Softball

The 117th meeting of the International Olympic Committee, held in Singapore in July 2005, voted to drop Softball and Baseball as Olympic sports for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Small quantities of sugar, especially speciality grades of sugar, are sold as 'fair trade' commodities; these products are produced and sold with the understanding that a larger-than-usual fraction of the revenue supports small farmers in the developing world. . In 2002, sixteen-inch slow pitch was removed from the official rules. The African, Caribbean, Pacific and Least developed country sugar exporters have reacted with dismay to the EU sugar proposals, arguing for a fairer reform of the EU regime which would be pro-development and meaningful towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. . In 1991, Women's fast-pitch was selected to debut at the 1996 Summer Olympics. In response, the European Commission proposed on 22 June 2005 to radically reform the EU sugar regime, cutting prices by 39% and eliminating all EU sugar exports. After World War II, Canadian soldiers introduced softball to The Netherlands. In 2004, the WTO sided with a group of cane sugar exporting nations led by Brazil, and ruled that the EU sugar regime and the accompanying ACP-EU Sugar Protocol, whereby a group of African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries are given preferential access to the European sugar market, are illegal.

Slow pitch was invented to give batters a better chance to hit the ball. While both the European Union and United States maintain trade agreements whereby certain developing and least-developed countries (LDCs) can sell certain quantities of sugar into their markets, free of the usual import tariffs, countries outside these preferred trade regimes have complained that these arrangements violate the "most favored nation" principle of international trade. . In the 1940s, fast pitching started to dominate the game. In international trade bodies, especially the World Trade Organization, the "G20" countries led by Brazil have argued that because their cane sugar exports are essentially excluded from these sugar markets, they receive lower prices than they would under free trade. Sixteen inch softball is played extensively in Chicago, Illinois. . Defensive players are not allowed to wear fielding gloves; however, a sixteen inch softball is actually soft, and can be fielded safely with bare hands. In recent years, sugar prices in these countries have been three times the price on the international market.

Sixteen-inch (406 mm) softball, also sometimes referred to as "mush ball" or "Super-slow pitch" is a direct descendant of Hancock's original game. The European Union, the United States, and Japan all maintain elevated price floors for sugar through subsidizing domestic production and imposing high tariffs on imports. Standard rules were agreed on only after the formation of the Amateur Softball Association in 1933. In many industrialized countries, sugar is among the most heavily subsidized agricultural products. The name softball dates from 1926 (in addition to indoor baseball, kitten ball, and diamond ball, names for the game included mush ball, and pumpkin ball). On average Americans eat or drink 5 pounds of sugar a month, drastically higher than 10 years ago due to the fact that sugar is in many foods under many different names. . The first softball league outside the United States was organized in Toronto in 1897. Others believe that the hyperactive effects of sugar can be seen equally in children and adults.

Rober may not have been familiar with the Farragut Club rules. The belief in the possibility of a sugar-high among parents and teachers may cause them to perceive children being more energetic and excited after consumption of sweets and sugary beverages through observer bias. . Rober's version of the game used a twelve-inch (305 mm) ball rather than the sixteen-inch (406 mm) ball used by the Farragut club, and eventually the Minneapolis ball prevailed, although the dimensions of the Minneapolis diamond were passed over in favour of the dimensions of the Chicago one. Recent studies have not shown a link between the consumption of sugar and hyperactivity levels, even when the researchers focused on children with a presumed "sugar-sensitivity" [4]. of Minneapolis organized outdoor games as exercise for firefighters; this game was known as kitten ball (after the first team to play it), pumpkin ball, or diamond ball. There is common belief among the general public that eating too much sugar (not only sucrose, but other varieties such as glucose) will cause some children to become hyperactive—giving rise to the term "sugar high" or "sugar buzz". In 1895 Lewis Rober, Sr. As stated in the Diabetes in America, 2nd Edition [3] more and more children at younger ages are becoming victims of this deadly disease. .

