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The World Baseball Softball Confederation Europe, known as WBSC Europe, was established on February 10th, 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 CEB was founded in 1953 with 5 members, which were
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
,
West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
and
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
. The CEB was responsible for operating the
European Baseball Championship The European Baseball Championship is the main championship tournament between national baseball teams in Europe, governed by the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB). History Italy won the inaugural European Baseball Championship in , and t ...
, a championship that has been running since 1954 in Europe. In 2010, there were 112,303 players in the CEB countries. The ESF was founded in 1976 with 6 members, which were
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, and
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
. The ESF was responsible for operating the European Softball Championships.


WBSC Europe History

On February 14, 2018 in
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, the delegates of 38 National Baseball and Softball Federations approved the merger of the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB) and the European Softball Federation (ESF) at the joint European Baseball Softball Congress in Paris, France. In reaction to the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
, WBSC Europe relocated competitions that had been scheduled to be held in Russia during 2022, and excluded Russian and Belarusian teams from all its 2022 competitions.


CEB History

In April 1953 in
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, 5 countries (
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
and
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
) gave birth to the European Baseball Federation, originally named in French ''Féderation Européenne de Baseball (FEB)''. The first Executive Committee was formed by President Steno Borghese of Italy, Secretary General Roger Panaye of Belgium and Vice President and head of the Technical Commission Luis Barrio of Spain. In 1954 the first European Championship was played in Belgium and Italy claimed the victory. The sixth member country, the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, was accepted at the 1956 Congress in
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
. In 1957 in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
,
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
,
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
became the seventh member, and FEB became an eight-country federation in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
in 1960 when
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
was accepted. In 1963 FEB launched their first club competition. The first European champion of the club competition was Picadero Barcelona. In 1967 the federations of Italy and the Netherlands announced their withdrawal from FEB and founded a new Federation: ''Fédération Amateur Baseball''. In April 1969 the two Federations re-entered FEB. In 1971 another Italian, Bruno Beneck, succeeded Steno Borghese during the Congress held in
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
.
San Marino San Marino (, ), officially the Republic of San Marino ( it, Repubblica di San Marino; ), also known as the Most Serene Republic of San Marino ( it, Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino, links=no), is the fifth-smallest country in the world an ...
was accepted as the ninth member. In 1972 the organization changed its name to European Amateur Baseball Confederation or CEBA, according to the French ''Confederation Européenne de Baseball Amateur''. In 1974 the first U-18 European Championship for players of age 18 and under was played. The first title went to the Netherlands. The Dutch also claimed the first U-16 title in 1975. In 1979, during the Congress in
Trieste Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...
, Italy,
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...
was accepted as the 10th member. There were already 15 member countries when, in 1985, during the Congress in
Zandvoort Zandvoort () is a municipality in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. It is one of the major beach resorts of the Netherlands; it has a long sandy beach. It is bordered by coastal dunes of Zuid-Kennemerland National Park and the Amsterdam ...
, Netherlands, Guus Van der Heiden of the Netherlands succeeded Bruno Beneck as the president. When Van der Heiden died, Italian Federation President Aldo Notari was elected as the 4th president of the organization during the 1987 Congress in
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
. During the 1990s the number of member countries increased dramatically up to 33 by 1994, at which time it was decided to drop the word ''Amateur'' from the name of the Confederation, known since then as CEB: ''Confederation Européenne du Baseball'' in French and ''Confederation of European Baseball'' in English. CEB also created the Cup Winners Cup in 1990 and the CEB Cup in 1993. Martin Miller of Germany, who had been part of the executive since 1995, succeeded Aldo Notari (who was nominated Honorary President) in 2005, during the Congress in
Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
. Miller was confirmed as president during the 2009 Congress in
San Marino San Marino (, ), officially the Republic of San Marino ( it, Repubblica di San Marino; ), also known as the Most Serene Republic of San Marino ( it, Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino, links=no), is the fifth-smallest country in the world an ...
. During Miller's presidency, the number of European Cups for Clubs was reduced to two. Starting in the 2009 season, only a single
European Cup The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
for Clubs is played. Miller resigned from the presidency during the 2012 Congress in
Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...
. Petr Ditrich of the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
was the interim president until the 2013 Congress in
Bled Bled (; german: Veldes,''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 146. in older sources also ''Feldes'') is a town on Lake Bled in the Upper C ...
, Slovenia, that elected Jan Esselman of the Netherlands as the new president.


ESF History

In 1976 in
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, 6 countries (
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
,
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
and
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
) gave birth to the European Softball Federation (ESF). The first Executive Committee was formed by President Bruno Benek of Italy and Secretary General Theo Vleeshhouwer of Netherlands.


