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  • Momentum Builds for Campaign as Softball Makes Its Mark On and Off the Field at Olympics
Press Releases

Momentum Builds for Campaign as Softball Makes Its Mark On and Off the Field at Olympics

Softball - 18 Aug 2008
   
VIP visits, competitive games, strong attendance, more at sport’s marquee event

Beijing, China; 17th August 2008: BackSoftball, the global campaign to get women’s fast pitch softball reinstated to the Olympic Games, is being strengthened by a strong showing at the quadrennial competition currently taking place here, in Fengtai Softball Field.

International Softball Federation President Don Porter, who along with ISF BackSoftball Task Force Co-Chairs Donna de Varona and Dale McMann, are supporting the campaign efforts with various activities and meetings in the Chinese capital, had high praise for the first five-plus days at the softball venue.

“I’m elated at what has been taking place at our venue,” the ISF president said. “We have had IOC Members out here to see our games, as well as representatives from National Olympic Committees and some sports ministers. And the competition they’re seeing on the field has certainly been exciting and representative of the increased level of play that has been developed at this level.

“There is also great excitement with the attendance, and we still have three more days of games after today,” Mr. Porter added. (Round robin play concludes tomorrow, then Tuesday is an off day followed by the playoffs on Wednesday and Thursday.)

The attendance total through the first five-and-a-half days of play sits at 113,670, which has not only surpassed the grand total for the entire competition four years ago in Athens, but is just 4,437 away from also topping the entire round robin total from 1996 when softball made its Olympic debut at the Games in USA (Atlanta).

The ISF president also pointed out the continued success of rules changes made several years ago that, among other benefits, help keep game times down. He said, “Our average length of game used to be over two hours, but we’ve been proactive and got it down to one hour and 52 minutes at the world championship in 2002, then just under one hour and 49 minutes four years ago in Athens, and so far in Beijing we’re running at an average of 1:46. Television is one of the many important elements of our campaign and being able to give the networks what they want – games under two hours – will help us achieve one of our blueprint items, which is to gain more coverage.”

Back in November 2001 at the XX ISF Congress, several rule changes were voted in including moving up the tiebreaker to start with the top of the eighth inning (when a runner gets placed on second base to start the inning). To further aid in the pace of the game, the ISF two years implemented a 20-second clock to complement the already-existing rule governing the amount of time a pitcher has to release the next pitch after receiving the ball, or after the umpire indicates, “Play ball.”

One other ISF rule that helps speed play is (four) pitches not having to be thrown for an intentional walk.

With regards to his comment about exciting competition on the field, Mr. Porter pointed to games such as the Japan-Australia game on the first night of play, the Canada-China game on Friday morning, and the play of Venezuela who rebounded from three losses to open the tournament to win their next two and then open a 2-0 lead in today’s game against Japan. (The Japan-Australia game was decided by just one run, a 4-3 victory for Japan, and the Canada-China game was also a one-run game, and ended with Canada getting strong pitching and defensive play to get out of a bases-loaded jam to hold off the hosts and preserve the win.)

About the ISF and BackSoftball
The ISF is the world governing body of the sport as recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). Softball (women's fast pitch) made its Olympic debut at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. There are 131 affiliated countries in the ISF and millions of participants in the sport worldwide.

The ISF’s BackSoftball campaign is working toward the vote for the 2016 Games programme, which will be held at the IOC Session in Copenhagen, Denmark, in October 2009.

For more information please contact ISF Director of Communications Bruce Wawrzyniak at brucew@internationalsoftball.com or Beijing Mobile +86.136 8157 0417, OR Back Softball Media Relations Director Laura Walden at lwalden@backsoftball.com or Beijing Mobile +86.136 8157 6445
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