A softball game can last anywhere from 3 to 9 innings, depending on the league, rules, and type of softball, however 7 innings is the most common. In each inning, each team bats until three batters have been put out. Officially, which team bats first is decided by a coin toss.
Pitching
Play begins with the umpire saying "Play Ball.” After the batter is ready and all fielders (except the catcher) are in fair territory, the pitcher stands at the pitching plate and attempts to throw the ball past the batter to the catcher behind home plate. The throw, or pitch, must be made with an underarm motion often called the "windmill" motion: the ball must be released below the hip when the hand is no farther from the hip than the elbow to get it in the strike zone. At higher levels of play, pitchers aim for the inner and outer corners of the plate when throwing fastballs. Pitchers also vary throwing fastballs at different heights to make hitting the ball even harder for the individual up at bat.
Batters
The offensive team sends one batter at a time to home plate to use the bat to try to hit the pitch forward into fair territory. The order the players bat in, known as the "batting order,” must stay the same throughout the game. Substitutes and replacements must bat in the same position as the player they are replacing. In co-ed, male and female batters must alternate. The batter stands facing the pitcher inside a "batter's box" (there is one on each side of the plate tom compensate for either right or left handed batters). The bat is held with both hands, over the shoulder, and away from the pitcher (90 degree angle). The ball is usually hit with a full swinging motion in which the bat may move through more than 360 degrees. The batter usually steps forward with the front foot, the body weight shifts forward, as the batter simultaneously swings the bat. When swinging, the back foot should look like it is squishing a bug. To get a batter out, there are three strikes called (a "strikeout"); a ball hit by the batter is caught before touching the ground (a "fly out"); the batter goes to a base that is already tagged ("tagged" or "tag play"); a fielder holding the ball touches a base which is the only base towards which the batter may run before the batter arrives there (a "force out" or "force play"); or in certain special circumstances. There is also a not so common occurrence when the batter has 2 strikes and foul tips a pitch. If the catcher doesn't catch the ball, the batter has the chance to run to first base and the catcher can throw the batter out at first base.
A "run" is scored when a player has touched all four bases in order, proceeding counter clockwise around them. They need not be touched on the same play; a batter may remain safely on a base while play proceeds and attempt to advance on a later play. The team with the most runs after seven innings wins the game.
