Well, for an amateur who has zero experience with baseball or softball, it might be a little hard to understand the difference between the two. To be precise, there is not much of a difference between softball vs baseball. The basic essentials are the same in both games.
Softball was first introduced as an indoor game and is a variant of baseball. But now, it is also considered an outdoor sport and is played by adults and children. But for baseball, it is important to learn the basic skills and get the attributes required. Though both the games are closely related, there are some striking differences between the two.
Size Of The Field: Softball vs Baseball
This is one of the biggest differences between the two games. The size of the field between softball vs baseball is different. But the exact size of the field might vary depending on the age of players that practice or play there. But in general, softball fields are smaller in size than baseball fields for players of the same age.
On a full-size field for softball, the bases are 18.29 meters or 60 feet apart for any fastpitch game, and for slowpitch games, the bases are 19.81 m or 65 feet apart. For a full-size baseball field, the bases are 2743 meters or 90 feet apart. The distance of the outfield fence is also greater in baseball than in a softball field. For softball, it is less than 250 feet, and for baseball, it is somewhat close to 300 feet or more.
Size Of The Ball: Softball vs Baseball
Another striking difference is that a softball is bigger than a baseball. A standard baseball is about 22.86 cm or 9 inches in circumference and weighs around 5 ounces for players of all ages.
Softball varies depending on the player’s age group and what type of softball they are playing. A standard fastpitch softball is around 12 inches in circumference and 6.5 ounces in weight. A slowpitch softball is around 11 inches in circumference and 6 ounces in weight. In many places, for softballs, a bright yellow color is used, and for baseball, a white ball is used.
Other Differences
The game length in softball vs baseball is 7 innings vs 9 innings. Softball pitchers pitch in a flat mound, whereas, in baseball, the pitchers pitch overhand in an elevated mound. A softball field never keeps infield grass, whereas baseball fields have a higher level of infield grass. But there are some other differences that are mentioned below.
Bats
Although the bats look identical, the bats that are used in baseball are greater in diameter, tend to be a little longer, and are also a bit heavier than the softball. In amateur baseball and softball, players often use wooden bats or metal bats, but in professional baseball, only wooden bats are used.
Pitching
Pitching is another big difference between softball vs baseball. To begin with, the pitching distance is different for both games. It does not come as a surprise that softball is played on a smaller field than any baseball field.
In baseball, the ball is pitched 60 feet away from an elevated mount. But in softball, the ball is pitched in a flat pitching circle which is around 43 feet from the plate.
The actual physical act is more noticeable. The ball needs to be thrown underhand in softball. In baseball, the pitch is mostly done sidearm or overhand. Here we are mentioning it mostly because it is not a rule, so there is nothing stopping the players from pitching the baseball underhand. But it is never done because pitching sidearm and overarm provide the pitcher with more speed and power.
Lead Off
In baseball, a runner can lead off before the ball is thrown by the pitcher. This means that the runner can take a few steps head start toward the next base before the ball is hit. But in softball, there is no option for the runner to take the lead off and needs to stay put on their current bases until the pitcher has delivered the ball.
Bottom Line
There might be some other differences as well, depending on the playing rules that the players follow. For instance, there are some baseball leagues that play a nine-inning game. But in softball, the rule says it cannot be more than seven innings.
Both sport has nine players in defense on the field, but in softball leagues, there are ten players in defense. There are some other rules that might be different, including leading off base, number of players, and base stealing. There are some rules regarding what happens when a pitch hits a batter.
Additional Reading:
