After an eight-year break, Traditional Fastpitch Softball will make its return to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 2028. Baseball-Softball is one of five sports recommended by the LA 2028 Committee and was also approved by the International Olympic committee. According to the official Olympics site, it has confirmed “The IOC approved the inclusion of baseball-softball in LA28 last year, along with lacrosse sixes, flag football, T20 cricket and squash” (https://olympics.com/en/news/baseball-softball-at-the-olympic-games-los-angeles-2028-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-additional-sport-at-la28)
Why Baseball-Softball in LA 2028?
Quick history of Softball’s link to Baseball and how they are grouped together at the next Olympics
With reference to the Olympics site, Softball, “was imagined as “indoor baseball” in the late 1880s in Chicago, before different versions of the game were eventually unified and rules were codified as modern softball in 1926”(https://olympics.com/en/news/baseball-softball-at-the-olympic-games-los-angeles-2028-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-additional-sport-at-la28).
In the next Olympics, LA 2028 Baseball and Softball originally conceived as separate sports will come as a joint package. They are literally grouped together. But when was Softball itself first played in the Olympics?
The first time in the Olympic Games…Atlanta 1996
Softball was introduced to the Olympics in Atlanta 1996 as a women’s only sport. The sport has appeared in the Olympics five times previously and LA 2028 will be its sixth venture into the games. Softball went all the way in participating from 1996 to Beijing 2008. However, it was “dropped, along with baseball, following Beijing” (https://d1softball.com/softball-is-officially-back-in-the-olympics-for-2028-in-los-angeles/)
The last time in the Olympic Games…Tokyo 2020/2021
Softball was last in the Olympics in Tokyo 2020 (taking place in 2021 due to the Covid 19 Pandemic). In Tokyo, it was again a merged event with baseball but had two events (men’s Baseball/women’s Softball). In Tokyo 2020 it was Japan who won the gold medal in the women’s Softball event.
Over the years it is the female United States team who have been the most successful in Olympic Games Softball. Notably, according to Softball’s history at the Olympics research, “In five Olympic Games, the U.S. has earned three gold and two silver medals” (https://auprosports.com/read/softball-to-return-to-olympics-in-2028/). They also won Silver at the Tokyo games.
The United States’s participation and triumphant history at Olympic Games Softball has done wonders for the sport in the United States (and even perhaps the world) both in terms of popularity and igniting the careers of the female players involved. It also stimulated an “electric rivalry” between the US and Japan and “opened the door to stardom for players like Jennie Finch and Cat Osterman” (https://www.si.com/softball/2023/10/20/softballs-addition-los-angeles-2028-olympics-new-life).
The inclusion of Softball in the next Olympics can only shine a further bright light on the sport but how exactly will Softball be played in the Los Angeles Olympics 2028?
The next time in the Olympic Games…LA 2028
The traditional version of fastpitch Softball with international rules will be the name of the game (pardon the pun) in Los Angeles 2028. This is the way it was played in all of the previous Olympics Games. As stated by the official Olympics site “that means the usual nine or seven innings, but any game going to extra innings will see runners placed on first and second base every extra half-inning”
Ireland and Fastpitch Softball
Ireland are currently ranked just outside the top 20 in the world in women’s Fastpitch Softball. They are in 24th position on 664 points having only just last year been in the top 20 (https://www.wbsc.org/en/rankings). Ireland’s Fastpitch team are also the 12th highest ranked team in Europe. Anybody interested in playing Fastpitch should contact: info@fastpitchsoftball.ie.
All that remains to be said now is: Welcome Back to the Olympic stage Softball!
References:
Baccellieri, Emma (2023) Softball’s Addition to 2028 Olympics Breathes New Life Into the Sport. Available at: https://www.si.com/softball/2023/10/20/softballs-addition-los-angeles-2028-olympics-new-life (Accessed 28/08/2024)
D1 Softball Staff (2023) Softball is Officially Back in the Olympics for 2028 in Los Angeles. Available at: https://d1softball.com/softball-is-officially-back-in-the-olympics-for-2028-in-los-angeles/ (Accessed 20/08/2024)
Goh, ZK (2024) Baseball-Softball at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028: Everything you need to know about the additional sport at LA28. Available at: https://olympics.com/en/news/baseball-softball-at-the-olympic-games-los-angeles-2028-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-additional-sport-at-la28(Accessed 20/08/2024)
Licata, Alexandra (2023) Softball to return to Olympics in 2028. Available at: https://auprosports.com/read/softball-to-return-to-olympics-in-2028/ (Accessed 20/08/2024)
World Baseball-Softball Confederation (2024) World Rankings Available at: https://www.wbsc.org/en/rankings (Accessed 16/09/2024)
Article by Alison Fagan
