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60-489: Women's Professional Fastpitch ( WPF ) is a professional women's fastpitch softball league in the United States. The new league began its promotional campaign in 2021 and launched its first official season in 2023 . The league is unrelated to the defunct league that used the names National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) and Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL) along with Women's Professional Fastpitch. Not to be confused with

120-610: A no-hitter . This has happened once in MLB history, as on May 5, 2021, John Means of the Baltimore Orioles threw a no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners, striking out 12 batters while facing the minimum of 27 batters; his only baserunner, Sam Haggerty , reached on a dropped third strike in the third inning by catcher Pedro Severino and was subsequently caught trying to steal second base. In Little League , in

180-408: A "double-header". Because of the speed of these games, they were very popular with spectators. During those years, the women's games were popular and considered fun to watch but the real draws were the men's games. Pitchers that could hurl the ball in excess of 85 mph at a batter 46 feet away could strike out 15 to 20 batters a game. To make things even more difficult, the underhand delivery meant

240-414: A catcher must have a strong arm and a quick throw. The catcher is the brains of the team, and carries it as a whole. The game of fastpitch softball is similar to baseball, and includes stealing bases and bunting . Unlike baseball, however, there is no "leading off" – the baserunner can only leave the base when the pitcher releases the ball. Most leagues use the " dropped third strike " rule, which allows

300-465: A controversial play involving this rule in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the 2005 American League Championship Series , the application of the rule was changed when a comment was added in 2006 to Rule 6.09(b) (After rule numbering changes, Rule 5.09(a)(2) Comment): Rule 5.05(a)(2) Comment: A batter who does not realize his situation on a third strike not caught, and who is not in the process of running to first base, shall be declared out once he leaves

360-413: A line drive is better than a ground ball. Fly balls come off the bat at a launch angle of 25–50° and these are good for power hitters. Fly balls are typically what a home run is made of. A pop up's launch angle is anything greater than 50°. There is never really an apparent reason to hit a fly ball, the best case scenario would be to foul it off out of play in a battle at the plate. It is always better to hit

420-487: A line drive than a ground ball, especially as the defensive game gets more competitive. It is always best to find a gap rather than hit it right at the defensive players. Associations which support fastpitch softball include: Each association plays under its own official rules. USA Softball was created in 1933 by the American Softball Association (ASA). It is still owned and operated by

480-498: A majority vote to stay. The two sports were the first to be cut since polo in 1936. One of the reasons softball was considered for elimination from the Olympics was because there was not enough global participation and not enough depth of talent worldwide to merit Olympic status. In the three Summer Olympics which included a softball competition, four countries won medals: the United States, Australia, China and Japan. In response to

540-926: A new competing league, the Association of Fastpitch Professionals . Following the 2023 season , the Oklahoma City Spark announced their departure from the WPF in December 2023. In April 2024, the Smash It Sports Vipers and USSSA Pride both announced they would not participate in the 2024 season. Three new teams in Texas were added to replace the teams that left the league, the Coastal Bend Tidal Wave, Hub City Adelitas and Texas Monarchs. In April 2024, B4Real Enterprises

600-580: A possibility, the ASA created the World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma City in 2005. This event allows the top countries in the world to compete on a yearly basis. The 2005 World Cup of Softball drew over 18,000 fans around the world for a competition between the top five international softball teams. The World Cup of Softball was later established as one of the premier events for the sport of softball. At

660-443: A runner . The strike is called, but the umpire does not call the batter out. The umpire may also signal that there is "no catch" of the pitch. The batter may then attempt to reach first base and must be tagged or forced out. With two outs and the bases loaded, the catcher who fails to catch the third strike may, upon picking up the ball, step on home plate for a force-out or make a throw to any other base in an effort to force out

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720-457: A runner. An "uncaught" strike includes not only pitches dropped by the catcher, but also pitches that hit the ground before the catcher attempts to catch it. The purpose of the "no runner on first base or two outs" qualification is to prevent the catcher from deliberately dropping a third-strike pitch and then initiating an unfair double or triple play with possible force plays at second base , third base , or home plate, in addition to putting

780-406: A third strike is treated as if in play, but now only for the fraction of a second between when the strike occurs and the catcher fields it (if he does). This is why the catcher is given credit on the putout in strikeouts, as with any fielder who catches a ball in play on the fly. But if the catcher doesn't field it cleanly, the ball is still in play like any other ball missed by a fielder. Following

