Softball is one of the more popular summer sports in the U.S. and around the world in many cases.
Despite it being called softball, the ball is in fact hard and also harder than a baseball.
How much does a softball weigh?
Official 12 inch softballs weigh between 6.25 to 7 ounces (177 to 198 grams).
There is also a 16 inch softball which is played a great deal in Chicago and other Midwest areas that weighs 9 to 10 ounces (255 to 283 grams).
Since softball was first played in Chicago in 1887 it was known by many other names including kitten ball, diamond ball, and mushball.
When it was first played it was originally an indoor sport. George Hancock is the inventor of softball.
It wasn’t until 1926 that it got its official name softball.
It is thought that when softball was first played the ball was smaller and softer than it is now. Over time the ball became harder, however, the name softball stuck.
~ Fun Fact ~
The longest homerun ever hit with a softball is 576 feet by Todd Erickson.
Resources
https://www.britannica.com/sports/softball
https://www.jerseysoftball.com/what-is-softball.html
https://hypertextbook.com/facts/2001/WilliamPoon.shtml