The Farragut Club soon set rules for the game, which spread quickly to outsiders. In the United States sugar has also been attributed as a leading cause of diabetes and obesity. Hancock developed a ball and an undersized bat in the next week. There is an on-going argument as to the value of extrinsic sugar (sugar added to food) compared to that of intrinsic sugar (sugar, seldom sucrose, naturally present in food). . The ball, being soft, was fielded barehanded rather than with gloves like those which had been introduced to baseball in 1882. However, the Sugar Association[2] of the US insists that other evidence indicates that a quarter of our food and drink intake can safely consist of sugar. A broom handle was used as a bat. It stated that sugar should not account for more than 10% of a healthy diet.

Hancock took a boxing glove and tied it into a ball. agencies, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), compiled by a panel of 30 international experts. The other person grabbed a stick and swung at it. In 2003, a report was commissioned by four U.N. When the score was announced, one person threw a boxing glove at another. The process of separating the sugar from the molasses also received mechanical attention: the centrifuge was first applied to this task by David Weston in Hawaii in 1852. . Yale and Harvard alumni had gathered at the Farragut Boat Club in Chicago to hear the score of the annual football game. Today, multiple-effect evaporators are employed widely in many industries for evaporating water. .

It was intended to be a way for baseball players to keep in practice during the winter. The vapors from each pan were used to heat the next, and little heat wasted. The first version of softball was invented in Chicago, Illinois in 1887 by George Hancock, a reporter for the Chicago Board of Trade, as a winter version of baseball. This system consisted of a series of vacuum pans, each held at a lower pressure than the previous. Softball is also popular in Japan and Australia. Further gains in fuel efficiency were achieved through the multiple-effect evaporator, designed by the African-American engineer Norbert Rillieux perhaps as early as the 1820s, although the first working model was not built until 1845. It is played by both genders socially as well as competitively, and was an Olympic sport for women from 1996 until the IOC removed baseball and softball from their list of Olympic sports in 2005. At reduced pressure, water boils at a lower temperature, and this development both saved fuel and reduced the amount of sugar lost through caramelization.

An estimated 56 million Americans will play at least one game of softball during a year. In 1813, the British chemist Edward Charles Howard invented a sugar refining method in which the cane juice was boiled not in an open kettle, but in a closed vessel heated by steam and held under partial vacuum. Softball is the most popular participant sport in the United States. The steam engine was first used to power a sugar mill in Jamaica in 1768, and soon thereafter, steam replaced direct firing as the source of process heat. . The Japanese, Canadian, and Chinese national teams are also reasonably competitive. Beginning in the late 18th century, sugar production became increasingly mechanized. In Women's fast pitch, the United States and Australia are by far the most dominant teams. A large beet refinery producing around 1,500 tonnes of sugar a day needs a permanent workforce of about 150 for 24 hour production. .

The tournament in each category is held every four years. In the developed countries, the sugar industry is machine reliant, with a low requirement for manpower. The ISF holds world championship tournaments in several categories. Cuba was a large producer of sugar in the 20th century until the collapse of the Soviet Union took away their export market and the industry collapsed. . There is no limit to the number of batters a team may have available. While it is no longer grown by slaves, sugar growing in developing countries continues to this day to be associated with workers earning minimal wages and living in extreme poverty. There is no catcher. The beet sugar industry that emerged in its place grew, and today, beet sugar enjoys approximately 30% of world sugar production. .

The pitcher also acts as the second baseman. Napoleon, cut off from Caribbean imports by a British blockade and at any rate not wanting to fund British merchants, banned sugar imports in 1813. The placement of the fielders is different. While never profitable, this plant operated from 1801 until being destroyed during the Napoleonic Wars. . The count starts at 1 ball, 1 strike. This discovery remained a mere curiosity for some time, but eventually his student Franz Achard built a sugarbeet processing factory at Cunern in Silesia, under the patronage of Frederick William III of Prussia. Pitching is generally of the slow form. In 1747 the German chemist Andreas Marggraf identified sucrose in beet root.

