Softball is played by men, women, and children. There is fast pitch and slow pitch softball. Softball is a fun sport. It's kind of like baseball but different in some ways. You need a softball, a bat, a glove, a helmet, and most women wear a slider on their sliding leg. Catchers wear special equipment to protect themselves behind home plate. The field is shaped like a "diamond'' because home plate and the three bases form a diamond. The bases are called first base, second base, third base, and home plate. The bases are 60 feet apart and are actually a square turned on its side. The thing you have to do is hit the ball and run to all three bases before your team makes three outs. Softball is played by two teams at a time, nine players per team on the field. The teams take turns at bat. The game is divided into innings with each team playing the field while the other team is at bat. Softball became an Olympic sport in 1996 and in the Olympics there is only fast pitch and it is played by women.