Editing Softball (section)

=== Designated player ===
In fastpitch softball, it is common for teams to use a designated player in the lineup; this player, which functions like the [[designated hitter]] in baseball, hits in place of one of the position players but does not play defense.

Unlike a designated hitter, a designated player can also become a temporary defensive substitute, and the player substituted by the designated player can return to their original position at a later point in the game. However, the only player that can be substituted as an offensive replacement (pinch runner or pinch hitter) is the defensive player the designated player originally replaced, known as the "flex".

At any time, the designated player can be substituted back into the lineup in the place of the flex player, but once taken out, the designated player cannot take the place of any other player in the lineup.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://kelownafastball.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/DPFlexRuleExplained.pdf|title=Designated Player (DP) / Flexible Player (Flex) Rule Explained|website=Kelowna Minor Fastball|access-date=June 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917200746/http://kelownafastball.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/DPFlexRuleExplained.pdf|archive-date=September 17, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Short fielder====
In some leagues and organizations, four outfield players are utilized by each team. The extra outfielder is sometimes called the short fielder and plays somewhere behind second base, adjusting position based on the handedness or other characteristics of the batter, while the regular center fielder plays a considerably deeper position. The short fielder used as such can take away a batting strategy in softball, which is to hit soft liners over the pitcher.

However, some teams prefer to use the fourth outfielder like the others, with the center field position being shared between two players known as the left-center fielder and the right-center fielder. In this case the four outfielders are spaced equidistantly and play at roughly the same depth.