Softball Trivia Quiz

Think you know the game pretty well? Below are questions on various aspects of our great game of softball. The best way to take this Softball History/Trivia Quiz is to get out a piece of paper and write down the letter of your answers. At the end, you'll find the answers and you can grade yourself. You'll also have a chance to send in your own bit of history/trivia that perhaps I can use. Good luck and no cheating!

First up - here are a few questions about the early years.

0) A guy named George Hancock gets credit for what we now call softball. Where was softball first played?

a) in the gym of a boat club
b) at the YMCA
c) at a baseball field
d) on a school yard field

1) Softball was first played in what year?

a) 1898
b) 1887
c) 1909
d) 1921
e) no clue

2) The game was first called what name?

a) handball
b) soft baseball
c) stick ball
d) indoor baseball

3) Which of the following names WAS NOT used in reference to softball?

a) diamond ball
b) mush ball
c) dog ball
d) kitten ball

4) When did "Softball" become the official name?

a) 1921
b) 1926
c) 1909
d) 1936

Here's some questions about Official Softball Organizations...

5) In 1933, the first governing body of softball was created to promote the game and control organized ball. What is the name of that organization?

a) USSSA
b) ISF
c) ASA
d) not a clue

6) USSSA was founded in what year?

a) 1968
b) 1933
c) 1961
d) 1949

7) What does USSSA stand for?

a) United States Specialty Sports Association
b) United States Softball Society of America
c) United States Softball Society Association

8) The USSSA Hall of Fame museum is located in what city?

a) Petersburg, VA
b) Oklahoma City, OK
c) Minneapolis, MN
d) Chicago, IL

9) The ASA Hall of Fame museum opened in 1973 in what city?

a) Petersburg, VA
b) Oklahoma City, OK
c) Minneapolis, MN
d) Chicago, IL

Let's see how well you know the field dimensions...

10) In adult slo-pitch, what is the distance between the bases?

a) 65 ft.
b) 60 ft.
c) 50 ft.
d) 55 ft.

11) In adult fast-pitch, what is the distance between the bases?

a) 65 ft.
b) 60 ft.
c) 50 ft.
d) 55 ft.

12) In women's fast-pitch, how far is the pitcher's mound from home plate?

a) 40 ft.
b) 44 ft.
c) 46 ft.
d) 48 ft.
e) 50 ft.

13) In men's fast-pitch, how far is the pitcher's mound from home plate?

a) 40 ft.
b) 44 ft.
c) 46 ft.
d) 48 ft.
e) 50 ft.

14) In slo-pitch, the distance between the pitcher's mound and home plate is the same for both men and women. What is it?

a) 44 ft.
b) 46 ft.
c) 48 ft.
d) 50 ft.
e) 52 ft

How ya doin' so far? Let's revisit the early years.

15) Softball was first played in 1887(hint...question #1). What city was it played in?

a) Minneapolis
b) Chicago
c) Kansas City
d) Cleveland

16) We all know and understand that companies sponsor teams for exposure and tax benefits (can you believe it?). In the early years, companies would also sponsor teams but, for a different reason. Why?

a) games could be played over lunch hour
b) it kept men out of bars
c) it created a way for management to interact with other employees

17) Which state claims to be the birthplace of organized softball and originator of the outdoor game?

a) Ohio
b) Kansas
c) Minnesota
d) Illinois

18) In what year did the first women's team show up to play?

a) 1909
b) 1929
c) 1899
d) 1895

Just a few more...

19) Who won the first women's NCAA Softball Championship?

a) UCLA
b) San Diego State
c) Texas A&M
d) Arizona

20) What year was it?

a) 1979
b) 1980
c) 1982
d) 1986

21) The seams on a softball are sewn by what process?

a) automated machinery
b) by hand
c) combination of machinery and hand
d) Rover (that's me) and his buddies

22) Co-ed softball was officially started in what year?

a) 1959
b) 1949
c) 1964
d) 1940

23) Softball was finally included as a medal sport in the Olympics in what year?

a) 1992
b) 1988
c) 1986
d) 1996

24) In 1990, softball was declared America's #1 team sport. How many participants did it claim?

a) 10 million
b) 25 million
c) 40 million
d) Infinity and beyond!

Softball is America's sport for numerous reasons. One of the main reasons is you don't have to be a great athlete to play BUT, as we all know - Real Softball Players are some of the greatest athletes around. And most any play that you see being made on tv by a highly paid (can you say millions) professional baseball player - is being made countless times on softball diamonds all across America and beyond!

Hope you had fun w/the quiz. Here are the answers:

0) a
1) b
2) d
3) c
4) b
5) c
6) a
7) a
8) a
9) b
10) a
11) b
12) a
13) c
14) d
15) b
16) a
17) c
18) d
19) a
20) c
21) b
22) a
23) d
24) c