16-Inch Softball

Summary

Variant of softball 16-inch softball (sometimes called clincher, mushball,[1] cabbageball,[2][3] puffball, blooperball, smushball,[4] and Chicago ball[5][6]) 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,[7] New Orleans, Atlanta, and Portland, Oregon (where leagues have existed since the 1960s). It also saw some popularity in Nashville, Tennessee, in the early 1980s. The first set of rules were published in 1937 by the Amateur Softball Association, in the same manual as the rules for fastpitch softball.[8] Game play for 16-inch softball is mostly consistent with standard softball game play. In contrast to standard, or 12-inch (30.48 cm) softball, it is played with a ball 16 inches (40.64 cm) in circumference. It is common to see higher arched pitching, and balls/strikes are determined by where the ball lands and crosses the batter's body. Leagues may form co-ed, all-male, or all-female teams. Additionally, teams may choose competitive or recreational leagues. There may be rule variations associated with the specific field or league of play. When playing in a co-ed league, there may be other rules that relate to the male-to-female ratio of team members and batting order.[9][10] The National Softball Association (NSA) also has a published set of rules governing 16-inch softball play.[11] The earliest known softball game of any kind was played at the Farragut Boat Club in Chicago on Thanksgiving Day 1887. The first softball was a wrapped up boxing glove and the bat was a broom. Play was encouraged by a reporter, George Hancock, who had been looking on. Harvard and Yale students played the game while waiting to hear the results of the annual Harvard-Yale football game. Until the turn of the 20th century, ball s...