Softball

WBSC Softball World Ranking

Softball is a cousin of baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field, with underarm pitching. The WBSC publishes separate men's and women's softball rankings.

Origin

Softball was invented in Chicago in 1887 as an indoor game, played with a rolled-up boxing glove as the ball.

Fun fact

Women's softball was an Olympic sport from 1996 to 2008 and returned at Tokyo 2020, where host nation Japan won gold.

Strongest nations

The USA, Japan, Australia and Canada lead women's softball; Argentina, New Zealand, Australia and Japan are strong in the men's game.

Governing body

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), based in Lausanne, Switzerland.