History of Softball Timeline

Although slow pitch was present at the 1933 World's Fair, the main course of action taken afterward was to lengthen the pitching distance, contributing to the standardization of play.

By 1936, the Joint Rules Committee on Softball had standardized rules and naming throughout the United States, helping unify the many regional versions of the game.

Slow pitch achieved formal recognition in 1953 when it was added to the program of the Amateur Softball Association. Within a decade, it had surpassed fast pitch in popularity.

Before 1993, white balls were standard at all levels of softball play. Later equipment practices introduced greater variation in ball color.

In 2002, sixteen-inch slow pitch was written out of the International Softball Federation's official rules, although it continued to be played extensively in the United States under Amateur Softball Association rules.

Rule changes initiated by the Independent Softball Association and later adopted by the Amateur Softball Association and International Softball Federation made base stealing permissible at most levels of slow pitch, with the runner starting when the ball touches the ground or crosses the plate.

An estimated 14.62 million Americans played at least one game of softball during the spring of 2015, illustrating the sport's substantial participation base in the United States.

Beginning with the 2021–22 academic year, a coach of an NCAA team was allowed to protest an umpire's call through video review during the game.

Competitive fastpitch softball was estimated to have 2.5 million players in the United States in 2024, up from 2.3 million the previous year. Women made up 69.9% of participants.

Karlyn Pickens recorded the fastest pitch ever listed, 79.4 mph (127.8 km/h), in May 2025 at the 2025 NCAA Division I softball tournament.

The organization now known as USA Softball was founded in 1933 as the Amateur Softball Association. It became a major governing body and sponsor of sectional and World Series championships.

The organization now called the United States Specialty Sports Association was founded in 1968 as the United States Slo-Pitch Softball Association.

Pursuant to the 1976 Amateur Sports Act, USA Softball became the National Governing Body of softball for the United States.

In 1997, the United States Slo-Pitch Softball Association was renamed the United States Specialty Sports Association. The organization remains the only association listed as maintaining a men's major slow-pitch program.

The Women's Pro Softball League operated from 1997 through 2001, forming an early modern professional league for women's softball.

National Pro Fastpitch operated from 2002 until ceasing operations in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It followed the Women's Pro Softball League.

The World Baseball Softball Confederation was formed in 2013 and regulates rules of play in more than 110 countries, including the United States and Canada. Before its formation, the International Softball Federation filled this role.

National Pro Fastpitch ceased operations in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ending its run as a professional women's softball league.

Women's Professional Fastpitch operated from 2022 through 2024. It was formed after COVID-19 and preceded the emergence of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League and Professional Softball League.

The Athletes Unlimited Softball League began play in 2025 after receiving investment from Major League Baseball that year. Its inaugural season featured four teams.

In 2026, the Athletes Unlimited Softball League expanded from four teams to six, with each team adopting a permanent home city.

In 2026, the Milwaukee Brewers announced a direct investment in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, becoming the first Major League Baseball club to do so.

In 2026, the two primary professional softball leagues were the Athletes Unlimited Softball League and the Professional Softball League. Both emerged from the remnants of Women's Professional Fastpitch.