Softball Positions and Defense
A position-by-position guide to fastpitch softball defense, covering what each fielder does, bunt coverage, relays, the DP/FLEX rule, how slowpitch adds a tenth player, and how to read fielding statistics.
Fastpitch softball is played on a smaller field than baseball, with the bases 60 feet apart at the older age levels and the pitcher throwing from 43 feet at the college and international levels. Everything about defense follows from those distances. The infield is tight, the ball gets to a fielder faster, and a runner who hits the ball on the ground has less distance to cover than she would in baseball. A position that looks familiar from baseball, such as third base, asks for faster reactions and a different set of habits.
This guide explains each defensive position in fastpitch softball, what the player at each one is responsible for, how the positions work together on bunts, relays and double plays, and how the rules for substitution and for slowpitch change the picture. It is aimed at new players, parents and coaches, and at fans who want to follow a game more closely.
Positions are numbered the same way as in baseball, which matters for scorekeeping. The pitcher is 1, the catcher 2, the first baseman 3, the second baseman 4, the third baseman 5, the shortstop 6, the left fielder 7, the center fielder 8 and the right fielder 9. A ground ball to the shortstop who throws to first is recorded as 6-3, and the same code works in a softball scorebook, which you can practise with the scoresheet tool.
The geometry that shapes everything
A few numbers explain why softball defense feels different. The distance from home plate to second base, measured along the diagonal of a diamond with 60-foot sides, is about 84.9 feet, since the diagonal of a square is the side times the square root of two. A shortstop playing at a normal depth and a few steps toward second base is therefore roughly 55 to 70 feet from first base when she throws. These are geometric estimates and vary with where a fielder plays, but they show how short the throws are.
Short distances mean tight timing. A ground ball hit to the left side is thrown across a diamond that is smaller than the baseball one, and a batter who bunts or slaps the ball into the infield is running a shorter path to first base. That is why quickness, soft hands and a quick release tend to matter more than raw arm strength in the infield, while the outfield still demands range and a strong throw.
One rule changes the defense more than the dimensions do. In fastpitch softball, a runner may not leave the base until the pitcher releases the ball. There is no lead-off. A steal therefore has to be timed to the release, and the contest is decided by the runner's first step after it, not by her lead. Steals are still a big part of the game, but the defense's job is different from baseball's.
The pitcher
The pitcher in fastpitch throws underhand with a windmill motion, covered in our windmill pitching article, from a circle that sits at the college and international distance of 43 feet. She is the most important defender and also the most exposed. Her stride brings her closer to the batter than the 43-foot distance, and she is in direct line with anything hit up the middle.
Her defensive duties begin the instant the ball is released. She fields bunts in front of the plate, covers first base on balls hit to the right side when the first baseman has gone to field it, and backs up bases on throws from the outfield. On some throws to the plate she backs up home. Coaches spend practice time on pitcher fielding, because a pitcher who finishes her motion balanced and square to the plate is better able to react.
At youth levels, many leagues recommend or require a face mask for pitchers and for corner infielders. Check your league's rule, and ask a qualified coach about equipment for your player.
The catcher
The catcher receives the pitch, blocks balls in the dirt, throws out base stealers, and in most programs is the player who runs the defense on the field. At many levels the dugout calls pitches, and the catcher relays the signs. She also has the best view of the whole field and makes the calls on pop-ups near the plate, on bunts and on plays at the plate.
Her specific tasks: she blocks pitches in the dirt with runners on base, because the ball that gets past her moves runners; she throws to second on a steal, with the release timed against the runner who may not leave until the pitch is released; and she fields bunts, often directing teammates on who should take the ball. The position is physically demanding, and her protective gear is non-negotiable.
First base
The first baseman receives most throws in the infield, so she has to be a good target, stretching toward the throw while keeping a foot on the bag. Her other jobs are to field bunts and to hold runners in situations where the pitcher may throw over. In the standard bunt defense she charges on a bunt along the first-base line, so quick feet matter as much as height.
Left-handed first basemen have a small advantage on balls hit to the right side, since the glove is already on the correct hand. They are not a necessity.
Second base
The second baseman covers the area between first and second and turns double plays. She is the cutoff on throws from the right side, takes relay throws from right and center field, and covers second on some steals, with the shortstop taking the others depending on the batter. A second baseman with good footwork and a quick release gets the ball to first or to second in time to matter.
On a double play, the second baseman's pivot is the key part, the quick turn that lets her get the ball to first before the runner arrives. The shorter distances leave little time, because the ball and the runner arrive at nearly the same moment.
Shortstop
The shortstop plays the deepest of the infielders and covers the most ground. She fields balls hit up the middle and to the left side, takes the relay from left and center field, and covers second on steals and bunts. Because many right-handed hitters pull the ball and many left-handed slap hitters drive it to the left side, the shortstop sees a great deal of action.
She often serves as the infield's leader. She communicates who is covering second and third on bunt plays and calls the relay. Strong throwing is part of the job, but the best shortstops are valued as much for quickness and accuracy as for arm strength.
Third base
The third baseman defends the area down the left-field line and in front of the bag. The position is called the "hot corner" in baseball for the same reason it deserves the label in softball: balls arrive quickly, sometimes before the fielder has finished settling. In softball the distance from home to third is 60 feet, and a bunt or a slapped ball can come to her faster than in baseball.