Usually, there is a small area of on one of the walls that results in a home run being awarded if the batted ball hits it. Production spread to South America as well as to new European colonies in Africa and the Pacific. . If a ball hits a wall and is caught before it lands, the batter flies out. After the world's only successful slave revolution established the independent nation of Haiti, sugar production in that country declined and Cuba replaced Saint-Domingue as the world's largest producer. The other walls are considered fair. All these things increased their production and production rate. . Only the wall behind the batter is considered foul territory. They had been introduced to modern milling methods such as water mills, enclosed furnaces, steam engines, and vacuum pans.

There are no "official" rules for the indoor form, but some general conventions are given below. Cuba also prospered above other islands because they used better methods when harvesting the sugar crops. It is most similar to slow pitch. Instead, nearly three-quarters of its land formed a rolling plain which was ideal for planting crops. The indoor form is sometimes called Arena Softball. For example, it was in this century that Cuba rose as the richest land in the Caribbean (with sugar being its dominant crop) because it was the only major island that was free of mountainous terrain. Despite the fact that it was originally intended to be played indoors, softball is usually played outdoors. Sugar cane quickly exhausts the soil and larger islands with fresher soil were pressed into production in the nineteenth century.

The pitcher does not act as a fielder, and a rule is often made that if a batted ball touches the pitcher, the batter is out. . The batter is considered to strike out if she fails to hit the ball into fair territory after the given number of pitches. Sugar was commonly sold in solid cones and required a sugar nip, a pliers-like tool, to break off pieces. There are no walks, and a batter is normally given a fixed number of pitches to attempt to hit (usually 3 or 4). At first most sugar in Britain was used in tea, but later candies and chocolates became extremely popular. The pitcher aids the batter by attempting to give the easiest pitch to hit. What had previously been a luxury good began, by the eighteenth century, to be commonly consumed by all levels of society.

An example of a rule modification is the "offensive pitcher" often found in informal games where the emphasis is on the social rather than the competitive aspects of the game. As Europeans established sugar plantations on these larger Caribbean islands, prices fell, especially in Britain. Senior leagues with players over the age of 60 are not uncommon. Sugar was a highly desired product, and the islands knew exactly how to take advantage of the situation. . By allowing these and other modifications, softball can be enjoyed by children, teenagers, and adults. Despite these and other improvements, the prices of sugar reached soaring heights, especially during events such as the revolt against the Dutch and the Napoleonic wars. Five is a common limit. They also developed more advanced mills and began using better types of sugar cane.

Other leagues limit the number of runs which can be scored in an inning. For example, they began using more animal manure when growing their crops. These softballs, when hit, will not go as far as regular softballs. Planters later began developing ways to boost production even more. Some leagues require teams to use limited flight softballs. For instance, Barbados and the British Leewards can be said to have been the most successful in the production of sugar because it counted for ninety-three and ninety-seven percent of the island’s exports, respectively. . In some leagues, the number of home runs that can be hit by a team are limited. Of course some islands were more successful than others when it came to producing the product.

One reason for the popularity of softball is the ease of modification of the rules, thereby allowing the game to be adapted to a variety of skill levels For example, in some slow pitch softball leagues a batter starts at bat with a count of one ball one strike. In fact, they produced up to ninety percent of the sugar that the western Europeans consumed. Team rosters may be changed. Reacting to this increasing craze, the islands took advantage of the situation and began harvesting sugar in extreme amounts. If it is a championship game, it is replayed from the beginning. For example, they began consuming jams, candy, tea, coffee, cocoa, processed foods, and other sweet victuals in much greater numbers. Games that are not regulation or are regulation ties are replayed from the point of suspension. The main reason for the heightened demand and production of sugar was a great change in the eating habits of many Europeans.