WBSC World Rankings


Overview


Championships

*
European Baseball Championship The European Baseball Championship is the main championship tournament between national baseball teams in Europe, governed by the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB). History Italy won the inaugural European Baseball Championship in , and t ...
*
European Baseball Championship Women The Women’s European Baseball Championship (WEBC) is the main championship tournament between national women’s baseball teams in Europe, governed by the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB). History The 2019 Women’s European Baseball Ch ...
*
European Under-23 Baseball Championship The European Under-23 Baseball Championship is held biennially between national baseball teams in Europe, governed by the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB). Results Medal table References {{Europe baseball teams Baseball ...
*
European Under-21 Baseball Championship The European Under-21 Baseball Championship is a bi-annual international baseball tournament sanctioned and created by the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB). Results Medal table See also * European Baseball Championship * European Juni ...
*
European Junior Baseball Championship The U-18 European Baseball Championship, formerly the European Junior Baseball Championship, is a biennial, under-18 international baseball tournament sanctioned and created by the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB). The tournament is conduct ...
(U18) *
European Youth Baseball Championship The U-15 European Baseball Championship, formerly the European Youth Baseball Championship or European Baseball Championship Cadets, is an international baseball tournament sanctioned and created by the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB). In ...
(U15) *
European Juveniles Baseball Championship The U-12 European Baseball Championship, formerly the European Juveniles Baseball Championship, is an annual under-12 international baseball tournament sanctioned and created by the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB). Since , the teams from C ...
(U12) *
Super 6 Baseball and Softball The Super 6 Baseball and Softball is a tournament between national baseball teams in Europe, governed by the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB), the European Softball Federation (ESF) and the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). It ...
*
Baseball5 European Championship The Baseball5 European Championship is the main championship tournament between national Baseball5 teams in Europe, governed by the WBSC Europe. The top two teams qualified for Baseball5 World Cup. Results Medal table See also *European Baseba ...
*
European Cup (baseball) The European Cup is an annual baseball tournament, sanctioned and created by the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB). The tournament features the top teams of the professional baseball leagues in Europe. Starting in 2008, the tournament is ...
*
European Champion Cup Final Four The "Final Four" (also called European Champion Cup) is a post-season baseball tournament sanctioned and created by the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB). The tournament features the four best teams in the two European Cups. The champion l ...
*
ESF Women's Championship The Women's Softball European Championship is the main championship tournament between national women's softball teams in Europe, governed by the European Softball Federation (ESF). Beginning with 2020, the European championship will be held in ...
*
ESF Women's Division B Championship The European Softball Women Division B Championship is a minor championship tournament between national women softball teams in Europe, governed by the European Softball Federation. The winner of this tournament will qualify for the next Divisio ...
*
ESF Men's Championship The Men's Softball European Championship is the main championship tournament between national men's softball teams in Europe, governed by the European Softball Federation. Results Medal table See also *ESF Women's Championship The Women's ...
*
ESF Junior Girls Championship The European Softball Junior Girls Championship is the main championship tournament between national junior girls softball teams in Europe, governed by the European Softball Federation. Results Medal table See also *ESF Women's Championship ...
*
ESF Junior Boys Championship 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. Results Medal table U-23 Men Softball The inaugural ...
*
ESF Co-Ed Slowpitch European Championships The ESF Co-Ed Slowpitch European Championships is a championship tournament between national coeducational softball teams in Europe, governed by the European Softball Federation. The 2017 tournament will take place in Sofia, Bulgaria Bul ...


Members

WBSC Europe currently has 40 member countries for baseball and 39 for softball, this includes:


Provisional members


Former members


See also

*
European Softball Federation The European Softball Federation (Fédération Européenne Softball, ESF), 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 ESF was founded in 1 ...
*
European Baseball Championship The European Baseball Championship is the main championship tournament between national baseball teams in Europe, governed by the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB). History Italy won the inaugural European Baseball Championship in , and t ...
*
European Cup (baseball) The European Cup is an annual baseball tournament, sanctioned and created by the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB). The tournament features the top teams of the professional baseball leagues in Europe. Starting in 2008, the tournament is ...


References


Further reading

*Chetwynd, Josh (2008)
''Baseball in Europe: A Country by Country History''
344 pp. (77 photos). Print ; EBook


External links


WBSC Europe
website
Confederation of European Baseball
website
European Softball Federation
website {{Authority control Base Sports organizations established in 1953 1953 establishments in Europe
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...