Abbreviation | WBSC |
---|---|
Founded | 14 April 2013 |
Type | Sports federation |
Legal status | Governing body of baseball, softball and Baseball5 |
Purpose | World governing body |
Headquarters | Pully, Switzerland |
Location |
|
Region served | Worldwide |
Membership | 141 national federations; 7 professional league "associate members" |
Official language | English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean |
President | Riccardo Fraccari |
Main organ | Congress |
Subsidiaries | |
Affiliations | International Olympic Committee, ARISF, GAISF |
Website | WBSC.org |
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) is the world governing body for the sports of baseball, softball, and Baseball5. It was established in 2013 by the merger of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and International Softball Federation (ISF). Under the WBSC's organizational structure, the IBAF and ISF now serve as the confederation's baseball and softball divisions, respectively. Each division is governed by an executive committee, while the WBSC is governed by an executive board.
The WBSC has 208 National Federation members in 141 countries and territories across Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania. Professional baseball organizations as well as youth organizations are also included and form an arm of the WBSC as associate members. Headquartered in Pully, Switzerland, the WBSC was granted recognition as the sole competent global authority for both the sports of baseball and softball by the International Olympic Committee in 2013.
As the recognised governing body of baseball, softball, and Baseball5, the WBSC is charged with overseeing all international competitions. It holds the exclusive rights of all competitions, tournaments and world championships featuring national teams, including the Olympic Games, and WBSC-associated federations hold the right to organize and select national teams [1]
Discussions to merge the two separate world governing bodies for the sports of baseball and softball were sparked by a Memorandum of Understanding that saw baseball and softball leaders agree to form a joint bid to be added to the 2020 Olympic Games sports program. [2] [3] Baseball and softball were dropped from the 2012 Summer Olympic program and were scheduled to be reinstated for the 2020 Olympics, but the 2020 Olympics were delayed due to the COVID-19 international pandemic. In August 2021, the International Olympic Committee announced that baseball and softball would not be part of the 2024 Paris Olympics. [4] Baseball5 is still set to feature in the 2026 Youth Olympics.
Following its exclusion of baseball and softball from the Summer Olympics in 2005, [5] the IOC reclassified baseball and softball as two disciplines of the same sport. [6] As the IOC's guidance indicated the necessity for baseball and softball to be jointly considered for reinstatement in the Olympic programme, the two independent International Federations set out on a path toward a full and complete merger.
In 2012, the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and the International Softball Federation (ISF) laid out the essential ground rules for partnership and began working on a constitution that would guide the merger and provide a framework for governance, ethics and operations. At a historic IBAF Congress in Tokyo in April 2013, the Constitution was ratified and since it had already been approved by an ISF working group empowered to do so, the WBSC was officially formalized and empowered.[ citation needed ]
The creation of a single federation allowed for the permanent alignment, merger and management of baseball and softball at the world level. [7] The merger resulted in an immediate boost to the governance, universality and gender equality of baseball and softball, criteria for an Olympic sport that are heavily valued by the IOC.[ citation needed ]
At the first-ever World Baseball Softball Congress—in Hammamet, Tunisia—Italy's Fraccari was elected to a seven-year term as the first president of WBSC, along with a fully elected Executive Board. [8]
In 2017, [9] the WBSC introduced a third discipline to be played at an international level, Baseball5 (B5), which is a five-on-five, five-inning game designed to be played with only a rubber ball on a small field. It is targeted at underserved communities, [10] as well as offering a low-cost and fast-paced entry point to baseball and softball in new places around the world. [11] The WBSC introduced it to aid its ultimate goal of having a billion-strong baseball-softball community by 2030. [12] A major difference between B5 and baseball/softball is that the game is played without a pitcher, with the batter starting each play with the ball. [13] It was inspired by various Latin American street games, such as "cuatro esquinas" (four corners) in Cuba, [14] and has been played in some international tournaments in the Americas and Europe, [15] [11] [16] as well as having been implemented in some schools in various countries. [17] [18] It is due to feature in the 2026 Youth Olympic Games, [19] and has two World Cups for youth and senior players alternating each year starting in 2022, with both of these international events being played in a mixed-gender format. [20] The WBSC is also planning to, as part of its general push into E-Sports, introduce a video game version of Baseball5 in the near future. [21]
The WBSC is governed by the executive board, which consists of fourteen members: president, secretary general, two vice presidents, baseball executive vice president, softball executive vice president, treasurer, four members at large, athlete representative for baseball, athlete representative for softball, and global ambassador. [22]
The Baseball Division is governed by an executive committee, which has thirteen members: president, secretary general, 2nd vice president, 3rd vice president, treasurer, three members at large, four continental vice presidents (one each for Africa, Americas, Europe, and Oceania), and executive director.[ citation needed ]
The Softball Division is governed by an executive committee that has twenty-three members: president, secretary general, 1st vice president, 2nd vice president, treasurer, twelve vice presidents (two each for Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Oceania, and one each for North America and English-speaking Caribbean), two at-large members, two athlete representatives, immediate past president, and executive director.[ citation needed ]
The WBSC has four departments: media, finance, tournaments, and marketing. It also has several commissions.[ citation needed ]
Besides its worldwide institutions, there are five regional governing bodies that oversee the game in the different continents and regions of the world.