If fewer than four innings have been played, the game is not considered a regulation game. During the eighteenth century, sugar became enormously popular and went through a series of booms. This includes ties. Jamaica was another major producer in the 1700s. . If five innings have been played, the game is recorded as it stands. The largest sugar producer in the world, by 1750, was the French colony known as Saint-Domingue, which is today the independent country of Haiti. The plate umpire may suspend play because of darkness or anything that puts players or spectators in danger. Thus the economies of entire islands such as Guadaloupe and Barbados were based on sugar production.

This last rule is rarely enforced as players who break rules after being warned are usually removed. Sugar cane could be grown on these islands using slave labour at vastly lower prices than cane sugar imported from the East. A forfeit may be called due to any of these circumstances: if a team does not show up to play; if one side refuses to continue play; if a team fails to resume play after a suspension of play ends; if a team uses tactics intended to unfairly delay or hasten the game; if a player removed from the game does not leave within one minute of being instructed to do so; if a player that cannot play enters the game and one pitch has been thrown; if a team does not have, for whatever reason, enough players to continue; or if after warning by the umpire, a player continues to intentionally break the rules of the game. With the European colonization of the Americas, the Caribbean became the world's largest source of sugar. A score of 7-0 for the team not at fault is recorded. Local Native Americans had been reduced by European diseases like smallpox. . A game may be lost due to a forfeit. European indentured servants were in shorter supply, susceptible to disease and a less economic investment.

Thus, if the team batting first is ahead by enough runs for the rule to come into effect, the team batting second is given their half of the inning to try and narrow the margin. African slaves became the dominant plantation worker as they were resistant to the diseases of malaria and yellow fever. The mercy rule takes effect at the end of an inning. Sugar production also increased in the American Colonies, Cuba, and Brazil. In the NCAA, the required margin after 5 innings is 8 runs. Price declined slowly as production became multi-sourced especially through British colonial policy. In slow pitch, the margin is 20 runs after four innings or 15 after five innings. In the years 1625 to 1750, sugar was worth its weight in gold.

In fast pitch and modified pitch, a margin of 20 runs after three innings, 15 after four, or 10 after five is sufficient for a win to be declared for the leading team. After 1625, the Dutch carried sugarcane from South America to the Caribbean islands from Barbados to the Virgin Islands. In games where one team leads by a large margin, the mercy rule may come into play in order to avoid embarrassing weaker teams. Sugar mill construction is the missing link of the technological skills needed for the Industrial Revolution that is recognized as beginning in the first part of the 1600s. . first) bats instead. Specialist trades in mold making and iron casting were inevitably created in Europe by the expansion of sugar. If that player was scheduled to bat, the player scheduled to bat next (i.e. Approximately 3000 small mills built before 1550 in the New World created an unprecedented demand for cast iron gears, levers, axles and other implements.

Starting in the top of the eighth inning, the batting team starts with the person scheduled to bat last starts out as a runner on second base. Hans Staden, published in 1555, writes that by 1540 there were 800 sugar mills on Santa Catalina Island and another 2000 up the north coast of Brazil, Demarara and Surinam. If the game is tied, play usually continues until a decision is reached. The Portuguese took sugar to Brazil. The last (bottom) half of the seventh inning or any remaining part of the seventh inning is not played if the team batting second is leading. When he finally sailed she gave him cuttings of sugarcane, the first to reach the New World. . The team with the most runs after seven innings wins the game. He stayed a month.

A run is not scored in these circumstances:. Columbus became romantically involved with the Governor of the Island, Beatrice. They need not be touched on the same play; a batter may remain safely on a base while play proceeds and attempt to advance on a later play. In 1493, Christopher Columbus stopped, intending to stay only four days, at Gomera in the Canary Islands, for wine and water. A run is scored when a player has touched all four bases in order, proceeding counterclockwise around them. . With two outs, the batter can attempt to run to first whether or not it is already occupied. In the 1420s, sugar was carried to the Canary Islands, Madeira and the Azores.

