TEAM ON OFFENSE IS
TRYING TO SCORE AS MANY RUNS AS THEY
CAN BEFORE THE DEFENCE GETS 3 OUTS.
AND TO GET A RUN, A PLAYER MUST TOUCH 3
BASES AND HOME PLATE (IN THAT ORDER)
38. FIRST, THE 9 PLAYERS NEED TO DECIDE ON AN
ORDER (THE BATTING ORDER). THE BATTING
ORDER STAYS THE SAME THROUGHOUT THE
GAME. SO IF YOU ARE THE 4TH PLAYER, YOU
LET THE 1ST, 2ND & 3RD PLAYERS IN THE ORDER
BAT BEFORE YOU GET YOUR TURN
39. IF THE DEFENCE IS ABLE TO GET 3 OUTS
BEFORE IT IS YOUR TURN, YOU NEED TO WAIT
UNTIL THE NEXT INNING (THE NEXT TIME YOUR
TEAM IS ON OFFENSE). SO IF YOU WERE 4TH IN
THE BATTING ORDER AND THE DEFENCE GOT
3 OUTS, THEN YOU’LL BE THE 1ST IN THE
BATTING ORDER FOR THE NEXT INNING
40. OH, AND BY THE WAY, THE BATTING QUEUE
REPLENISHES ITSELF. SO IN THIS EXAMPLE,
THE 1ST, 2ND, AND 3RD PLAYERS WILL ASSUME
SLOTS 7, 8, AND 9 (AT THE END OF THE QUEUE)
AND WAIT FOR THEIR TURN TO BAT AGAIN
41. WHEN IT IS A PLAYER’S TURN IN THE BATTING
ORDER, THEY BECOME THE BATTER. THEY
WILL GRAB A BAT (WOODEN OR ALUMINIUM)
AND HEAD OVER TO HOME PLATE
42. AT HOME PLATE, THE BATTER WILL FACE THE
PITCHER FROM THE DEFENCE. SQUATTING
RIGHT BEHIND THE BATTER, WILL BE THE
DEFENCE’S CATCHER. WHEN EVERYONE IS
READY, THE PITCHER WILL THROW THE BALL
(PITCH) TO THE CATCHER
43. NOW HERE IS WHERE IT STARTS GETTING
TRICKY BECAUSE THERE ARE AGAIN, A FEW
OPTIONS
44. FIRST, IF THE BATTER HITS THE BALL
SOMEWHERE IN-BOUNDS THEY CAN RUN TO
1ST BASE. IN FACT, IF THEY CAN MAKE IT TO
2ND, 3RD, OR ALL THE WAY HOME, WITHOUT A
DEFENDER TAGGING THEM OUT, THEY CAN
GO FOR IT
45. OF COURSE, IF YOU DON’T THINK YOU CAN
MAKE IT TO THE NEXT BASE, YOU MAY STOP
AT WHATEVER BASE YOU MADE IT TO
46. A “SINGLE” MEANS THAT YOU MADE IT TO
FIRST BASE. A “DOUBLE” MEANS THAT YOU
MADE IT TO SECOND BASE. A “TRIPLE” MEANS
THAT YOU MADE IT TO THIRD. AND A “HOME
RUN” MEANS THAT YOU MADE IT ALL THE WAY
AROUND THE DIAMOND IN ONE GO
47. OH, BY THE WAY, IF YOU KNOCK THE BALL
BEYOND THE OUTFIELD WALL, BUT STILL
INBOUNDS (BETWEEN THE FOUL LINES), YOU
GET A HOME RUN, AND ANY RUNNERS
ALREADY ON THE BASES WILL SCORE AS
WELL
48. THERE IS ALSO A SECOND WAY TO GET ON
BASE, THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE HITTING THE
BALL
49. IF THE PITCHER FAILS TO THROW
ACCURATELY 4 TIMES, AND THE BATTER DOES
NOT SWING THE BAT AT THOSE 4 BALLS, THE
BATTER GETS TO GO TO 1ST BASE (CALLED “A
WALK”)
52. THINK OF THE STRIKE ZONE AS A CUBE THAT
EXTENDS FROM THE FRONT TO THE BACK OF
HOME PLATE, AND FROM ONE SIDE OF HOME
PLATE TO THE OTHER, AND FROM THE KNEES
TO THE ELBOWS OF THE BATTER
53. IF THE PITCHER THROWS THE BALL OUTSIDE
OF THAT CUBE 4 TIMES, IT IS A WALK
54. OH, AND, THOUGH THIS
SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN, IF
THE PITCHER HITS THE
BATTER WITH THE BALL, IT IS
AN AUTOMATIC WALK TOO.
55. AND REMEMBER, I TOLD YOU ABOUT A STRIKE
OUT AS ONE OF THE WAYS TO GET AN OUT?
