GAME FORMATS

MORE WAYS TO PLAY
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Growing softball doesn’t always mean asking more people to join a club, find a team and commit to a traditional season. Sometimes we need to change the opportunity to better suit the participant.

Our More Ways to Play guide is designed to give associations practical ideas for creating new and flexible ways for people to experience softball - from Slowpitch and shorter-format leagues to whānau softball, Masters, Diamond5, comeback leagues and community programmes.

The challenge is simple:

Don’t ask the participant to find softball. Take softball to the participant.

Remove the barriers, try something different, and create opportunities that fit around people’s lives. 

SLOWPITCH

Slowpitch offers an exciting opportunity to bring more people into softball by making the game easier to join, simpler to play and more accessible to new participants.

The aim is not to replace traditional fastpitch softball, but to create another front door into our sport - one that works for workplaces, groups of friends, communities, former players and people who may never have considered joining a traditional club.

With short seasons, team-based entry, mixed competitions and a strong social element, Slowpitch can help us take softball to a much wider audience.

DIAMOND5

Diamond 5 is a fast, energetic and highly adaptable version of softball and baseball, designed to get people playing quickly and having fun from the first whistle.

With five players per side, short games, minimal equipment and the ability to play in a wide range of spaces, it removes many of the barriers that can make traditional softball harder to deliver. Diamond5 can even be played in winter!

It is particularly well suited to schools, youth programmes, community activations and introductory events, giving us a fresh way to showcase the speed, skill and excitement of softball to new audiences.