840-405: Is achieved through different techniques which help the pitcher to maintain a certain consistency of body weight and balance. The pitch starts with the grip and ends with a follow through after the ball is released from the hand of the pitcher. An accurate pitch requires skill in six areas: the grip, stance, windup, stride, release and follow through. A perfect grip depends on which pitch the pitcher

900-452: Is throwing. For a normal fastball, it is beneficial to hold the ball firmly with your fingertips, but not so that the ball is pushed deep into your palm of your hand. In fastpitch softball, there are several types of grips for various pitches. There is not one correct way to hold or throw a pitch, it all depends on the pitcher. Some grips are easier for individuals due to the size of their hand while others find certain grips more difficult. This

960-461: Is why younger pitchers who have not developed into their normal hand size start with more basic grips such as the fastball. The main pitches involved in fastpitch softball are as follows: fastball, change-up, curveball, drop ball, and rise ball. Other pitches include both the drop curve, and well as the drop screw, and the backdoor curve. The pitcher's stance is also important when pitching. In different types of competitions, different rules concerning

1020-525: The 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia , US. In America, the ASA responded by developing a coaching pool consisting of the best coaches in the country along with a selection committee which would recruit the most talented US softball players. The selection committee was responsible for making the final cuts to decide which players would compete for the US team at all international competitions throughout

1080-539: The catcher fails to cleanly catch a pitch for the third strike of a plate appearance . In Major League Baseball (MLB), the specific rules concerning the uncaught third strike are addressed in Rules 5.05 and 5.09 of the Official Baseball Rules: On an uncaught third strike with (1) no runner on first base , or (2) with a runner on first base and two outs , the batter immediately becomes

1140-658: The ASA, and includes the USA Men's, Women's, Junior Boys' and Junior Girls' National Team. In addition, it also oversees 150,000 amateur teams nationwide. There are 15 players on the USA Softball roster along with 3 replacement players. USA Softball offers recreational, league, tournament and National Championship play for fast pitch softball. Before the 1996 Summer Olympics, the USA Softball National Team Selection Committee

1200-736: The Amateur Softball Association sent the Connecticut Brakettes of Stratford, Connecticut , to compete in the International Softball Federation's (ISF) Women's World championship in 1965. The Brakettes were the ASA's first women's softball team and they finished the competition with a record of 8–3 and a silver medal. After the championship, the Brakettes travelled to many locations around the world to serve as ambassadors for

1260-466: The Bug" 7. Follow Through and Finish. There are many drills as well that can help aid in the advancing of one's mechanisms including hitting of a tee and soft toss drills. The swing must be very concise and compact since the ball is coming very fast and there is little time to react. Hitting is also an important aspect of softball. Hitters will approach the plate based on a very thought out line up assigned by

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1320-594: The Tee-Ball and Minor League divisions, the batter is out after the third strike regardless of whether the pitched ball is caught cleanly by the catcher. In Little League (or the Major Division), Junior, Senior, and Big League divisions, a batter may attempt to advance to first base on an uncaught third strike. Little League Major Division Softball and many other youth baseball leagues (such as the USSSA ) also follow

1380-488: The aforementioned data could decrease shoulder forces, thus translating to lower rates of time-loss injury in this group of athletes. The fastest pitch on record was thrown by Eddie Feigner of "The King and His Court" who was clocked at ⁿ90 mph. Feigner was at his best in the 1950s, and it is doubtful if this figure is correct. The fastpitch swing can be broken down into seven components: 1. Stance 2. Grip 3. Bat Position 4. Shift of Weight 5. Hand Position 6. "Squishing

1440-413: The arm at the hip. A common way to be taught how to pitch is using the motions, 'repel', 'rock', 'kick', 'drag', 'toss'. The pitcher then brings the ball in a circular motion over the head, completes the circle back down at the hip, and snaps the hand. A "modified" fast pitch is identical to a "windmill" pitch except the arm is not brought over the head in a full windmill motion, but instead is brought behind