If he or she cannot, the runner is safe. This permitted economic expansion of sugar plantations to Andalusia and the Algarve. The catcher must then attempt to throw the ball to first base ahead of the runner. In the 1390s, a better press, which doubled the juice obtained from the cane, was developed. In fast pitch, if the catcher drops strike three (a passed ball) with less than two outs, the batter can attempt to run to first base if first base is unoccupied. While sugar cane could not be grown in northern Europe, sugar could be extracted from certain beets and these began to be widely cultivated around 1801, after the British control of the seas during the Napoleonic wars isolated mainland Europe from the Caribbean. . No matter what level of play, all baserunners must keep one foot on a base until the pitcher throws the ball. Crusaders also brought sugar home with them after their campaigns in the Holy Land, as there they encountered caravans carrying this "sweet salt" as it was called.

Stealing is forbidden in slow pitch because a runner would get a huge head start while the slow pitch is making its way to the batter. It arrived in Europe with the arrival of the Moors. In fast pitch, runners may try to get a stolen base by running to the next base on the pitch and reaching it before being tagged with the ball. Later sugar spread to other areas of the world through trade. If there is a wild throw (throw that should have been handled by a fielder with ordinary effort) each runner is awarded two bases. Similarly, the Chinese term for table sugar is "gravel sugar" (Traditional Chinese:砂糖)。 . Runners advance without liability to be put out: when a walk advances another player to the runner's current base; or automatically in certain special circumstances described below. The Sanskrit word for sugar (sharkara), also means gravel.

Runners may advance at risk to be put out: on a hit by another player; after a fly ball has been caught, provided the player was touching a base at the time the ball was caught or after; or automatically, when a pitch is delivered illegally; or on an error by a fielder. In early refining methods, the cane was ground or pounded to extract the juice, and the juice then boiled down or dried in the sun to yield sugary solids that resembled gravel. That is because the player must vacate first base to allow the next batter to reach it, and consequently can only go to second base, where a force out may be recorded. Sugar refining was developed in the Middle East, India and China, where it became a staple of cooking and desserts. If the batter reaches first base without being put out, then that player can then be forced to run towards second base the next time a ball is driven into fair territory. Originally, the cane was chewed raw to extract its sweetness. For example, if a player hits the ball and there is a runner on first, the runner on first must try to advance to second because the batter-runner is entitled to first base. Nearchos, one of Alexander the Great's commanders, described it as "a reed that gives honey without bees." .

If a runner becomes entitled to the base where another runner is standing, the latter runner must advance to the next base. Westerners discovered sugarcane in the course of military expeditions into India. If a batted ball, bounces off a fielder and goes over the fence in foul territory, hits the fence, a fielder, and then goes over, or if it goes over the fence at a location that is closer than the official distance, the batter is awarded a double instead. By 200 B.C., it was being grown in China as well. A home run includes any ball that bounces off a fielder and goes over the fence in fair-territory or that hits the foul pole. In the course of prehistory, its culture spread throughout the Pacific Islands and into India. Home runs are usually scored by hitting the ball over the outfield fence, but may be scored on a hit which does not go over the fence. Sugarcane is a tropical grass, probably native to New Guinea.

An advance to first base on the one hit is a single, to second base is a double, to third base is a triple, and to home plate is a home run. Making sugar by evaporating cane juice was developed in India about 500 BC. After hitting the ball the batter may advance as many bases as possible. This resulting syrup is sweeter than the original sucrose, and is useful for making confections sweeter and softer in texture. . The bases must be reached in order counterclockwise, starting with first base. Sucrose can be converted by hydrolysis into a syrup of fructose and glucose, producing what is called invert sugar. If the player hits the ball and advances to a base without a fielding error or an out being recorded, then that is called a 'base hit. The formula of these disaccharides is C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁. .

