What is Softball?

Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand. Softball is played between 2 teams on a large field, with nine or ten players from one team on the field at a time. There are 4 bases on the infield (first base, second base, third base and home plate). Near the centre of this square is the pitcher’s circle, and within the circle is the “rubber”, a small flat rectangular area.

The object of the game is to score more runs (points) than the other team by batting (hitting) a ball into play and running around the bases, touching each one in succession. The ball is a sphere of light material, covered with leather or synthetic material. It is 10 to 12 inches in circumference. The game is officiated by one or more neutral umpires. Players and umpires are generally free to ask for a brief stoppage at any time when the ball is not in play or immediately following a play once its outcome is clear.

About Cardiff Softball League

Cardiff Softball is a co-ed slowpitch softball league, currently consisting of 10 teams. The league runs from start of May to end of August, and most teams start thier training in  March / April. 

League nights are held on a Wednesday at 6:30pm on Pontcanna fields. Most teams hold training sessions on a Monday evening. 

We hold an open day every year beginning of April to recruit players to teams and if there enough interest we may be able to create a new team for the season. The league is open to beginners and experienced players. At the start of the year team captains let the committee know if they are short of players and how many they need. Players recruited at the open day are then randomly allocated to a team.                                                                                               The Cardiff Softball Association now holds 3 tournaments in Cardiff; FirstBall, Diffodil and LastBall. 

Why you should join!

Co-ed slowpitch softball is the most popular and easily accessible format of baseball and softball that exists today in the UK.  It's a lot like baseball in terms of the rules, but because the ball is pitched slowly to each batter (as the name implies!), it's easy to hit the ball and get involved in the game. 

Co-ed slowpitch is a game that's easy to pick up, and it accommodates mixed abilities, with both experienced players and novices able to play on the same team.  Teams are mixed-gender, and slowpitch is a popular sport among players from the LGBTQ+ community.  All this gives the sport a great buzz, and many slowpitch games are followed by social sessions at the local pub!

Slowpitch is played both recreationally and competitively in summer leagues that mostly take place on weekday evenings, in winter indoor leagues, and during summer weekend tournaments across the country, including at the Farnham Park Baseball and Softball Complex north of Slough, the UK’s national facility operated by BaseballSoftballUK.  There are over 20 leagues and hundreds of teams across the country.

In addition to co-ed (mixed-gender) slowpitch softball, there are also single-sex men's and women's slowpitch teams that form, usually from players on existing co-ed teams, to play in a number of local and national tournaments during the season (BSF, 2025).