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Fast-Pitch Softball Glossary
Learn the language of Fast-Pitch Softball — answer-first definitions with real examples, beginner to pro.
45 terms
- Arm CircleBeginnerThe arm circle is the full 360° rotation of the pitching arm around the shoulder joint that defines the fast-pitch windmill delivery and stores elastic energy for release.
- At-Bat Routine (Between Pitches)BeginnerA good routine between pitches is short and the same every time. Check the sign, take a breath, remind yourself of one simple plan for the count and step in ready. After a bad swing, reset with the same routine instead of replaying the miss.
- Backing Up BasesBeginnerBacking up bases means fielders not directly in a play get behind a base or the catcher. They are there in case a throw sails past or is misplayed.
- Backwards K and Other Fast-Pitch SlangBeginnerA backwards K is the scorebook mark for a called third strike, meaning a strikeout looking. A regular K means the batter swung and missed for strike three. Other common fast-pitch slang. A bloop is a soft fly that drops in, a walk-off ends the game for the home team, and a slapper is a running-start hitter.
- Ball ReceivingBeginnerBall receiving is catching pitches cleanly and quietly. It shows each pitch to the umpire in a way that helps strike calls and sets up a quick throw.
- Bat Grip (Fast-Pitch)BeginnerGrip a fast-pitch bat in the base of your fingers with the hands touching and the bottom hand just above the knob. Many coaches line up the middle knuckles of both hands. Hold it loosely until the swing starts. Choking up an inch is common in fast pitch and gives quicker control against hard throwers.
- Bat Sting (Fast-Pitch)BeginnerYour bat stings your hands when the ball hits away from the sweet spot, often off the end or near the handle. That miss makes the bat vibrate, and the buzz runs down the handle into your hands. Squarer contact is the real fix. A fresh grip, batting gloves and bats built to damp vibration soften it.
- Batting Average (Fast-Pitch)BeginnerNo rulebook sets a good batting average for high school softball, because averages swing a lot with the level of pitching. Compare a hitter to her own team and conference, not to one number. The stat is hits divided by official at-bats. Walks, hit-by-pitches and sacrifices are left out of that count.
- Batting Helmet Face Mask (Fast-Pitch)BeginnerUnder USA Softball rules, every youth fast-pitch batting helmet must have a securely fastened face mask or guard approved by NOCSAE. High school (NFHS) rules also require one on fast-pitch batting helmets. Adult fast-pitch players need a double ear-flap helmet, and a face mask is optional. Make sure the mask is approved for use with that helmet.
- Batting Order and Lineup Roles (Fast-Pitch)BeginnerMost coaches bat a slapper first or second, where her speed and on-base skills set up the hitters behind her. A second slapper often bats ninth to lead into the top of the order. Power hitters usually bat third through fifth. No rule sets these roles, but the order you give the umpire must be followed all game.
- Batting Stance (Fast-Pitch)BeginnerThere is no single correct fast-pitch batting stance, but good ones share a few traits. The feet are about shoulder-width apart, the knees are slightly bent and the weight sits on the balls of the feet. The hands rest near the back shoulder, and the barrel can reach the outer edge of the plate.
- Bunt PlacementBeginnerBunt placement is choosing exactly where to send the ball: down a line, at a certain fielder, or into a soft spot. It goes beyond simply making contact.
- Bunting MechanicsBeginnerBunting mechanics refer to the grip, stance, and bat-angle technique used to deaden a pitched ball and direct it to a specific area of the infield, whether for a sacrifice or a base hit.
- Catcher's RoleBeginnerThe fast-pitch catcher does far more than catch pitches. They call pitches, manage the pitcher's mindset, control the running game, and organize the defense.
- Courtesy Runner (Fast-Pitch)BeginnerIn USA Softball fast pitch, a team may use a courtesy runner for the pitcher and the catcher after either one bats and reaches base. Neither player leaves the game. The same runner cannot run for both in one game. The courtesy runner must be reported to the plate umpire.
