What is the difference between baseball and softball?

♥♥ ♂~Chris~♂ ♥♥: What is the difference between baseball and softball?
I’ve gone to my younger sister’s softball games and my little cousin’s baseball games. The only difference I could see was the ball for softball is bigger and the baseball team was all male, whilst the softball was all-female.

There really isn’t a visible difference to me, though. Can someone help me out, here?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Kel
Softball is for girls. Baseball is for boys.

Done.

Answer by Curly
Softball is for girls and baseball is for boys. Also the balls are softer.

Answer by Caroline
I think softball is for girls, has a bigger ball, and in my opinion the softball is softer!

Answer by Noah
In Softball, the ball is bigger, but less dense. The pitching rubber is 43 feet away from Home Plate. The bats used in Softball are smaller. The bases are 60 feet apart from each other. You cannot take a lead before the ball is released by the pitcher. The infield consists only of dirt. The Corners play up by the pitcher. Softball consists of running slaps from the left side. The fence is 200 feet from Home Plate. Softball uses an underhand pitching technique called a ‘Windmill’. A softball pitcher can start and finish a game, or even pitch a double header because the pitching technique is more of a natural motion than in Baseball.
In Baseball, the ball is smaller, more dense. The pitching mound is 60 ft and 6 inches from Home Plate. The bats are bigger than in Softball. It’s 90 feet to each base. You can lead off the bag before the ball is pitched. There is grass in the infield and dirt in the infield. The fence is typically 300 feet from Home Plate. Baseball uses an overhand pitching motion. A baseball pitcher usually does not finish a game and is relieved by another pitcher, and requires rest after a game since the pitching motion is not as natural as the pitching technique in softball.

Answer by WC
Ball size, and in softball there is slow and fast pitch,whereas in baseball it is always fast pitch.

Answer by Rangers are my life ♥
Your correct about the size of the balls being different. However, the distance between the bases tends to be smaller in softball and the pitchers mound is closer to home plate as well.

Answer by smilieface77
Softball has slightly different rules and techniques. While the bases in baseball are 90 feet apart in softball they are 60 feet apart. Softball players cannot leave the base until the ball has left the pitchers hand. And the pitching is also a slightly different technique. A softball team also generally plays with 4 outfielders also. Therefore you need at least 10 people to field a full softball team whereas you only need 9 for baseball.

Answer by Go Brew Crew! Cubs lose again
softball is much different and easier cause of bigger ball bigger bat you should go to wikipedia

Answer by iRock(=
Yea indeed the balls are different.
the baseball is wayyy smaller and hard as a rock!
as for the softball its huge! haha and softer but
not too soft. motherfckers hurt when you get one to the face lol
anyways umm in softball isnt it all underhand pitching throo out the game? i think so? i used to be on my schools
softball team but i got kicked off like two weeks
later because my stupid hair appoinment kept getting changed
and it effected my attendance lmao

Answer by ♥Kathryn
in softball the pitcher pitches the ball underhand, the softball is larger than a baseball, a softball has a 12″ diamater. also in softball the bases are closer together and it’s a smaller playing feild.

in baseball the ball is pitched overhand, the ball is smaller and harder than a softball, the bases are farther apart than in softball and the feild is larger.

also some of the rules are slightly different depending on what leauge you play in.

Answer by jrsunolan
at a young age, the gender and the size of the ball is the only major difference. In baseball, though, runners can take leadoffs and steal on the pitcher. The bases are also 90 feet instead of 60-70, and the pitcher’s mound is 60’6″ instead of 43′. The pitchers throw overhand instead of underhand, and thus softball pitchers can pitch more without getting tired. In higher levels of softball, pitching tends to be more dominant than higher level baseball pitching.

Answer by Shelby
Softball is an underhand windmill pitch. Baseball is overhand. Softball has a 12 inch ball, and baseball is smaller. Softball usually has a dirt infield. Baseball has a grass infield. Softball pitching mound is 40 feet away from home plate. In baseball, it’s 60 feet. Also, in softball the bases are closer together (60 ft) than in baseball (90 ft). In softball, the runner has to wait for pitcher to release the ball to lead. Hope it helps 🙂

Answer by Mr. MET!!
ummmmm softball are way harder

Answer by TJ P
There are many differences, google it for specifics. Besides the obvious stuff like ball size, bat size, glove size, base distance, grass infield, etc, there are many things people dont think about. Mechanics are completely different for baseball and softball swings. Stealing bases differs greatly. There are no pick-off moves for the pitcher.

Oh, and softball is more boring and dull lol.

Answer by LiiKE WiiLD
Softball can be played by male and female.
Baseball can only be played by males.
Softballs and baseballs are both as hard as the other but softballs are bigger.
There are 2 sizes of softballs.
Only one size of baseballs.
Softball is underhand.
Baseball is overhand.
The bats for little league baseball are aluminum and have a more slender bottom and about 3/4 the way up the bat it gets bigger. Thats the part the batter should hit it. Although, wooden bats are basically a cross between softball and aluminum baseball bats. Wooden bats are used in the majors.
Softball only uses aluminum. The bottom is slender, but 1/3 of the way up the bat it starts getting bigger. You should hit the ball in the middle of the bat.
In both games thats called ‘the sweet spot.’

Answer by Danaaa♥
softballs are bigger obviously && baseballs are smaller

Softball fields are smaller && baseball fields are larger even though it is a known fact that baseballs go a further distance than softballs

The infield for softball is ONLY dirt. Baseball infields have grass and some dirt.

Softball pitchers pitch windmill style && baseball pitches overhand.

The barrel on softball bats are one size where baseball bats are smaller at the bottom then slighty become larger at the end.

This was a simple explanation without getting aaalll technical.
hope it helped. ;]

Answer by Brandon
Baseball is typically a sport that mainly males play. While Softball is a sport played differenty for girls. In baseball, the infield is grass. In softball, the infield is all dirt. They also pitch differently. Hope I could Help1

Answer by WWJD27
Pitching technique is different. In baseball pitching is overhand, in softball pitching is underhand. In baseball you can lead off before the ball is pitched, but in softball you are out if you take a lead before the ball is pitched. Baseball field dimensions are larger than softball field dimensions. In baseball there is a mound of dirt on which the pitcher stands, and in softball it is flat. There is probably a lot more, but that is what comes to mind. The barrel of baseball bats are usually larger in circumference than softball bats

Answer by Bob
“However, the distance between the bases tends to be smaller in softball and the pitchers mound is closer to home plate as well.”

There is no mound in softball.

Bob