1500-461: The ball was rising as it approached the plate and a talented pitcher could make the ball perform some baffling aerobatics on its journey to the batter's box. The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) was formed in 1934 and held a National tournament each year to determine the best softball team in America. Soon there were state and regional tournaments all over the country selecting teams to vie for

1560-522: The ball with an underhand motion at speeds up to 77 miles per hour (124 km/h) for women. Monica Abbott set this record while playing with the Chicago Bandits in June of 2012. The pitching style of fastpitch is different from that of slowpitch softball. Pitchers in fast-pitch softball usually throw the ball using a "windmill" type of movement. In this style of pitching, the pitcher begins with

1620-405: The bases. Catchers can also "frame" pitches by pulling the ball towards the center of the plate to convince the umpires to call the pitch a strike. Catchers are protected by a chest guard, helmet, mouth guard, leg protectors, and a specialized mitt. This is due to the proximity of the batters to the catcher. Catchers are responsible for throwing runners out when they try to steal bases, meaning that

1680-550: The batter out at first base. The logic of the situation is similar to that which led to the infield fly rule . Regardless of the outcome of an uncaught third strike, the pitcher is statistically credited with a strikeout , and the batter is statistically charged with one. In an infamous example, on September 28, 2019, Kole Calhoun reached base on Justin Verlander 's 3000th career strikeout , and then scored on Andrelton Simmons 's home run immediately thereafter. Because of

1740-400: The batter to attempt an advance to first base when the catcher fails to catch the third strike. Fast pitch softball became a very popular sport in the US during the 1930s and 1940s. Commercial and semi-pro leagues sprang up all over the country in large cities and small towns alike. Both men's and women's leagues were popular and it was not unusual for both to be playing on the same night in

1800-462: The batter's chance of reaching first base safely was not negligible. This rule continues in baseball today, but catcher became a required position, and starting in the mid-19th century, catchers began moving up to their current position directly behind home plate so as to catch pitches (now following a flatter trajectory) directly on the fly. Thus the rule became mostly vestigial and its original children's-game purpose forgotten. But still to this day,

1860-553: The body and is then thrust directly forward for the release. Another type of pitching movement is the "figure 8". With this style, the ball is not brought over the head at all but down and behind the body and back in one smooth motion tracing out a figure eight. There are many different pitches which can be thrown, including a two-seam fastball , four-seam fastball , changeup , two different riseballs , two dropballs, curveball , offspeed, screwball , knuckleball and more. These pitches can be taught in many different styles, depending on

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1920-435: The body to keep control of the pitch. This can be performed because the pitcher's lower body is pivoting in a straight line. The release is one of the most important motions for the effectiveness of the pitch. The release technique consists of wrist-snapping and allowing the ball to roll off the fingertips when arm reaches the hip. If the snap also twists the wrist, the ball will move laterally or up and down, which can benefit

1980-416: The coach. They will have a helmet and a bat made out of a specific composite material based on the hitter's preference and contact styles. An important technique to remember about hitting is the launch angle that the ball takes off of the bat at contact. The launch angle for a ground ball is anything less than 10° while a line drive is 10–25°. These launch angles are best for slap hitters or contact hitters, and

2040-420: The coveted National Championship. Competition was fierce with teams competing not only on the field but in recruiting the best "fire baller" around. It was not unusual for a talented pitcher to be recruited by the winning team after his team was eliminated from a tournament. It was rumored that some of these "amateurs" were making fair living from playing softball. Fast pitch softball started to lose popularity in

2100-654: The expressed concern that there was not enough talent depth worldwide, the ISF began to introduce the game in places where softball is not traditionally played. For example, the US team donated equipment and hosted coaching clinics in the Middle East, Africa and Europe. The US team's Jessica Mendoza has also delivered equipment and conducted clinics in other countries such as Brazil, the Czech Republic and South Africa. After softball's elimination from 2012 Olympics became

2160-430: The gold medal was won by Japan after they defeated the United States. The US team received the silver medal. Softball was recognized as an official sport in the 2020 Summer Olympics . Japan won the gold medal, defeating the United States 2–0. Uncaught third strike In baseball and softball , an uncaught third strike (sometimes referred to as dropped third strike or non-caught third strike ) occurs when

