Gloves手套：
In order to catch the ball easily； the defensive players use different kinds of gloves according to their positions：
Catcher's mitt
First baseman's glove
Outfielder's glove
Infielder's glove
Mitt
Five…finger glove
Mitt连指手套：
Catcher's mitt （more padded to soften the pitcher's pitches； a diameter of max。 87 cm）。 Used by the catcher only。
First baseman glove： longer； to catch his defensive teammates' balls （a maximum length of 30 cm）。 Used by the first baseman only。
Five…finger glove分指手套：
Infielder's： smaller and more manageable。 Used by the second baseman； third baseman and shortstop。 The Pitcher's glove is usually mid to large sized to hide the pitch from the batter and to protect themselves from line drives。
Outfielder's： bigger to facilitate catching balls in flight。 Used by the left fielder； center fielder and right fielder。
Bat球棒：
The bat is used during the offensive phase to hit the ball delivered by the opposing pitcher as far away as possible； or to place it in the areas less protected by the defense。 It can be made of metal （usually aluminum） or also of wood （ash）。
Baseball：
The bat's maximum diameter； in its biggest part； is 7 cm。 The bat's maximum length is 106 cm。 The bat's maximum weight is non…limited。
Softball：
The bat's maximum diameter； in its biggest part； is 5。7 cm。 The bat's maximum length is 86。4 cm。 The bat's maximum weight is 1077。0g。
Helmets头盔：
The players at bat use a helmet to protect themselves from unexpected and uncontrolled pitches from the opposing pitcher。
Catcher's protective equipment接手保护装备：
The defensive player who occupies the position of catcher （i。e。 the one who catches the pitches） wears a special protection composed of a mask； helmet； chest protector； shin guards。 This protects him from the ball hit by the bat or also from uncontrolled pitches of the pitcher。 The catcher uses a glove which is particularly padded to soften the impact of fast pitches from the pitcher。
Softball
垒球
Softball； a game similar to baseball； is played with a ball called a softball。 Most of the rules of play for softball are similar to those of baseball； with differences in pitch speed； equipment； and field size。 Softball has three major classifications： fast…pitch； slow…pitch； and modified…pitch。 There are both men's and women's divisions。 In 1887 softball was invented as an indoor sport by George Hancock of the Chicago Board of Trade。 The first games took place inside the Farragut Boat Club in Chicago。 In 1895 Lewis Rober； a member of the Minneapolis； Minnesota； fire department； invented outdoor softball and called it Kitten League Ball； later shortened to Kitten Ball。 Robert invented the game to keep the firemen in shape and busy during the time they spent at the firehouse。 In subsequent years the popularity of Kitten Ball spread throughout the United States。 In 1922 the name Kitten Ball was changed to Diamond Ball。 The name softball was not developed until 1926； when Walter Hakanson of the Denver； Colorado； Young Men's Christian Association （YMCA） conceived of it while attending a meeting in Greeley； Colorado； to form the Colorado Amateur Softball Association。 In 1933 the first national amateur softball tournament in the United States took place in Chicago； in conjunction with that year's World's Fair。 The softball tournament was staged by two American sports enthusiasts； Leo Fischer and Michael J。 Pauley； and it provided a basis for a permanent national softball organization in the United States； the ASA。 Softball's popularity continued to grow and to spread internationally。 By the mid…1990s it was played in more than 85 countries under the auspices of the International Softball Federation （ISF）； the international governing body of the sport。 The ISF was founded in 1952 and is located in Oklahoma City； Oklahoma。 The first ISF Women's World Championship was held in 1965 in Melbourne； Australia； and the first ISF Men's World Championship was held in 1966 in Mexico City。 Both were played in the fast…pitch classification。 World championships for boys' and girls' fast…pitch softball were first played in 1981。 Women's fast…pitch softball debuted as a medal sport at the 1996 Olympic Summer Games in Atlanta。
