Editing Softball (section)

===Pitching styles===
[[File:UCSD Softball 158.jpg|thumb|Pitching in softball involves various styles.]]
The [[World Baseball Softball Confederation]] (WBSC) recognizes three pitching styles:
* [[Fastpitch softball|fastpitch]]
* "modified" fastpitch
* [[#Pitching|slow-pitch]]

====Fastpitch style====
The pitching distance can range between 35 feet for younger players and 43 feet for older players. Collegiate and international level pitchers pitch from 43 feet. Pitches can travel at speeds of more than {{Cvt|65|mph}}.

* ''Windmill or "Full-windmill"''
:- The pitcher begins with her arm at the hip. Then she brings the ball in a circular motion over the head, completes the circle back down at the hip, and snaps the hand.

* ''Figure 8''
:- The ball is not brought over the head at all but down and behind the body and back in one smooth motion tracing out a figure eight.

* ''Illegal forms of pitching''
** "crow-hopping"
** "leaping"

===="Modified" fastpitch style====
* ''"Modified" windmill''
:- A "modified" fastpitch is identical to a "windmill" pitch except the arm is not brought over the head in a full windmill motion, but instead is brought behind the body (restricted back swing) and is then thrust directly forward for the release.

====Slow-pitch style====
The pitching distance is 50 feet. The pitch must be lofted in such a way that it falls onto the plate in order for it to be a called strike (the ball falls into the strike-zone instead of flying through). Strikeouts are rare in slow-pitch. Pitchers strategize to pitch the ball with a high enough arc that the batter cannot hit a line-drive. The speed of the pitches ranges from {{Cvt|25 to 35|mph}}, resulting in plenty of reaction time.

* ''half windmill''
:- High-arc pitching technique
:- The pitch must be thrown with an arc between 6-12 feet high. If the arc is not high enough, the umpire will call the pitch illegal.