SOFTBALL: The Nitty-Gritty

Welcome back, Café Champs. In this post, I will continue my explanation of softball. The first post covered the very basics, while this one will illustrate the more intricate details of the game. Since it is more detailed, it may be a little longer than the last post--but bear with me, peeps. This post will specifically cover: how to get an out, get on (and around) the bases, and score. So, let's dive in with some more basic terminology.

Basic Terminology:

Strike Zone: This is the "area" over home plate that extends approximately from the chest/armpit to the knees of the batter within the batter's box. The strike zone’s width extends the left and right covers of home plate. The pitcher aims a ball to cross over the plate and within this zone to achieve a strike.

Strike: a strike is achieved whenever a batter does not swing at a pitch that crosses within the strike zone, a batter swings at the ball and misses, or when a batter hits the ball, but it lands in foul territory (when there are less than two strikes already). A batter is allotted three strikes before she is called "out" in what is known as a "strike out."( it's 1-2-3 strikes, you're out. At the old ball game!)

Ball: a ball is achieved whenever a pitch is thrown outside of the strike zone (and the batter does not swing at it). A batter is given 4 balls before she ends her batting attempts and takes a free ride to 1st base (AKA: walk).

Grounder: As the name suggests, this is a ball that is hit on the ground in either the infield or outfit.

Line Drive: In a not-so-confusing fashion, this is a ball that is hit hard in the air in a straight line.

Pop-Up: A ball that is hit in the air in an arc pattern within the infield.

Fly Ball: A ball that is hit in the air in an arc pattern in the outfield.

Steal: A runner takes off after the pitcher releases the ball (and the batter does not hit the ball), and the runner makes it to the next base before the catcher throws the ball to the base the runner is heading toward...if the runner makes it to the next base first, she is rewarded a "stolen base."

Base Hit: A batter is rewarded a " base hit" whenever she hits the ball into the field and reaches 1st base before the defenders throw the ball to 1st base (and it's caught with the first baseman's foot on the base), OR if she gets extra bases (for a longer hit) and reaches 2nd, 3rd or Home before the ball reaches that base and the defender "tags" her with the ball/ball in the glove. A batter is not rewarded a base hit if she hits the ball but is thrown out at 1st. (All base hits are hits, but not all hits are base hits. Not confusing at all, right? HA!)

• Tag: When a defender touches the runner with the ball or the ball in her glove before the runner reaches the base she is going to. A tag must occur when the runner did not "have to" run to the next base. A runner does not "have to" run to the next base when stealing or if there is not another runner on the base behind them. EX: If there is a runner on 1st and 2nd base, and the batter hits a grounder, the runners on the bases MUST attempt to run to the next base (runners cannot share a base...one person capacity per base). However, if runners are on 2nd and/or 3rd base, and the batter hits a grounder, the runners DO NOT have to run to the next base (as 1st base is open for the batter to run to). Those runners must be tagged out if they choose to run to the next base.

Home Run: A batter hits the ball over the fence and is, therefore, able to run across all four bases to score a run (or if she gets a really long hit, and she is extremely fast so she can run across all four bases before the ball is thrown to home plate). This results in one run. Unless there is one or two other runners on base, then it would be a 1-, 2-, or 3-run homerun.

Grand Slam: When all three bases are occupied by a runner (AKA: loaded) and the next batter hits a ball over the fence (or just really long as mentioned above), and all 4 players are able to cross home plate. This results in 4 runs.

How-To Get An Out:

*This lists several (most common) examples, but not ALL examples in which an out can be rewarded...crazy stuff happens in sports.

1. A batter gets three strikes while attempting to get a hit.

2. A batter hits a grounder, but the ball gets fielded, then thrown to and caught at 1st base before the batter can reach 1st base.

3. A batter hits a grounder, and the ball is thrown to 2nd or 3rd base to get out a runner forced to run to the next base. EX: A runner is on 1st when her teammate hits a grounder and must leave 1st to run to 2nd base. If the ball is thrown to 2nd before the runner reaches it, she is out.

4. A batter hits a line-drive, pop-up, or fly ball that is caught (does not touch the ground) by a defender. Further, if the ball is in the air and caught in foul territory, this is also an out.

5. A base-runner attempts to steal a base, but the catcher can throw it to her teammate on that base before the runner reaches that base and the defender "tags" the runner out.

6. If a runner is standing on a base and her teammate hits a fly ball a defender catches, the runner must return to the base in which she was previously standing on before the ball is thrown back to that base. If this happens, the runner is out. EX: A runner on 1st base starts to run to 2nd whenever her teammate hits a fly ball. However, the fly ball is caught. Whenever this happens, the runner cannot advance to the 2nd base and MUST return to 1st before a defender throws the ball to 1st base.

7. A runner attempting to steal a base leaves the base BEFORE the pitcher releases the pitch.

If any two of these things happen at one time and two players get out, it's called a "double play." If any three of these things happen at once and three players get out, it's called a "triple play."

How-To Get On Base (or advance bases):

1. A player gets four balls while batting, she is allowed to go to 1st base (AKA: a walk).

2. If a batter is hit by a pitch (OUCH!), she is allowed to go to 1st base.

3. A player hits the ball that is not caught in the air, or the ball is not thrown to 1st (or other base) before she reaches it.

4. A player steals a base.

5. If the batter achieves strike three, but the catcher drops the pitch (and a runner does not occupy first base), the batter may attempt to run to 1st. If she makes it to 1st before the catcher can throw it there, she is awarded the base.

6. Runners run to as many bases as they can in the event of a long hit by their teammate.

How-To Score:

*The basic gist of scoring is that the runner must touch bases 1-3 before crossing home plate. This can be achieved in the following ways (but not limited to):

1. The batter achieves a home run (YIPPEE!)

2. The batter achieves a grand slam (HOLYCOW!!!!)

3. Runners on the bases cross home-plate after their teammate gets a hit.

4. When bases are loaded, and the next batter gets walked or hit by a pitch, the runners must move to the next base to make room for the walked/hit player to take 1st base. In doing so, the runner on 3rd will cross home and score.

5. If there is a runner on 3rd base and the catcher does not catch a pitch, causing the ball to roll behind the catcher--the runner may attempt to cross home plate before the catcher can get the ball back to or thrown to home to tag out the runner. If the runner gets there first, she scores.

PHEW, that was a lot of information to try to keep clean and simple. If you made it to this point, give yourself a pat on the back *pat pat*. Even though we have covered a vast amount of information regarding softball, there are still more details I can cover--but I'll save that for another day.

Join me next week as I cover the famous, beloved...Masters Tournament.

Softball can be complicated, but remember to KISS (Keep It Simple, Sister).

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."-Isaiah 41:10