Approximately 5 million of the 17 million people in the Netherlands are registered to one of the 35,000 sports clubs in the country. About two thirds of the population older than 15 years participates in sports weekly.
Softball is a sport similar to baseball, and it is played with a larger ball on a smaller field and with only underhand pitches permitted. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hancock.
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 It has since been superseded by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), and continues to exist as the WBSC's baseball division.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.
Sport in Ireland plays an important role in Irish society. The many sports played and followed in Ireland include Gaelic games, association football, horse racing, show jumping, greyhound racing, basketball, fishing, handball, motorsport, boxing, tennis, hockey, golf, rowing, cricket, and rugby union.
The Asia Series was an international club baseball competition, contested by the champions of all four professional leagues associated with the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC)—Australian Baseball League (ABL), Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), Korea Baseball Organization League, and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB)—along with the CEB European Champion Cup holder and host city, to bring the number of teams to six.
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 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 European Softball Federation, was the governing body of softball within Europe from 1976 until 2018, when it merged with the Confederation of European Baseball into WBSC Europe.
The Great Britain national baseball team is the national men's baseball team of the United Kingdom. It is governed by the British Baseball Federation, and is also a member nation of the Confederation of European Baseball.
The National Softball League or NSL is a co-ed slowpitch softball league created for the 2009 British softball season (April–September). The league has run every season since then and grew to a two-division league in 2017. The inaugural season had 14 teams compete in three qualifying events, as well as the Premier Nationals.
The European Softball Junior Boys Championship (U-18) is the main championship tournament between national junior boys softball teams in Europe, governed by the European Softball Federation.
The Coed Slowpitch European Championship is the main championship tournament between national coeducational slowpitch softball teams in Europe, governed by WBSC Europe. Prior to 2018 this tournament was governed by the European Softball Federation (ESF).
The ESF Co-Ed Slowpitch European Super Cup (CSPESC) is a club championship tournament between national club champions for co-ed Slowpitch Softball teams in Europe, governed by the European Softball Federation.
Europe first participated in the Little League World Series in 1960. Teams from Europe were given a berth in the LLWS each year between 1960 and 2000. In 2001, the region was split into two co-terminus regions: Europe Region and Transatlantic Region. The Europe Region comprised mostly native European teams while the Transatlantic Region comprised mostly American expatriates. This distinction was eliminated in 2008; from 2008 to 2012, teams made up of either native Europeans or American expatriates were eligible to qualify from the Europe Region.
16-inch softball is a variant of softball, but using a larger ball that gradually becomes softer the more the ball is hit, and played with no gloves or mitts on the fielders. It more closely resembles the original game as developed in Chicago in the 19th century by George Hancock, and today it remains most popular in Chicago, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Portland, Oregon. It also saw some popularity in Nashville, Tennessee, in the early 1980s.
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 following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to baseball:
The British Softball Federation (BSF) is the national governing body of softball within the United Kingdom, organising fastpitch and slowpitch leagues and national tournaments and registering players.
Six teams qualified for the Olympic softball tournament, including Japan, which, as host nation, qualified automatically. The United States team won the 2018 Women's Softball World Championship to qualify for the Olympics. The remaining four spots were allocated through three qualification tournaments: one spot for a Europe/Africa tournament, one spot for an Asia/Oceania tournament, and two spots for an Americas tournament.
The WBSC Coed Slow Pitch World Cup is a mixed (coed) slow pitch softball tournament for national teams sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC).
