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Softball

Sport in which teams compete to score runs by hitting a thrown ball and advancing around bases

United Statescountry of origin
—first recorded
1996†former Olympic sport
—disciplines & variants
2international bodies

Softball is a team sport and ball game, part of baseball. Its country of origin is the United States. The sport is governed internationally by World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). It was contested at 5 Olympic Games between 1996 and 2021.

Part ofBaseball
Country of originUnited States
PractitionersSoftball player
Governing bodyWorld Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), Pan American Softball Confederation, European Softball Federation
Olympic statusFormer Olympic sport · 1996–2021
Image: Thadius856 (SVG conversion) & Parutakupiu (original image) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Softball
Image: dave_hensley · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Olympic Games

Olympic history

Editions where Softball or one of its disciplines was on the programme. Filled boxes mark the sport itself, outlined ones its disciplines; the small number is the count of medal events where recorded.

Summer Games5 editions · since 1996
18961900190419081912192019241928193219361948195219561960196419681972197619801984198819921996120001200412008120122016202112024
Multi-sport events

At other multi-sport games

GamesEditionsFirstLatestYears
World Games5198120251981, 2009, 2013, 2022, 2025
Central American and Caribbean Games15194620261998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2023, 2026 …
Pan American Games12197920231995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2023 …
Asian Games10199020261998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2023, 2026 …
Pacific Games3197520151975, 2007, 2015
Bolivarian Games3200520172005, 2013, 2017
South American Games2201020262010, 2026
Summer World University Games1200720072007
World level

World championships

All championships
ChampionshipOrganiserFirst heldEveryEditions
Softball World ChampionshipInternational Softball Federation, World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC)—2 yr—
USA Softball International CupUSA Softball——3
Editions — seasons or tournaments recorded as separate entries in Wikidata.
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Softball