- Double First BaseBeginnerA double first base is first base built in two pieces. Its white half sits in fair territory and its colored half sits in foul territory. On a play at first, the fielder takes the white piece and the batter-runner takes the colored one, so their feet stay apart. USA Softball uses it at first in all divisions of play.
- Early Swing TriggerBeginnerAn early swing trigger is a timing mistake: committing to the swing before release. It usually causes weak contact out front or a miss on late movement.
- Fast-Pitch Bat Size by AgeBeginnerFast-pitch bats are sized by length and drop, and both change with age and size. One maker's chart suggests 28–29 inches at age 10, 30–31 inches at 11–12 and 31–32 inches at 13–14. Players around 8 to 12 often use a -11 or -12 drop, and many move to -10, -9 or -8 as they get stronger.
- Foul Bunt With Two StrikesBeginnerIn fast-pitch, a bunt that goes foul with two strikes is an out. A foul ball on a full swing with two strikes keeps the at-bat going, but a foul bunt does not. If the bunt is popped up and caught in the air, the batter is out on the catch and the ball stays live.
- Foul Tip (Fast-Pitch)BeginnerYes. In fast pitch, a foul tip with two strikes is strike three and the batter is out. The ball must go sharply and directly from the bat to the catcher's hand or glove and be legally caught. It stays live. If she drops it, the at-bat goes on.
- Front Foot Timing StepBeginnerThe front foot timing step is a small stride or weight shift with the lead foot. It syncs the swing to the pitcher's delivery, separate from the swing itself.
- Hand-Eye Timing DrillsBeginnerHand-eye timing drills train a hitter to read release and adjust swing timing. Reaction balls and varied-speed machine reps are common examples.
- Hit by Pitch (Fast-Pitch)BeginnerIn fast-pitch, a batter hit by a pitch she did not swing at is usually awarded first base. She has to try to avoid the ball, and her hands count as part of her body, not the bat. If she is struck while the ball is in the strike zone, or she swings and it hits her, the umpire calls a strike instead.
- Hitting Injuries in Fast-Pitch (Back, Side and Wrist Pain)BeginnerHitters sometimes feel pain in the lower back, the side of the trunk or the wrists and hands. Common factors include sudden jumps in swing volume, poor warm-ups and tight hips or upper back. Fatigue and a bat that is too heavy also play a part. Stop swinging if something hurts, and see a qualified medical professional for pain that lasts.
- Home Hitting Setup and Routine (Fast-Pitch)BeginnerA tee, a hitting net and a bucket of balls cover most home hitting practice. Add front toss with foam or plastic balls, dry swings in front of a mirror and phone video. Keep sessions short and focused on one goal. Make sure you have room to swing safely.
- International Tiebreaker (Fast-Pitch)BeginnerThe international tiebreaker is the extra-inning rule in USA Softball fast pitch. If the game is tied after seven innings, or when a youth game's time limit runs out. Each half inning starts with a runner on second base. That runner is the player due to bat last in the inning, the hitter just before the leadoff batter. Teams keep playing full innings until one wins.
- Late Swing TriggerBeginnerA late swing trigger means starting the swing too long after release. It usually produces weak opposite-field contact or a miss on unexpected velocity.
- Legal Fast-Pitch Bats (High School and Travel)BeginnerA fast-pitch bat is legal only if it carries the certification stamp your event requires and is not on that group's banned list. High school (NFHS) softball requires the ASA 2000 or 2004 mark or the USA Softball All Games mark. Travel tournaments follow whichever association sanctions them, such as USA Softball or USSSA.
- Mercy Rule (Fast-Pitch)BeginnerThe mercy rule ends a game early when one team is far ahead; USA Softball calls it the run-ahead rule. In women's and Junior Olympic fast pitch, the game ends when a team leads by 15 runs after three innings, 12 after four, or 8 after five. If the visiting team reaches the margin in the top half, the home team still bats in the bottom half.
