Softball: An Underhanded Way to Play

The Amateur Softball Association of America is the national governing body for softball in the United States. The ASA runs more than 90 national championship tournaments in fast, modified, and slow pitch leagues across the country. The “Tournaments” section includes results for national championship tournaments and information on how to enter tournaments. The site also provides information on rules, equipment, and its organizational structure, including contact information for local associations.

The National Softball Association offers a wide variety of competitions for youths and adults. Its site has a complete rulebook, results from tournaments, and contact information for state NSA representatives.

The U.S. Specialty Sports Association also hosts league play and national tournaments for men’s and women’s fast and slow pitch softball teams. However, the USSSA doesn’t have the same reach as the ASA, so you should make sure that they offer leagues in your area. The “Tournaments/Leagues” tab in the left-hand menu will allow you to search for competitions in your area, while the “Websites” tab will direct you towards state USSSA programs.

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) governs most of American high schools sports. Its site contains links to state high school associations and the official rulebook for high school softball.

The North American Fastpitch Association organizes NAFA World Series, the largest men’s fast pitch tournament in the world. It hosts tournaments at six different levels, featuring amateur teams from 40 states, 6 Canadian provinces, and Mexico. Its site has rules, results, and information on how to register for the tournament.

Little League is best known for baseball, but is also features softball for girls and boys ages 5–18. For more information on the playing levels offered, see the “Divisions” section. If you are looking for a league in your area, there are tips on how to find one, including a directory of local Little League organizations with contact information and links to team sites. Keep in mind that this information isn’t softball-specific and many of the organizations listed will have baseball, but not softball. The organization’s Little League, Junior League, Senior League, and Big League Softball World Series each have their own Web sites, featuring schedules, results, past champions, and more.

The Independent Softball Association uses its own unique set of rules, which includes base stealing in slow pitch games and home run limits for certain divisions. In addition to league play, the ISA conducts a number of national and regional tournaments, including its own World Championship. Use the “State Links” page to find ISA competitions in your area.

The World Softball League is relatively new on the block, having only been around since 2002. Since then, however, this slow pitch–only league has grown exponentially, drawing many of softball’s premier players and major sponsors. Although the league’s team registrations are mainly focused in the southwest United States (especially Louisiana) the league hosts tournaments all over the country. There is an online registration form for those who want to enter their team in the WSL.

The National Wheelchair Softball Association has been the governing body for wheelchair softball in the United States since 1976. Started by a few Midwest individuals with spinal injuries, wheelchair softball today includes more than 30 teams nationwide, with many having sponsorship ties with Major League Baseball counterparts. Its site has information on rules, league history, and the National Wheelchair Tournament. If you are interested in playing, check out the team directory or form your own team and enter it into NWSA competitions.

The North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance offers a nondiscriminatory atmosphere for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender softball players in the United States and Canada. The NAGAAA has more than 50 leagues, including both coed and women’s divisions, and it holds an annual World Series. For information on teams near you, check out the member cities page.

The International Senior Softball Association conducts national tournaments with age-specific divisions tailored to players age 35 and up. It holds World Championship tournaments for many divisions, based on both age and talent level. The site includes links to several regional leagues and organizations.

The National Softball Association of the Deaf hosts an annual tournament for the best deaf softball players in the country. Each year the tournament is held in a different city, and includes brackets for men’s, women’s, and co-ed teams. For information on entering your team in the NSAD annual tournament, contact the representative in your area.