Fastpitch softball

Fastpitch softball is a form of softball played commonly by girls, mostly starting at the age of 6 through college age, though male and co-ed fastpitch leagues also exist. The United States women's national softball team has won back-to-back-to-back gold medals at the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics. In the most recent Olympics, 2008, the USA team finished silver, the first time they did not finish gold since softball became apart of the Olympics. Now, the event is slated to be removed for the 2012 Olympics due to the number of players and the field space that has to be built. It is still up for debate in the 2016 Olympics.

Pitchers throw the ball underhanded at speeds up to 76 mph from 40 or 43 feet away. This is the equivalent to being equivalent to that of a 90 mph baseball pitch.

The pitching style is completely different from that of that of slowpitch softball. Fastpitch pitchers throw the ball in what is called a "windmill" type of pitch. This style of pitching involves bringing the ball in a circular motion, starting at the hip and then bringing it up over the head and completing the circle back down at the hip. The release is crucial in fastpitch. The pitcher must snap his/her wrist upwards at the exact moment the ball is centered in the middle of his/her body. This release causes a spin motion on the ball, which thus contributes to a significant part of the speed.

There are many different pitches that can be thrown with this style of pitching. Theres 2-seam fastball, 4-seam fastball, changup, riseball, dropball, curveball, offspeed, screwball, and more. These pitches can be taught in many different styles, depending upon the pitching coach's method and the players abilities. The basic appeal of being able to throw these pitches at such a high speed is that it speeds up the entire game and creates more action and intensity. The Fastball is also a crucial pitch and that is what most girls build off of. If you have a good fastball your changeup will be more effective. There are many types of changeups. Some of these are the circle change, the backhand change, and the plan ball change. There is also a lot of hitting, bunting and slap-bunting from the left side of the plate.

It is a high speed game so there is stealing and always something going on. You can steal every base including home. Most Leagues have the "dropped third strike" rule that allows you to run to first if you strike out if the base isn't occupied or there are 2 outs. You can leave the base when the pitcher releases the ball. Softball is just like baseball, only the ball is bigger and the field is smaller. If you are younger you will play with an 11 in. ball but the older girls play with a 12 in. ball. There are many professional softball organizations around the world such as the Philadelphia Force and the Chinese National Teams. There are many rec. leagues and some you can check research softball in your area. It is a great sport for men and women and girls of all ages to get out learn a skill and enjoy the game of softball.

Fastpitch Associations

There are various associations supporting fastpitch softball such as USSSA and ASA. Each association has their own official rules.