Slow-pitch Softball is a recreational form of the exciting American sport of Baseball. Slow-pitch Softball is easier to play than baseball and is one of the few sports in which the teams are made up of men and women playing as equals.
Softball is essentially an outdoor summer game, with the season in Jersey running from the beginning of May through to mid September with games played on Sundays and some matches played on a Wednesday evening through June to August. There is also an indoor form of Softball played in a sports hall during the winter.
The rules, equipment and field of play are very similar to baseball, except that the ball is somewhat larger (and it’s not really soft!), and the field is smaller.
The most important difference is the pitched ball is simply lobbed underhand in a gentle arc to the batter. The rules and the basic techniques of softball are easy to learn, and it’s not a game that requires great athleticism or endurance to play successfully. Softball is a fascinating and exciting game with tactical depth and a range of satisfying skills to be learned and enjoyed.
Softball is played on a softball pitch or diamond (derived from the pattern formed when looking at the bases). In Jersey we play league matches at Les Quennevais playing fields on 2 marked diamonds. A slow-pitch softball team consists of 10 players, five male and five female. In Jersey we play a 6-4 ratio of male to female players during league matches, but revert back to the official ratio during tournament play.
A game consists of seven innings, in each of which both teams bat until three players are put out by the defensive side. The away team or “visitors” always bats first in each inning. The team that has scored the most runs after seven complete innings wins. If the score is tied at the end of the seventh innings, extra innings are played until one team wins. A typical game takes anything from 45 to 90 minutes depending on the efficiency of the teams at retiring the opposing batters.
Softball doesn’t require a great deal of equipment although most teams in Jersey have a kit bag with gloves, bats and balls. The Jersey Softball Association supplies the bases, face masks, match balls and first aid kits for all games, but can also assist with gloves and bats for newly formed teams. Each team has their own team colours and team shirts which are worn for each league game.
The JSA has 2 qualified coaches and 16 qualified umpires.
There are annual A and B match verses Guernsey, with the matches being held in alternate years in each Island. There are also Inter-Island Club Champions – were the winner of the Divisional competitions play their respective Guernsey club winners.
Softball is great inclusive team building sport and on behalf of the Jersey Softball Association we look forward to welcoming you onto the Diamond.
Slow-pitch Softball is a recreational form of the exciting American sport of Baseball. Slow-pitch Softball is easier to play than baseball and is one of the few sports in which the teams are made up of men and women playing as equals.
Softball is essentially an outdoor summer game, with the season in Jersey running from the beginning of May through to mid September with games played on Sundays and some matches played on a Wednesday evening through June to August. There is also an indoor form of Softball played in a sports hall during the winter.
The rules, equipment and field of play are very similar to baseball, except that the ball is somewhat larger (and it’s not really soft!), and the field is smaller.
The most important difference is the pitched ball is simply lobbed underhand in a gentle arc to the batter. The rules and the basic techniques of softball are easy to learn, and it’s not a game that requires great athleticism or endurance to play successfully. Softball is a fascinating and exciting game with tactical depth and a range of satisfying skills to be learned and enjoyed.
Softball is played on a softball pitch or diamond (derived from the pattern formed when looking at the bases). In Jersey we play league matches at Les Quennevais playing fields on 2 marked diamonds. A slow-pitch softball team consists of 10 players, five male and five female. In Jersey we play a 6-4 ratio of male to female players during league matches, but revert back to the official ratio during tournament play.
A game consists of seven innings, in each of which both teams bat until three players are put out by the defensive side. The away team or “visitors” always bats first in each inning. The team that has scored the most runs after seven complete innings wins. If the score is tied at the end of the seventh innings, extra innings are played until one team wins. A typical game takes anything from 45 to 90 minutes depending on the efficiency of the teams at retiring the opposing batters.
Softball doesn’t require a great deal of equipment although most teams in Jersey have a kit bag with gloves, bats and balls. The Jersey Softball Association supplies the bases, face masks, match balls and first aid kits for all games, but can also assist with gloves and bats for newly formed teams. Each team has their own team colours and team shirts which are worn for each league game.
The JSA has 2 qualified coaches and 16 qualified umpires.
There are annual A and B match verses Guernsey, with the matches being held in alternate years in each Island. There are also Inter-Island Club Champions – were the winner of the Divisional competitions play their respective Guernsey club winners.
Softball is great inclusive team building sport and on behalf of the Jersey Softball Association we look forward to welcoming you onto the Diamond.