Table of Contents Show
Softball Canada is a type of game generally played by Canadians, as the name suggests, and maybe even other people as well.
It is known to be an excellent way to exercise and enjoy yourself as well. Playing different kinds of games generally helps people stay fit and allows them to get in some exercise for their bodies as well.
It is not always that people like exercising, so they tend to get in their exercises by playing the games they like. Playing games is also known to have a calming effect.
It allows you to rest your mind and then do your bodywork to increase your stamina level. There are both indoor as well as outdoor games that are available.
Even though there are two types of games that are available and from which both adults and kids can choose, it is generally advisable to select the different kinds of outdoor games that are available.
Outdoor games are the ones that provide you with various essential health benefits, such as:
- It allows you to learn new things that can help you in future endeavours.
- It also helps the kids/children in their physical development. More importantly, it boosts their physical growth by increasing their stamina as well as fitness.
- Being outside can also help you in developing a better creative sense. It helps you increase your imaginative power and stimulate it by tapping into your inner side of creativity.
- Moreover, going to outdoor games can also help you in developing or hone your social skills. It can help you interact more effectively with other people who have also come outside to better themselves.
- It also aids in the better development of the personality of the people. It allows you to be independent and self-reliant and provides you with the confidence to deal with specific emergencies that can prop up suddenly.
- Engaging in the different types of outdoor games available to you can also help you improve all the gross and motor skills that you possess. It allows people to gain better agility, coordination, and balance by playing outdoor games. This, in turn, will enable you to have a better form of fitness.
What is Softball Canada?
The Canadian Amateur Softball Association is also commonly known as Softball Canada. It is nothing but a non-profit National Sport Organization (or NSO) based in Ottawa, Ontario.
It was founded in the year 1965 and is known to be recognized and financially supported by the Government of Canada. It is also recognized as the National Governing Body for the sport of softball.
An eight-member Board of Directors administers softball Canada. They are elected by the country’s 12 Provincial and Territorial Associations and are supported by eight staff members working in the National Office.
All four National teams of Softball Canada- Men and Women, Junior Men and Women- are known to be all-year medal threats in all international competitions.
The funding of Softball Canada is received from Sport Canada, membership fees, sales, and sponsorship, which helps develop new programming to target various segments of its membership, including the very successful Learn to Play, Canpitch, and Triple Play programs.
The Long Term Player Development Guide for Softball in Canada serves as Softball Canada’s framework for decision-making.
To know more about them, you can check out their official website at Softball Canada Official Website.
Softball Canada: Details of the Game
In the game of Softball Canada, there are generally two teams playing opposite each other.
The main point of this game is to score more runs than the opposite team, which remains the end goal of this game.
Softball Canada is a seven-inning game in which nine players can stay on the field when they are playing fastpitch softball.
In the game of fastpitch softball, the style of “windmill” pitching is utilized. In this type of pitching, it is noticed that the pitcher’s arm makes a complete backward rotation before completing the pitch.
With the help of this style of pitching, elite male pitchers have been known to reach around 70 mph.
1. Players
The players must remain in the appropriate age group or category for their respective divisions for Softball Canada.
Each player is required to wear a similar uniform, which is of the same colour, design, style, and trim as the one worn by the other players on the team.
The ball caps that are permitted to be worn have to be of the same colour for all when worn by the team. All the players participating in any single game must be included in the lineup card, which is submitted to the official umpires before the game of Softball Canada officially begins.
2. The Field
The field dimensions while playing Softball in Canada is generally directed by Softball Canada itself. The distance for pitching the ball depends on the age classification and generally ranges from 30 feet for players aged ten and under up to 46 feet for adult men.
The distances between bases are also supposed to depend on age classification and range from 45 feet for players ten and under up to 60 feet for adult men.
3. Age and the Divisions Accordingly
The following is the list of age classifications for the OASA. Ages are as of January 1 of the year of competition.
| Division | Age |
|---|---|
| U8 (formerly Junior Mite) | Under age 8 |
| U10 (formerly Mite) | Under age 10 |
| U12 (formerly Squirt) | Under age 12 |
| U14 (formerly Peewee) | Under age 14 |
| U16 (formerly Bantam) | Under age 16 |
| U19 (formerly Midget) | Under age 19 |
| U23 (former Junior) | Under age 23 |
| Intermediate / Senior Men | Over age 17 |
| Masters | Over age 40 |
| Legends | Over age 50 |
Rules of Softball Canada
- Each team has to have nine players, and the units can consist of both men and women.
- A game of Softball Canada lasts for seven innings, and it is split into two sections, namely the top and the bottom of the innings.
- Each team gets to bat once in each inning before there is a switch on the sides.
- The fielding team has to have the following: a pitcher, a catcher, a player on first base, second base, third base, three deep fielders, and a shortstop.
- A batter is required to successfully strike the ball and then run around as many bases as possible. Once they can get all the way around and back to home plate without being given out, only then, a run is scored.
- The fielding team can prevent the batsmen from making a run by making them miss the ball, catching the ball, tagging one of the bases before they reach it, or tagging the batsmen while running. But the fielders must have the ball in their hands.
- Remember that down the first and third baseline is a foul area. Once the ball crosses this line before it bounces, the ball is considered ‘dead,’ and play has to restart with a new pitch.
- A home run can only be scored when the batter hits the ball over the outfield and into a dead ball area. The batsmen can then also stroll around the bases to score along with any additional batsmen on base.
How to Play Softball in Canada?
A softball team generally has nine players. The game is supposed to take place over seven innings, and within each inning, the team will bat and the field.
An inning is known to be split into two sections. These two sections are called the top and the bottom of the innings.
The away team needs to bat first at the top of the innings while the home team fields. After this, the teams switch so the home team can bat at the bottom of the innings.
At the start of a game, the batting order is set. This cannot be changed throughout. A batter can be given out by being caught by a fielder without the ball bouncing.
If the batsman misses the ball three times, a strike is called, or when the batsman has been tagged by a fielder holding the ball while running between the bases.
A batter can be walked to first base if the pitcher fails to get the ball within the strike zone 4 times without a stroke being made. The thing to note is that the strike zone in softball is larger than the strike zone in baseball.
Once a team has completed their innings, then the teams switch to do the opposite role. An inning is complete when the fielding team manages to get three players out from the batting team.
To score a run, the batsman must successfully hit the ball first and then make it around the bases without being given out. The batsman can score one run every time they manage to get around the bases.
A run can be scored even when the batsmen who hit the ball do not make it around to home plate but manage to help get a player already on one of the bases home.
It is pretty natural that the game winners will be announced only after completing all seven innings. After all seven innings, the team with the most runs will be announced to be the winner. If the game is tied after seven innings, then extra innings will have to be played to declare a winner.
Conclusion
Canada is a place with various things to do as well as see. You may not even know many interesting facts to break your bubble of remaining in the dark.
In Softball Canada, teams can be mixed with both men and women. It can also be just single-sex on each team. Softball is one of the most played sports in Canada and it’s fun to play and watch!
Last Updated on by Sanjana
