III.

Rules

Several aspects of softball's rules of play also differ from baseball. First, pitching in softball is underhand. In slow-pitch the ball is released at a moderate speed and delivered with perceptible arc, reaching a height of at least 6 ft (1.8 m) from the ground while not exceeding a maximum height of 12 ft (3.7 m) from the ground (10 ft, or 3.1 m, in some leagues). In fast-pitch the pitcher can throw the ball at as fast a speed as possible. In modified-pitch there are no regulations for the flight path of the ball, but the technique of the pitching delivery needs to meet certain requirements. A second difference may be in the number of players. Until 1947 a softball team consisted of ten players—the nine that comprise a baseball team plus an extra outfielder called a shortfielder or rover. The ten-player team is still used in slow-pitch softball, but fast-pitch and modified-pitch play use nine-player teams. A third difference of play is that in slow-pitch softball neither bunting nor base stealing is allowed, although they are permitted in fast-pitch, modified-pitch, and men’s majors play.