垒球运动，与棒球运动相似，只不过使用的球是软球。垒球的基本规则与棒球一样。它与棒球的主要区别在于投球速度、器材和场地。垒球分快式、慢式和变换式三种，还有男子和女子比赛之分。1887年，芝加哥商会的乔治·汉考克发明了室内垒球，并在芝加哥法拉格特划船俱乐部举行了首次比赛。1895年明尼苏达洲的一名消防队员路易斯·罗博，把垒球从室内搬到室外，发明了室外垒球，称之为“小猫球”。罗伯的这一发明是为了更有效地组织消防员。很快，这一运动就流传到美国各地。1922年，“小猫球”又被定名为“方块球”。1926年，在科罗拉多洲的丹佛青年基督教协会的沃尔特·哈康森建议把它定名为垒球，并成立了科罗拉多业余垒球协会。1933年，在芝加哥世界博览会上，两位狂热的体育迷—利奥·菲舍和迈克尔·鲍雷筹办了第一次全国业余垒球比赛，这为后来建立全国垒球组织奠定了基础。垒球在美国普及的同时，也传播到世界其它国家。到了20世纪90年代中期，在垒球运动的管理机构—国际垒球联合会的领导下，垒球运动已在八十多个国家广泛开展。国际垒球联合会是1952年在美国俄克拉何马洲的俄克拉何马市成立的。1965年，国际垒联在澳大利亚的墨尔本举行了第一届女子垒球世界锦标赛。1966年，在墨西哥城举办了第一届男子垒球世界锦标赛。这两次比赛都采用快投式。1981年，国际垒联举办了第一届男子和女子青少年的快式垒球比赛。1996年亚特兰大奥运会上，女子快式垒球被列为正式比赛项目。
More about Softball
The International Softball Federation （ISF）国际垒球联合会：
The International Softball Federation （ISF） is the governing body of softball internationally as recognized by the International Olympic Committee （IOC） and the General Association of International Sports Federations （GAISF）。 The ISF organizes and conducts world championship competition in women's and men's fast pitch； junior women's and men's fast pitch； women； men and coed slow pitch and women and men's modified pitch。 The ISF sanctions regional championships and provides technical support to Regional （Multi…Sport） Games。 Additionally the ISF qualifies teams for Olympic softball competition in coordination with the IOC。 The ISF provides the official playing rules for international competition including but not limited to： Olympic Games； world championships； regional championships； regional Games and other sanctioned competitions。 The ISF has over 124 member nations。 ＇3＇ These members are the softball federations /associations of different nations all over the world。
Softball has three major classifications： fast…pitch； slow…pitch； and modified…pitch。
Softball consists of several disciplines： fast pitch； slow pitch； and modified fast pitch。 The pitches for these different variations are all underhand。 The speeds of the tossed ball goes as the name says。 Fast pitch allows two main underhand pitching deliveries； one that involves an entire revolution and the other where the pitchers arm comes back and then forward。 Slow pitch requires the pitcher to lob the ball underhanded with an arc that reaches a minimum height of 1。83 meters and a maximum height of 3。66 meters。 A modified fast pitch allows underhand deliveries but the arm must not make a complete revolution around the shoulder socket。 Internationally； fast pitch is the dominant game。 In the United States； slow pitch is played by millions of people in recreational leagues。
World championships in fast pitch softball were first held in 1965 for women and 1966 for men。 Slow…pitch world championships began in 1987； and the competition will resume in Florida （USA） in June of 2002。 The first world competition for junior men and women was held in 1981 and a World Cup for age 16…under girls began in 2001。
Page： Softball’s Competition in the Olympic Games奥运会上垒球的赛制：佩奇制
Eight teams compete at the Olympic Games in the discipline of women's fast pitch。 The host country automatically has a spot because they are the host team； and the other seven teams qualify through world championships and various regional Olympic Qualifiers。
The teams compete in a single pool； playing each of the other seven once。 The top four teams advance to the semi…finals； with the first…placed team playing the second…placed team and the third playing the fourth。 The loser between teams 1 and 2 then plays the winner between teams 3 and 4； with that winner playing the winner between teams 1 and 2 for the championship。
This Is Not Baseball！垒球和棒球的区别：
Although the two games are very similar； several nuances exist between baseball and softball that set them apart。 In softball the ball is larger and softer； pitching is done underhand； the dimensions of the playing field are smaller； the bases are closer together； and the pitcher throws at a distance closer to home plate。 There is no base leading or stealing allowed （runners may not move off a base until the pitched ball either crosses home plate or is hit by the batter）； and if a pitcher balk