The third baseman's main tasks are to field hard ground balls, to charge bunts and slaps, to cover third on a steal attempt or pickoff, and to throw across the diamond. She must have courage, quick hands and a reliable throw, and she must communicate with the shortstop and the pitcher on bunts.
The outfield
Softball outfields are smaller than baseball's, with fence distances that vary by level and field. The ball generally does not carry as far as a hard-hit baseball, so outfielders usually play shallower than baseball outfielders do, but they still need range and a good read off the bat.
- Center field is the captain of the outfield. The center fielder takes priority on any ball she can reach, calls for the ball, and covers the most ground, with a responsibility to back up the corner outfielders.
- Left field and right field play the lines and the gaps. They back up bases on throws, and they make the throws to the cutoff players. The right fielder's throw to third base is the longest in the outfield.
- Communication is the central skill. The outfielder who calls the ball loudly and early avoids collisions. The usual convention is that the center fielder has priority over the corner outfielders, and that the player running in toward the ball has priority over one running away from the infield.
A good outfield is organized by assignment: every ball has a primary fielder, a backup and a throw to a cutoff. Coaches who want the system to work spend time on it, and the first rule is that every outfielder always has someone to back up.
The DP/FLEX rule
Fastpitch softball in the United States, including in college and many high-school and travel programs, uses a substitution system that has no direct equivalent in baseball. Under it, a team may name a designated player, or DP, who bats but does not play defense, and a FLEX, who plays defense but does not bat in her own right. The two players are paired: the DP hits in the lineup spot for the FLEX, and the FLEX plays a defensive position. They can be swapped under rules that depend on the level of play.
The purpose is to allow a team to use a specialist at bat and a specialist in the field. A strong hitter who is not a strong fielder can be the DP, and a defensive specialist can be the FLEX. The details of what each is allowed to do, and the restrictions on switching them, vary among the NCAA, the NFHS and USA Softball. The rulebook for your level is the authority.
Slowpitch: the tenth player
Slowpitch softball is played with a pitch that arcs up and comes down, and it is a game of contact. Defenses reflect that: many leagues field ten players instead of nine, adding a fourth outfielder, sometimes called a short fielder or a rover, because balls are hit more often and with more power. Bunting is usually not allowed, and stealing is restricted or banned in many leagues, so the defensive priorities are range, catching fly balls and making the throws at first base. See our slowpitch article and the comparison between fastpitch and slowpitch.
Team defense: bunts, relays and double plays
A bunt defense assigns each fielder a job before the pitch. The usual structure has the first and third basemen charging on a bunt, the second baseman covering first, the shortstop covering second or third depending on the runners, and the pitcher fielding any ball in front of the plate. With a runner on first and second, many teams use a wheel play, in which the shortstop rotates to cover third while the third baseman charges. The specific system differs among coaches, and the point of the system is to avoid two players going for the same ball.
Relays work the way they do in baseball. On a ball hit to the outfield gap, an infielder lines up between the outfielder and the target base, and the outfielder throws to her. The shortstop typically takes balls to left and center, and the second baseman takes balls to right. Double plays use the shortest throws on the diamond, with the middle infielders crossing paths at second.
The rule of thumb for all of these plays is the same: know where the throw is going before the ball is hit. The best defensive teams make decisions in advance, then let the play unfold.
How alignments change with the situation
Fielders do not stand in the same place all game. With a runner on third and fewer than two outs, a team may bring the infield in so that a ground ball can be played at the plate, accepting that a hard grounder may find a hole. With a runner on first and fewer than two outs, the middle infielders move to double-play depth, a step toward second and a little closer to the plate. Late in a close game, outfielders may play deeper and the corner infielders closer to the lines, to take away extra-base hits.
Against a known slap hitter, the defense often shifts the corner fielders in and the middle infielders toward the left side, since a left-handed slapper tends to hit the ball on the ground to that side while running. Against a power hitter, the outfield moves back. Each of these is a trade: a fielder moved toward one threat is moved away from another. Good coaches teach the reasons as well as the positions, so that players can adjust on their own.
Reading defensive statistics
Fielding percentage is the share of chances that a fielder handles without an error. The formula is putouts plus assists, divided by putouts plus assists plus errors. A shortstop with 240 chances and 12 errors has handled 228 cleanly, a fielding percentage of .950.
The statistic has well-known limits. It measures only the plays a fielder reached, so a player with poor range can look good because balls she cannot reach are never recorded as chances. It also treats every error alike. At present, advanced defensive measures based on tracking data are far more common in baseball than in softball, and the equipment used to measure pitch and ball flight in baseball is described in our article on pitch-tracking technology. For softball, a scorebook, a coach's eye and video review are still the main tools.
Common questions
What position should a new player try first? There is no right answer. Many coaches start new players in the outfield or at first base, where the pace is gentler, and move them as skills develop.
Why is the shortstop so important? She covers the most ground and takes part in the most plays, from ground balls to relays to double plays.
Do softball players wear protective gear in the field? Catchers do, and many leagues require or recommend face protection for pitchers and corner infielders. Check your league's rules.
What is the infield fly rule in softball? It applies in softball as it does in baseball, with runners on first and second or the bases loaded and fewer than two outs.
Can a runner lead off? In fastpitch, no. She may leave the base only when the pitcher releases the ball.
Where to go next
For the broader picture of the game, read how fastpitch softball works and the history of Title IX and softball. To follow games, standings and players in the sport, see the softball section of this site and the college section, and for the news, the softball topic page.