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16-inch softball


16-inch softball (sometimes called "clincher", mushball,cabbageball or blooperball) is a variant of softball, but using a bigger, squishier ball with no gloves or mitts on the fielders. Although it most closely resembles the original game as developed in the 19th century by George Hancock, today it remains popular almost exclusively in Chicago but is also popular in Portland, Oregon, where Mushball has had leagues since the 1960s. The first set of rules were published in 1937 by the Amateur Softball Association, in the same manual as the rules for fastpitch softball.

16 inch softball game play is mostly consistent with standard softball game play. 16 inch softball, compared to standard or 12 inch softball, is played with a ball 16" in circumference. Leagues may form co-ed, all-male or all-female teams. Additionally, teams may choose competitive or recreational leagues. There may be rule variations associated with the specific field or league of play. When playing in a co-ed league, there may be other rules that apply related to the male to female ratio of team members and batting order. The National Softball Association (NSA) also has a published set of rules governing 16 inch softball play.

The earliest known softball game of any kind was played in Chicago on Thanksgiving Day 1887. The first softball was a wrapped up boxing glove and the bat was a broom. Harvard and Yale students invented the game while waiting to hear the results of the annual Harvard-Yale football game. Until the turn of the 20th century, ball sizes ranged from 12 to 17 inches in circumference. The 16 inch softball was eventually adopted in Chicago because it didn't travel as far as the popular 12 or 14 inch balls. This allowed for play on smaller playgrounds or even indoors accommodating the Chicago landscape and climate. Another advantage of the 16 inch ball was that it allowed everyone to play barehanded. Gloves were a rare luxury as the Great Depression hit Chicago particularly hard.

After the first national championship held in 1933 at the Century of Progress World's Fair, the sport grew in popularity. A professional league was formed that lasted through the 1950s. Teams drew crowds of over 10,000 each night. Leagues continue today but not at the same level of popularity. There are co-ed recreational leagues, competitive leagues and even a league for Chicago Public School students.


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