Softball was developed by George Hancock in Chicago in 1887 as “indoor baseball”. By 1895, the sport had moved outdoors. Other names by which it was known before it became “softball” in the 1920s were kitten ball, diamond ball, pumpkin ball and mush ball. Women started playing the game seriously in the 1930s.

The spread of the sport internationally was aided by members of the American military playing it whilst on overseas service during and immediately after World War II.

The International Softball Federation (ISF) was formed in 1952. With considerable drive from Australia, the first ISF Women’s World Championship was held in Melbourne in 1965, with the host country emerging as the winner.

Softball was granted Olympic status in Atlanta in 1996, without ever being a demonstration sport. Only four countries have won medals in the three Olympic softball competitions, in 1996, 2000 and 2004.

The United States has won all three gold medals and Australia won bronze medals in 1996 and 2000 and improved to win the silver in Athens in 2004. Japan was the silver medallist at Sydney in 2000 and the bronze medal winner in Athens in 2004. China won the bronze at the sports debut in 1996.

Each team has a maximum of 15 players. Nine players take the field in each game, except when a designated hitter is used, in which case there are 10.

The aim of the game is to advance batters from base to base around the diamond, after hitting the ball. A run is scored each time a batter makes to back to the home plate.

The fielding team tries to get a batter or runner out and this can happen when a third strike ball is caught by the catcher; when a batter hits a ball that is caught on the full by any of the fielders; or when a batter or runner is beaten by the ball to one of the bases, or is tagged off base.

Games last seven innings. If scores are level at the end of nine innings, the tiebreak rule is enforced whereby the player scheduled to bat ninth starts the innings on second base. A mercy rule exists whereby if a team trails by more than 10 runs in the fifth inning or thereafter the game is stopped.

All of the teams compete in a single pool and play each other once. The top four teams advance to the semi-final stage, where the first-place team and the third-place team plays against the fourth-place team.

The winner of the game between the first and second-placed teams gets an immediate place in the grand final. The loser gets a second chance, playing the winner of the other semi-final in a preliminary final. The winner of the preliminary final advances to the grand final, with the loser receiving the bronze medal.

Four Australian players have been inducted to the ISF Hall of Fame. Members of the Australian bronze medal-winning team from Atlanta, Jenny Holliday and Joyce Lester, were inducted in 2001. Joanne Brown and Kerry Dienelt who both won bronze medals at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics were inducted in 2005.

• Successful tour for Aussie Spirit
• Australia dominates in last game of series
• Australia prepares for last series against China
• Important Chinese test
• New talent blooded
• Softballers on show in Sydney