Well, it is that time again and

the boys of summer or rather

both the boys and girls of summer

are ready to take action

here in the spring season. Girls

softball and boys baseball are

just getting underway for the

year as is true with the pros.

These games have striking similarities

between them but there

are however, a few differences

between the two sports.

In both games, players hold

a bat and take a swing at a ball,

trying to get on base and score

a few runs. However, in softball,

the ball is larger than the baseball

weighing in at around six

and a quarter to seven ounces and measuring twelve inches

in circumference. The baseball

has weighed five ounces and

measured nine inches since the

year 1872. Of course, the obvious

difference, official softballs

are now yellow and baseballs

are white.

The fields in both games have

a notable difference as well.

While both fields hold the same

diamond-type shape, the baseball

field is noticeably larger with

more room between the bases,

having 90 feet compared to the

softball diamond’s 60 feet. From

home plate to the fence in all

fields is also farther in baseball,

including in the alleys between

left and center and right and

center.

In both sports, when a team is on defense, they are allowed

to have nine players in the

field with each at their own

position. While on offense, the

team batting will bat a line-up

of nine players, which must be

the players playing in the field

on defense. This is also true of

both sports. However, while batting,

in baseball the batter that

is up can foul off as many balls

as needed, while in softball the

batter cannot.

A few various rules include

the following. On the infield

in softball, the double first base

is required. In baseball, there

is no such thing as the double

first base. In both sports, the

batter and all runners on base

are required to wear a batting

helmet along with the on deck

batter and any non-adult coach.

Courtesy runners are legal and

are in effect for both softball and

baseball along with the pinch

runner rule. In both softball

and baseball, a regulation game

lasts seven innings unless one

team is winning by ten or more

runs by the end of the fifth inning.

In this case the game ends

after five innings and therefore

implies the “10-Run Rule.” Also,

if the game is tied after seven

innings, each has the ability to

go into extra innings in order to

determine a winner.

Those are just a few rules and

differences between the games

of baseball and softball. This will

give anyone knowledge of both

games so they will be prepared

as summer swings into high gear

around the state.

Just a reminder that some of

these rules apply to the professional

leagues and not to high

school league regulations.