What’s the Difference?
Sports can bring all kinds of people together. There can be many individuals on one team, or a sport can even be played with just one person, like tennis for example. The Olympics bring hundreds of countries together to see which is better at playing games than others. People all over the world play many different kinds of sports. Running, balls, nets, balls, keeping score, courts, and fields are just a few aspects all sports have. Some sports are very similar to each other too, like softball and baseball or tennis and badminton. Sports like tennis and badminton are also a pair of sports that are modified towards each other. They both have the same concept, but many differences. Softball and baseball both have the same general rules, like needing to get three outs and using a ball to pitch to a batter. They both have a first, second, and third base that runners run to so they can score. Though these basic and simple rules are a few aspects what these sports have in common, their differences are increased.
When baseball is compared to baseball, the obvious difference is the gender of each sport. Baseball has boys on the field and softball has girls. There is no actual law that says girls can’t play baseball and boys can’t play softball, but this is mainly just how it is. Another difference is the size of the field. Both sports have dirt and grass, but the softball field is smaller than the baseball field. In baseball, the standard base distance is 90 feet from base to base, but in softball they are 60 feet apart. The fence in softball are usually about 220 feet or so. Baseball’s fence is about 400 feet from home plate. The pitching distance from home plate is also different. They softball mound is only 43 feet from home, and the baseball mound is 60 feet. The baseball mound is also higher because of the extra dirt under the mound, where as in softball it is flat. This effects each sport’s pitching as well.
The size of the balls are a big difference as well. The baseball is only 9 inches in circumference , and the softball is 12 inches and it is yellow too. This effects the weight of each ball. The bats that each sport uses also have differences. Maximum bats for softball are 34 inched long and weigh 24 ounces. Baseball bats have the maximum length of 34 inches and weigh 32 ounces. Though the length is the same, the weight is an important factor.
Even though there is are many differences in baseball and softball, there are also many differences in tennis and badminton. These two pairs of sports are both very similar, but require different skill levels. There is also a huge difference between the sports tennis and badminton. These sports are very similar to softball and baseball because they both are sports with the same aspect, but with different difficulty levels. Tennis and badminton are both played with a racket. Though tennis is played on a 78 feet long court, while badminton’s court is only 44 feet long, they are very different.
Tennis rackets are much heavier than a badminton racket. A tennis racket may weigh about three quarters of a pound; while a badminton racket is only just a quarter of a pound. This difference might change that athlete’s need for strength in their arms. To say that one sport is harder than the other is very difficult. A tennis player having to play a badminton match will have difficulty and vise versa.
Overall, for softball and baseball, the pitching makes the most difference. The elevated mound in baseball makes the pitch have to move downward to get into the strike zone. The baseball pitch also is thrown with an overhand motion. Softball pitching is completely different. This kind of pitching is thrown with the windmill, underhand motion. The mound is not elevated in softball. Because it is a flat surface and the ball is released low, the ball must go upward to make it into the strike zone.
All of these factors are important in playing the game. These are also important to take into when a batter is up to bat. Though these sports have big differences, they have the same concepts. Due to this amount of differences, there must also be different difficulty levels as well. This would make one sport more difficult than the other.
Works Citied
CK”s Baseball 4U, B. C. (2014, February 27). What’s the Difference between Baseball and Softball? Retrieved October 30, 2016.
H. (2014). Difference Between Tennis and Badminton. Retrieved November 23, 2016
Mann, B. A. (2011, September 30). Baseball vs. Softball. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
The Difference Between Baseball & Softball | iSport.com. (n.d.). Retrieved October 30, 2016.
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