Softball is a team sport similar to baseball but played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Despite its name, the ball isn't actually soft: it's just less hard than a baseball. The game moves faster than baseball because the pitcher stands closer to the batter and throws underhand, and the bases are closer together.

In softball, two teams take turns batting and fielding. When your team is batting, you try to hit the ball and run around four bases to score runs. When fielding, you try to get the other team's batters and runners out. A standard game lasts seven innings instead of baseball's nine.

Softball became especially popular in schools and communities because you don't need as much space or equipment as baseball requires. Today, millions of people play softball in leagues ranging from casual weekend games to intense competitive tournaments. The sport has different versions: slow-pitch softball uses a lobbed pitch and is common in recreational leagues, while fast-pitch softball features blazing underhand pitches that can reach 70 miles per hour and is played at the Olympic level.