2220-637: The majority of kinematic parameters have low magnitudes and vary among pitchers during the windup phase. In a follow-up study, Werner et al. examined the parameters of the second and third phases, which they termed the "delivery phase". They found 7 specific parameters of pitching mechanics that correlate to risk of shoulder injury: shoulder abduction, shoulder flexion, knee flexion angle at SFC, stride length, stride angle, and elbow and hip angles at REL. Monitoring these kinematics would aid in reducing shoulder stress. Mean shoulder abduction and shoulder flexion angles at SFC were 155° ±16° and 168° ±35°, respectively. As

2280-407: The mid-50s for a variety of reasons. More and more families were getting television in their homes and so games drew smaller crowds. More teams were starting to play "slow pitch" with its greater emphasis on fielding. Although men's fast pitch softball is still played, the game is now mostly played by women. One of the most important milestones in softball and American softball history occurred when

2340-665: The nation. This provides an opportunity for competitors to play Division 1 softball in every state across America. 64 teams compete in the NCAA tournament, only 16 teams make it to the Super Regionals and 8 teams compete in the College Softball World Series , hosted each year in May and June in Oklahoma City . As the worldwide participation in softball continued to grow, the sport was eventually included in

2400-407: The outside corner of the plate, the pitcher will pivot, stride with the opposite foot, and land slightly outside of the "power line"; if the inside corner is aimed, the pitcher will land slightly inside. If the movement is very subtle, the batter will probably not be able to notice the change of angle. In most leagues during the pitcher's delivery, the pivot foot must drag along the ground in order for

2460-435: The pitch to be legal. If the drag foot lifts off the ground, an illegal pitch will be called for crow hopping. In this case, the batter is awarded with one ball to the count, and all base runners advance to the next base. In international play – and in most men's leagues – the pitcher is allowed to jump with the pivot foot. A crow hop here is considered legal. The windup is performed with the throwing arm and happens prior to

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2520-408: The pitcher by confusing the batter. The follow through is the last motion of a pitch. This is the point when the pitcher bends the throwing arm at the elbow, and the hand moves upward, finishing in front of the pitcher's face. Windmill pitching consists of three phases. The first phase, or "wind up" involves initiation of the motion until the top of the back swing (TOB). The second phase lasts from

2580-450: The pitcher releasing the ball. Throughout the entire pitch, the upper body should remain upright, rather than bent over. The pitcher's throwing arm begins at the hip. Some pitchers move the throwing arm back as they shift their weight back, but it is not necessary throw an effective pitch. From the hip, the throwing arm moves up in a circle, brushing the ear, and returning to the hip prior to the release. The pitcher's arm should remain tight to

2640-416: The pitching coach's method and the player's abilities. Catching is also a very important part of fast pitch softball. Without a fast-paced catcher, the pitcher will not succeed. The catcher needs to be able to recognize the batters, their hitting style, and the right pitches to call. If there is a bad pitch that hits the ground, the catcher needs to block it so runs do not score, and runners do not advance on

2700-402: The rubber with the pivot foot, pivoting that foot in a 30 to 40 degree, clockwise angle as the opposite leg moves out into a stride. The stride leg must land along the "power line", which means that the pitcher's body is in line with the plate, with the pitcher's hips facing the third base line. The angle of a pitch can be altered in different ways through the stride. If the pitcher is aiming for

2760-516: The rule. The uncaught third strike rule is one of the oldest in baseball, being codified in the Knickerbocker Rules of 1845: "Three balls being struck at and missed and the last one caught , is a hand-out ." The rule goes back even further, though. A 1796 German book on recreational games for youth contained a chapter on "English Base-ball" which describes a similar rule. The point then was that even an inept batter who failed to hit

2820-407: The same side as the throwing arm (also called the pivot foot) on the front edge of the rubber, and the toes of the alternate foot shoulder width apart and toward the middle or back side of the rubber. A stride is performed from the beginning stance by rocking back, shifting the weight back to gain momentum and then moving the weight forward onto the ball of the pivot foot. The pitcher then pushes off

2880-484: The second World Cup of Softball, the attendance record was broken and the television ratings were higher than in any previous US Softball event on ESPN and ESPN2 . Fastpitch softball, however, was added to the 2020 Summer Olympics . Many countries have expressed interest in the addition of softball especially to the Olympic games, with collegiate softball and semi-professional games growing. Olympic level softball

