El sóftbol(del inglés softball), también conocido como softbol, sófbol, sofbol o bola suave, es un deporte de equipo en el que una pelota es golpeada con un bate, muy parecido al béisbol. El organismo rector de este deporte es la Federación Internacional de Sóftbol, la cual celebra un campeonato mundial cada año en varias categorías. Fue un deporte olímpico desde Atlanta 1996 hasta Pekín 2008 y volverá a serlo en la XXXII Edición en Tokio 2020 En España, el ente rector de este deporte es la Real Federación Española de Béisbol y Sófbol, y en México, la Federación Mexicana de Softbol.

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A tournament held in 1933 at the Chicago World's Fair spurred interest in the game. The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America (founded 1933) governs the game in the United States and sponsors annual sectional and World Series championships. The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) regulates rules of play in more than 110 countries, including the United States and Canada; before the WBSC was formed in 2013, the International Softball Federation filled this role. Women's fastpitch softball became a Summer Olympic sport in 1996, but it (and baseball) were dropped in 2005 from the 2012 Games, to be reinstated in 2016 for the 2020 Games. There are three types of softball. In the most common type, slow-pitch softball, the ball, which can measure either 11 or 12 inches in circumference depending on the age and league, must arch on its path to the batter, and there are 10 players in a team. In fastpitch softball, the pitch is fast, there are nine players on the field at one time, and bunting and stealing are permitted. Modified softball restricts the windmill windup of the pitcher, although the pitcher is allowed throw as hard as possible with the restricted back swing. Softball rules vary somewhat from those of baseball. Two major differences are that the ball must be pitched underhand—from 46 ft (14 m) for men or 43 ft (13.1 m) for women as compared with 60.5 ft (18.4 m) in baseball—and that seven innings instead of nine consecutive regulation game. Despite the name, the used in softball is not very soft. It is about 12 in (30.5 cm) in circumference (11 or 12 in for slow-pitch), which is 3 in (8 cm) larger than a baseball. Softball recreational leagues for children often use an 11 inch ball. The infield in softball is smaller than on an adult or high school baseball diamond but identical to that used by Little League Baseball; each base is 60 ft (18 m) from the next, as opposed to baseball's 90 ft (27 m).

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