- Moving From Machine Pitch to Kid PitchBeginnerKid pitch is harder at first because pitches change speed and location and some are wild. There is also an arm motion to time instead of a steady machine. Help young hitters by practicing against live arms, teaching them to take balls and to turn away safely from inside pitches. Expect lots of walks and strikeouts early. Celebrate good swings at strikes.
- Nerves at the Plate (Fast-Pitch)BeginnerNerves at the plate are normal, even for experienced hitters. Slow breathing, a short routine and one simple goal for the at-bat help most hitters settle. Focus on what you control, such as a good swing at a strike, not the result. If worry starts to take the fun out of the game, talk with a coach, a parent or a sports psychologist.
- Pitch LocationBeginnerPitch location is where in (or out of) the strike zone the pitcher places the ball. The combination of horizontal quadrant and vertical height that makes a pitch effective or hittable.
- Pitching CircleBeginnerThe pitching circle is the eight-foot-radius ring marked around the pitcher's plate. Its main rulebook role is the look-back rule for runners off base.
- Pitching Distance (Fast-Pitch)BeginnerIn USA Softball girls' fast pitch, the pitcher throws from 35 feet in 10U, 40 feet in 12U, and 43 feet from 14U through 18U, the same as adult women. Bases are 60 feet apart in every fast-pitch division. The distance is measured from the front of the pitcher's plate to the back point of home plate.
- Return to BaseBeginnerReturning to base is the baserunner's ability to retreat back to their original base quickly when the ball is not put in play, avoiding a pickoff or tag-out after their lead.
- Sacrifice BuntBeginnerA sacrifice bunt is a soft tap into play, made on purpose to advance a baserunner. The batter trades their own out for a runner moving into scoring position.
- Short GameBeginnerThe short game is fast-pitch's low-power, high-pressure attack: bunts, slaps, and push bunts. It moves runners and beats defenses with speed, not power.
- Slingshot Wind-UpBeginnerThe slingshot wind-up is a simple fast-pitch delivery. The arm goes straight back to about shoulder height, then forward in one pass to release.
- Small Ball StrategyBeginnerSmall ball strategy is a team offensive philosophy that prioritizes manufacturing single runs through bunts, steals, hit-and-runs, and sacrifice plays rather than waiting for extra-base hits.
- Soft Toss vs Front TossBeginnerSoft toss and front toss are two ways a partner feeds underhand tosses into a hitter's swing. In soft toss, the tosser kneels or stands to the side, or at an angle in front, and the hitter drives the ball into a net. In front toss, the tosser stands in front, about 15 feet away behind a protective screen, so the ball comes from the pitcher's direction. Soft toss suits mechanics and many reps; front toss adds timing.
- Softball Swing vs Baseball Swing (Fast-Pitch)BeginnerThe core swing is the same, but fast pitch gives you less distance and different ball paths. The pitcher is much closer, throws underhand from flat ground and can make the ball rise. So fast-pitch hitters use a shorter load, start earlier and match a level or rising pitch instead of baseball's downhill one.
- Strike Zone – Fast-PitchBeginnerIn fast pitch, the strike zone is the space over any part of home plate between the batter's armpits and the top of her knees. It is judged from a natural batting stance. A legal pitch that enters that space is a strike, even if the batter does not swing.
- Striking Out Looking (Too Passive at the Plate)BeginnerHitters strike out looking when they wait too long to decide or wait for a perfect pitch. Fear of swinging and missing also freezes them. Fast-pitch pitchers make it worse with curves on the corners and drops that start at the knees. Get ready to swing on every pitch, widen your zone with two strikes and learn the umpire's zone early.
- Teaching a Young Fast-Pitch Hitter (Parent Guide)BeginnerTeach a young fast-pitch hitter the basics in order. Start with a balanced stance and eyes on the ball, then a short stride and a level, on-time swing. Use a light bat she can control, lots of tee and soft-toss swings with soft balls, and short sessions that praise solid contact.
- WindmillBeginnerThe windmill is fast-pitch's underhand delivery, with a full 360° arm circle before release. It creates the speed and pitch deception that define the game.
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