In total, WBSC recognizes 198 national associations, with 132 national baseball teams as well as 122 women's national teams. [23]
Unlike the ICC, the WBSC identifies associate members as those who particularly endorse international baseball and softball with their own leagues in partnership with the WBSC. These leagues support baseball and softball to the extent that they are major sports in their respective countries. The table to the right has all leagues along with the country hosted: [24]
No | Name | Country | Org. | Took office | Left office |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Leslie Mann | United States | IBF | 1938 | 1939 |
2 | Jaime Mariné | Cuba | 1940 | 1943 | |
3 | Jorge Reyes | Mexico | FIBA | 1944 | 1945 |
4 | Pablo Morales | Venezuela | 1946 | 1947 | |
5 | Chale Pereira | Nicaragua | 1948 | 1950 | |
— | Pablo Morales | Venezuela | 1951 | 1952 | |
6 | Carlos Manuel Zecca | Costa Rica | 1953 | 1968 | |
7 | Juan Isa | Netherlands Antilles | 1969 | 1975 | |
— | William Fehring | United States | FEMBA [lower-alpha 1] | 1973 | 1974 |
— | Carlos García Solórzano | Nicaragua | 1975 | ||
8 | Manuel González Guerra | Cuba | AINBA | 1976 | 1979 |
— | Carlos García Solórzano [lower-alpha 2] | Nicaragua | 1980 | 1981 | |
9 | Robert Smith | United States | IBAF | 1981 | 1993 |
10 | Aldo Notari | Italy | 1993 | 2006 | |
11 | Harvey Schiller | United States | 2007 | 2009 | |
12 | Riccardo Fraccari | Italy | 2009 | Incumbent | |
WBSC |
Men's baseball
Men's softball
| Women's baseball
Women's softball
|
Rank | Change | Team | Points |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | France | 3037 |
2 | 1 | Chinese Taipei | 2775 |
3 | Cuba | 2393 | |
4 | Tunisia | 1995 | |
5 | 5 | Lithuania | 1892 |
6 | 1 | Japan | 1639 |
7 | 1 | South Africa | 1593 |
8 | 1 | Mexico | 1560 |
9 | 1 | South Korea | 1442 |
10 | 1 | Ghana | 1219 |
11 | 5 | Italy | 1194 |
12 | 7 | Netherlands | 1179 |
13 | 2 | Turkey | 1144 |
14 | 2 | Kenya | 1046 |
15 | 2 | China | 1030 |
16 | 7 | Belgium | 952 |
17 | 3 | Romania | 905 |
17 | 3 | Venezuela | 905 |
19 | 2 | Czech Republic | 885 |
20 | 5 | Malaysia | 842 |
*New Rankings |
The International Baseball Federation (IBAF) is the former worldwide governing body of baseball. It has since been superseded by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), and continues to exist as the WBSC's baseball division. Between 1944 and 1975, it was known by its Spanish-language name, as the Federación Internacional de Béisbol Amateur, or FIBA.
The Baseball World Cup (BWC) was an international baseball tournament for national teams around the world, sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF). First held in 1938 as the Amateur World Series (AWS), it was, for most of its history, the highest level of international baseball competition in the world. Even after it was supplanted in this regard in 2006 by the modern World Baseball Classic (WBC), the Baseball World Cup was still considered by the IBAF to be a major world championship, along with the WBC and the Summer Olympic Games.
