USA Softball (formerly the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) and ASA/USA Softball) is the governing body for the
United States national softball team. It is a member of the sport's international governing body, the
World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). In addition, it oversees more than 150,000 amateur teams nationwide. It is a
501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
History
USA Softball was founded in 1933 as the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) with a tournament held in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
that was organized by
Leo Fischer and Michael J. Pauley.
The following year, the 1934 National Recreation Congress recognized the ASA.
Shortly afterward, the ASA was located in
Newark, New Jersey
Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat, seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County and the second largest city within the New Yo ...
. A world amateur softball tournament was held by the ASA at Chicago's
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) since ...
on September 7, 1939.
The ASA relocated to its new headquarters in Oklahoma City on January 1, 1966.
The ASA sponsored the highest level of college softball competition between the disbandment of the
Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women
The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) was founded in 1971 to govern collegiate women's athletics in the United States and to administer national championships (see AIAW Champions). It evolved out of the Commission on Interc ...
in 1982 until the NCAA started sanctioning the sport in 1985. The University of South Florida won the National Championship in both years under the ASA.
On June 30, 2016, the Amateur Softball Association of ASA/USA Softball announced that it would be changing its organizational and trade name to "USA Softball," effective on January 1, 2017, along with a new logo.
Since 2005, the organization has run the
World Cup of Softball The USA Softball International Cup previously known as the World Cup of Softball, is an annual softball tournament. The first eight World Cups were held at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The competition is governed by US ...
. The
USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex also hosts the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
Women's College World Series
The Women's College World Series (WCWS) is the final portion of the NCAA Division I softball tournament for college softball in the United States. Eight teams participate in the WCWS, which begins with a double-elimination tournament. In other wo ...
and the
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...
softball championship.
Team USA
In 1978, the
United States Olympic Committee
The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is the National Olympic Committee and the National Paralympic Committee for the United States. It was founded in 1895 as the United States Olympic Committee, and is headquartered in Col ...
named USA Softball the national governing body of softball in the United States. Due to this designation, USA Softball is responsible for training, equipping, and promoting the six USA softball national teams that compete in events such as the Olympics, Pan American Games, World Championships and other international and domestic events. In 1996, the USA softball women's national team became the first American softball team to compete in the Olympics. Team USA has 15 players and 3 replacement players currently on roster.
USA Softball registers over 120,000 softball teams adding up to about 2 million players.
USA Softball is also a not-for-profit organization, which means every dollar generated by the organization goes back into improving and furthering the sport. Team USA's sole purpose is to better softball for the future and give people of all ages the opportunity to continue the game they love.
Amateur programs
The USA softball youth program began in 1974. Over 80,000 teams, 1.3 million players, and 300,000 coaches participate in USA Softball's youth division on an annual basis.
The USA Softball adult program began in 1934. With over 170,000 teams, 2.5 million players, and 500,000 coaches involved on an annual basis, the adult program is the largest USA Softball program. USA Softball provides programs of competition for adults including fast pitch, slow pitch and modified pitch for men and women.
National Softball Hall of Fame and museum
The
National Softball Hall of Fame
National Softball Hall of Fame and Museum is a softball museum located in Oklahoma City's Adventure District. It includes the Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium, home to the World Cup of Softball and the annual Women's College World Series.
Am ...
was dedicated May 26, 1973, in Oklahoma City. It has 337 members with 125 deceased, including players, managers, umpires, and other suitable individuals.
Rule book
USA Softball publishes an updated rule book for softball each year which is widely used by adult and youth recreational leagues in the United States and abroad. The USA Softball rules were also used for the softball competition when
it was an Olympic sport between 1996 and 2008. The most recent Olympics to feature softball, in 2021, used the virtually identical WBSC ruleset.
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Softball
Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. 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 Hanc ...
Sports in Oklahoma City
Sports in Newark, New Jersey
Softball organizations
Sports organizations established in 1933
Organizations based in Oklahoma City
501(c)(3) organizations
Softball in the United States