Winter Softball

Winter Softball

Winter Softball in Ireland includes Fastpitch Softball Leagues, Winter Softball Leagues, Intervarsity Softball, Indoor Softball and Softball Business Leagues.

Fastpitch Softball Leagues

Fastpitch Softball is basically a Women’s Competitive version of Baseball, and differs from the Coed / Mixed version of Softball played in Ireland since the 1980s, as the pitching is fast and not in a soft arc, as in the recreational version of the sport (hence the name softball). There are 9 players in a Fastpitch Softball team, like in Baseball as opposed to 10 in Co-Ed (Mixed) Recreational Softball.

The Fastpitch Ireland programme dates from the early 2000s, when two Women’s teams were created, and then in the 2010s, the Softball Ireland National team (who played in both the World Championships and European Championships) was started.

In 2019-20 the first Softball Ireland Irish National Fastpitch League began, playing all its matches on the turf pitch at the National Indoor Arena in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15. Unlike the earlier Fastpitch Softball in Ireland, this is Coed / Mixed, with an equal representation of Men to Women (5:5).

Here are links to various Fastpitch competitions in Ireland and Internationally, involving Ireland teams.

Indoor Softball

Indoor Softball is played – as its name suggests – indoors, with soft ball (a softball is usually hard inspite of its name ) and bases taped onto the floor. Innings are timed and it is one point for getting on base and one point for getting home, however, a team loses a point for an out. Home runs are scored when the ball hits the back wall and bounces back off the floor without being caught – this enables all players on base – as well as the hitter – to advance back to home plate.

Intervarsity Softball

Intervarsity Softball has been played in Ireland since 2001. Below you will find links to the Results & Tables of each Season.

Winter Softball Leagues

The Gemstorm-sponsored Winter League ran from 1999-2000 to 2001-02, with teams named after Big Cats. Trinity College Dublin Tigers and University College Dublin Wildcats joined in 2000-01.