Baseball at the Summer Olympics unofficially debuted at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, and was first contested as a demonstration sport at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. It became an official Olympic sport at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, then was played at each Olympiad through the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The sport was then dropped from the Summer Olympic program, until being revived for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo for a single appearance. It is next expected to be part of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
The International Softball Federation (ISF) is the international governing body for the sport of softball with its world headquarters and training centre at Plant City, Florida. The ISF is a non-profit corporation recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and SportAccord.
The Australian national baseball team represents Australia in international baseball tournaments and competitions. It is ranked as the top team in Oceania, and is the Oceanian Champion, having been awarded the title in 2007 when New Zealand withdrew from the Oceania Baseball Championship. After achieving a last (16th) place in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, its rank dropped to 13, which is the lowest rank Australia ever received. The highest rank it has achieved is 6th, and its current rank is 10th.
The Netherlands women's national softball team is the national team of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is governed by the Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Federation. It is a member nation of the Confederation of European Baseball and the International Baseball Federation.
The British Baseball Federation (BBF) is the national governing body of baseball within the United Kingdom. Organised modern baseball has been played in the United Kingdom since the first baseball league began in 1890, with a succession of different governing bodies in place over that time. The BBF was founded in 1987.
The Women's Softball World Cup is a fastpitch softball tournament for women's national teams held historically every four years, now every two years, by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). The tournament, originally known as the ISF Women's World Championship, was sanctioned by the International Softball Federation (ISF) until that body's 2013 merger with the International Baseball Federation to create the WBSC. The number of teams in the tournament began at five in its inaugural event in 1965, went to a high of 28 for the 1994 edition, and now the WBSC Code legislates that the maximum number of teams that may participate is 16. There are qualifying tournaments that determine which countries will play at the World Cup.
The World Baseball Softball Confederation Europe, known as WBSC Europe, was established on February 10, 2018, during a Congress of the Confederation of European Baseball and the European Softball Federation in Val d’Europe, France. the establishment of WBSC Europe followed the historic merger of the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB) and the European Softball Federation (ESF). As of September 2022, WBSC Europe counts 40 members for baseball and 39 for softball.
The WBSC Asia, formerly known as, Baseball Federation of Asia (BFA) is the governing body of the sport of baseball and softball in Asia. The federation is governed by the World Baseball Softball Confederation.
The WBSC Africas, formerly known as, African Baseball and Softball Association (ABSA), is the governing body of baseball and softball within Africa. As of June 2011, there are 24 members.
The WBSC World Rankings is a ranking system for national teams in baseball, softball, and baseball5. The teams of the member nations of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), baseball's world governing body, are ranked based on their tournament results with the most successful teams being ranked highest. A point system is used, with points being awarded based on the results of WBSC-recognized international tournaments. Under the existing system, rankings are based on a team's performance over the last four years, with major international tournaments awarded a higher weighting compared to minor international and continental tournaments.
The U-15 Baseball World Cup is the 15-and-under baseball world championship that features national teams as authorized ("sanctioned") by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). It began in 1989 as the World Youth Baseball Championship. In 2012 it became the 15U Baseball World Cup and is contested every two years. Because it is a world championship event, the results of the 15U Baseball World Cup affect the WBSC World Rankings.
Riccardo Fraccari is an international sports administrator who is the current president of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). He was previously president of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) from 2009 to 2013.
The WBSC Premier12 is the international baseball tournament organized by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), featuring the 12 highest-ranked national baseball teams in the world. The first tournament was held by Taiwan and Japan in November 2015. The second tournament, 2019 WBSC Premier12, was held in November 2019, and served as a qualifier for two teams for baseball at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
This article contains lists of achievements in major senior-level international baseball and softball tournaments according to first-place, second-place and third-place results obtained by teams representing different nations. The objective is not to create combined medal tables; the focus is on listing the best positions achieved by teams in major international tournaments, ranking the nations according to the most number of podiums accomplished by teams of these nations.
Baseball5 (B5) is an internationally played safe haven game with many of the same rules as baseball and softball, which is governed alongside those sports by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC).
The Baseball5 World Cup is a mixed-gender Baseball5 (B5) world championship that occurs every two years, with the first edition held in 2022 in Mexico and contested by 12 countries. It is governed by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC).
The Youth Baseball5 World Cup (YBWSC) is a mixed-gender Baseball5 world championship consisting of 12 teams that will occur every two years, with the first edition starting in 2023. It is governed by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). The 2025 edition will act as a qualifier for the mixed-gender Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics Baseball5 event, which will be Baseball5's first appearance at the Youth Olympics, as well as the first appearance of a mixed-gender team sport at an Olympic event.
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