Based on the ball standards by International Softball Federation Playing Rules Committee, there are many different sizes. Let’s check all the sizes below to know a softball weight.
Sizes and Weight:
- The 30.5 centimeters (12 inches) ball is considered as the same with 30.2 cm (11 7/8 inches), 30.8 cm (12 1/8 inches) in area. Their weight is between 178.0 g (6 1/4 ounces) and 198.4 g (7 ounces). The flat seam design has around 88 stitches on each cover, and it is sewn by the two-needle method.
- The 27.9 centimeters (11 inches) ball is considered as the same with 27.6 cm (10 7/8 inches) and 28.3 centimeters (11 1/8 inches) in circumference. Their weight is between 166.5 g (5 7/8 ounces) and 173.6 g (6 1/8 ounces). The seamed style is around 80 stitches on each cover, and it is sewn by the same method as the one above.
To compare with baseball, a regulation softball is significantly larger. The weight of regulation softball ranges from 6.25 to 7.00 ounces, while baseball is from 5.00 to 5.25 ounces.
That’s why baseball is more suitable for a male player, and softball is for a female. In Canada, you can see many women play softball as a favorite sport.
Does the softball weight affect your pitch?
The softball weight will not affect your pitch much, but you should use the one that suits your hand size. You need to grab it firmly, so it will be a little bit hard to control if it’s over your hand size.
Read more: How To Pitch Faster In Softball?
It is advisable to use the size with weight from 6.25 to 7.00 as it provides the most comfortable. The other will be smaller than your hands and limit the force to throw it when you grab it too firmly.