2940-516: The softly-tossed ball on three swings would be given a chance to run the bases anyway, so the ball was in play after his third miss (there were no called strikes) and he could make for first base. There might be no catcher in the game, and if there was he would stand well behind the batter and catch strikes on the bounce (balls were pitched in a gentle arc), so there was no question of the ball being caught; rather it would be fielded and put into play. There were no fielding gloves, and errors were common, so

3000-440: The sport. During the trip, the coaches and players held softball clinics to give a diverse group of people a better understanding of softball. The number of Division I softball teams in the US grew from 222 in 1997 to 277 in 2007. The number of youth teams also increased from 73,567 in 1995 to 86,049 that same year. Currently, there are 286 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 (D1) softball colleges across

3060-407: The stance apply. In college, professional, and Olympic games , pitchers must place both feet on the rubber when starting the pitch. Other competitions require having only one foot on the rubber. The pitcher's feet are placed at a distance that is not larger than the width of the shoulders, with either one foot or both feet on the rubber. A common stance for pitchers is to have the ball of the foot on

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3120-439: The stride foot contacted the ground, the knee demonstrated a mean value of 27°±9° of flexion. Stride length averaged 89% ±11% of body height. Stride position varied between subjects, with a mean value of −3 ±14 cm; this indicates that when the foot contacted the ground, on average it landed slightly to the first-base side of home plate for right-handed pitchers, and to the third-base side for left-handers. The elbow flexion angle

3180-482: The top of the back swing until the instant of stride foot contact (SFC). The third phase occurs between the SFC and the instant of ball release (REL). Knowledge of the kinematic parameters of these phases is critical for physicians , physical therapists , and athletic trainers to devise better diagnostic and rehabilitative protocols that are specific to the athletes. A previous study by Alexander et al. demonstrated that

3240-415: The uncaught third strike rule, it is possible for a pitcher to register more than three strikeouts in an inning . Numerous pitchers have recorded four strikeouts in an inning in an official MLB game, though no five-strikeout innings have ever occurred. A dropped third strike where the batter reaches first would count as a runner reaching first and thus break up a perfect game , but would still count towards

3300-412: The year. The strategy was successful as the United States won their first olympic gold medal in softball against China with a 3–0 win. This success was followed by two more olympic gold medals and seven World Championships. In July 2005, IOC members voted 52–52 (with one abstention), to remove softball (along with baseball) from the Olympic program after the 2008 Olympic Games. Softball and baseball needed

3360-604: The youth focus and increasing interest in the newly added sports. Originally scheduled to take place from July to August 2020, the 2020 Summer Olympics was postponed in March 2020 and pushed forward to 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic . In August 2021, the IOC announced that softball would not be part of the 2024 Paris Olympics . Softball pitchers at any level require a level of accuracy with their pitches. An accurate pitch

3420-658: Was 18° ±9° and the lower trunk (hip) angle moved toward a closed position of 52°±18° at REL. This indicated that greater degrees of shoulder abduction at SFC and greater stride angle decreased the magnitude of shoulder compression force. Conversely, longer stride, open REL hip position, and greater degrees of elbow flexion at REL and of shoulder and knee flexion at SFC all increase shoulder compression force. Normative ranges for kinematic parameters have been established for an elite population of windmill pitchers. Specific pitching mechanic parameters correlate with clinically significant injury patterns. Interventions that take into account

3480-404: Was established to make the final cuts for the team that would represent the US at every international competition. The selected 1996 United States softball team won the olympic gold medal with a 3–0 victory over China in the 1996 games. The United States women's national softball team won three consecutive gold medals at the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Summer Olympic Games. In the 2008 olympic games,

3540-539: Was named the league's operations and management team. On April 16, 2024, the WPF announced their intentions to expand internationally and add two teams from Mexico. Fastpitch softball The fastpitch style is also used in college softball and other international competition. It is the form which will be used in the American Women's Professional Fastpitch league, a women's professional league whose inaugural season began in June 2022. Pitchers throw

3600-622: Was on the Summer Olympic program from 1996 to 2008. The sport of softball was later removed from the programme for 2012 and 2016, but was slated to be re-added for the 2020 Summer Olympics . Along with softball, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had added baseball , skateboarding , karate , sports climbing , and surfing to the Summer Olympic games. The IOC expressed consideration of

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