56. WELL, HERE’S WHERE THAT COMES IN. IF THE
PITCHER THROWS THE BALL WITHIN THE
STRIKE ZONE AND THE BATTER EITHER DOES
NOT SWING, OR SWINGS AND MISSES, IT IS A
STRIKE
57. IF THE PITCHER GETS 3 STRIKES, THE BATTER
IS OUT AND THE OFFENSE SHIFTS TO THE
NEXT BATTER IN THE BATTING ORDER
58. OH, AND THERE IS JUST ONE MORE SMALL
CAVEAT. IF THE BATTER HITS A PITCH, BUT
THE BALL GOES OUT-OF-BOUNDS (OUTSIDE
THE FOUL LINES), THEN IT IS COUNTED AS A
STRIKE UNLESS THE BATTER ALREADY HAS 2
STRIKES, IN WHICH CASE THE “FOUL BALL” AS
IT IS CALLED, IS SIMPLY IGNORED
59. FINALLY, ALTHOUGH THIS IS VERY RARE, IF ON
THE THIRD STRIKE, THE CATCHER DROPS THE
BALL, THE RUNNER MAY RUN TO FIRST BASE
AS IF HE/SHE HAD HIT THE BALL
60. AT THAT POINT, WHETHER THE BATTER IS OUT
OR MAKES IT SAFELY TO ONE OF THE BASES,
THE NEXT BATTER IN THE BATTING ORDER
(THE BATTER ON DECK) COMES UP
61. WHEN HE/SHE HITS THE BALL, THE RUNNERS
ON BASE CAN RUN TO THE NEXT BASE (OR,
AGAIN, FURTHER IF HE/SHE THINKS IT’S SAFE)
62. BUT NOTE THAT RUNNERS CAN ONLY MOVE
FORWARD. YOU CAN NEVER HAVE 2
OFFENSIVE PLAYERS ON THE SAME BASE OR
THE LEAD RUNNER IS CALLED OUT
63. THINGS WILL GO ON LIKE THAT, WITH THE
BASE RUNNERS PROGRESSING AROUND THE
DIAMOND UNTIL THE DEFENCE GETS 3 OUTS,
OR A RUNNER MAKES IT ALL THE WAY TO
HOME PLATE
64. IF THE RUNNER MAKES
IT TO HOME PLATE, THE
OFFENSE SCORES A
RUN!
66. FIRST, ANY RUNNER ON BASE CAN STEAL, BY
RUNNING TO THE NEXT BASE EVEN IF THE
BATTER HAS NOT HIT THE BALL
67. HOWEVER, THEY NEED TO BE FAST BECAUSE
THEY CAN ONLY STEAL WHEN THE PITCHER
OR CATCHER HAS THE BALL OR WHEN IT IS IN
THE AIR BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM
68. SECOND, IF THE BATTER HITS THE BALL, BUT
THE BALL IS CAUGHT BY THE DEFENCE
WITHOUT HITTING THE GROUND, THE RUNNER
MUST TOUCH THE BASE THAT THEY STARTED
ON, AFTER THE CATCH IS MADE, BEFORE THEY
CAN ADVANCE TO THE NEXT BASE
69. IF THE BALL HITS THE GROUND BEFORE IT IS
CAUGHT, THE RUNNERS CAN ADVANCE ANY
TIME THEY WANT
70. OK, SO THEM’S THE BASIC RULES.
BUT THE FUN OF SOFTBALL IS ALL ABOUT
WHAT YOU DO WITH THE RULES GIVEN
THE CONTEXT.
SOFTBALL IS A VERY STRATEGIC &
TACTICAL GAME. ON THE NEXT SLIDE
I’VE SUGGESTED A FEW YOUTUBE
VIDEOS THAT WILL GIVE YOU A TASTER
OF BOTH. CLICK ON THE THUMBNAILS TO
WATCH!
71. What does the defence do
when runners are on 1st &
3rd with less than 2 outs?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyi1iAil
gcw
What do runners do if batter
hits into the outfield?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaK-
TUKaGKc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmCzNI
V-2u8
How do you execute a cutoff
with a runner on first?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZjhVvi
78-4&list=UUgf9-
zJ1kk7KYOu1y3YwIfw&index=154
What footwork should a
short stop have for line drive
up the middle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHTISuY
gVmw&index=158&list=UUgf9-
zJ1kk7KYOu1y3YwIfw
How do you transfer ball
from glove to throwing hand
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1
2vfNtAir5s&list=UUgf9-
zJ1kk7KYOu1y3YwIfw&index=162
How do you hold the bat?
72. SHARE THIS
DECK &
FOLLOW ME(please-oh-please-oh-please-oh-please)
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