The missing player is recorded as being "put out.". As far as disaccharides are concerned, the most common are sucrose (cane or beet sugar - made from one glucose and one fructose), lactose (milk sugar - made from one glucose and one galactose) and maltose (made of two glucoses). If a team is, for whatever reason, unable to do this, an out is recorded wherever two players of the same gender bat back-to-back. Simple sugars include sucrose, fructose, glucose, galactose, maltose, lactose and mannose. In co-ed slow pitch, teams must alter male and female batters. The term "glyco-" indicates the presence of a sugar in an otherwise non-carbohydrate substance: for example, a glycoprotein is a protein to which one or more sugars are connected. . A double play is when two runners are put out during a single continuous action; a triple play is when three runners are put out. After digestion and absorption the principal monosaccharides present in the blood and internal tissues are: glucose, fructose, and galactose. .

If the ball is thrown to first base (that is, to a fielder standing on first base and is holding the ball) before the batter can reach it, the batter is out. Glycosidic bonds must be hydrolysed or otherwise broken by enzymes before such compounds can be used in metabolism. A batter that drives a ball forward into fair territory must run to first base. Monosaccharides in a closed-chain form can form glycosidic bonds with other monosaccharides, creating disaccharides, such as sucrose, and polysaccharides such as starch. The most common type of force play is made at first base. Glucose in solution exists mostly in the ring form at equilibrium, with less than 0.1% of the molecules in the open-chain form. . The batter is out if: three strikes are called (a strikeout); a ball hit by the batter is caught before touching the ground (a flyout); the batter is touched by the ball or by a glove holding the ball while the batter is away from a base (tagged); a fielder holding the ball touches a base which is the only base towards which the batter may run before the batter arrives there (a force out or force play); or in certain special circumstances. In these closed-chain forms the aldehyde or ketone group is not free, so many of the reactions typical of these groups cannot occur.

If a batted ball hits a player or a base is considered to have hit the ground. Many pentoses and hexoses are capable of forming ring structures. A batted ball which hits the ground within the diamond is a ground ball. Through photosynthesis plants produce glucose which is then converted for storage as an energy reserve in the form of other carbohydrates such as starch, or as in cane and beet as sucrose. . A batted ball driven in the air through the infield at a height at which an infielder could play it if in the right position is a line drive. Hexoses (6 carbon sugars) include glucose which is a universal substrate for the production of energy in the form of ATP. A fly ball hit upward at an angle greater than 45 degrees is a pop fly. Ribose is also a component of several chemicals that are important to the metabolic process, including NADH and ATP.

A batted ball hit high in the air is a fly ball. Pentoses ( 5 carbon sugars) include ribose and deoxyribose, which are present in nucleic acids. In neither case does she have any liability to be put out. Derivatives of trioses (C₃H₆O₃) are intermediates in glycolysis. If four balls are called (a base on balls or walk) the batter advances to first base. As well as being classified by their reactive group, sugars are also classified by the number of carbons they contain. When she safely reached first (see below) she becomes a baserunner or runner. A notable exception is deoxyribose, which as the name suggests is "missing" an oxygen.

While running to first base, the batter is a batter-runner. Most sugars conform to (CH₂O)_n where n is between 3 and 7. Once the ball is hit into fair territory the runner must try to advance to first base or beyond. Sugars contain either aldehyde groups (-CHO) or ketone groups (C=O), where there are carbon-oxygen double bonds, making the sugars reactive. The batter usually steps forward with the front foot and swings the bat. These include monosaccharides and disaccharides, trisaccharides and the oligosaccharides; these being sugars composed of 1, 2, 3 or more units. The ball is usually hit with a full swinging motion in which the bat may move through more than 360 degrees. In biochemistry, a sugar is the simplest molecule that can be identified as a carbohydrate.

The bat is held with both hands, over the shoulder away from the pitcher. They are also prone to hardening if exposed to the atmosphere although this is reversible. . The batter stands facing the pitcher inside a batter's box (there is one on each side of the plate). Their color and taste become stronger with increasing molasses content, as does their moisture retaining properties. In co-ed, male and female batters must alternate. Brown sugars are obtained in the late stages of sugar refining, when sugar forms fine crystals with significant molasses content, or by coating white refined sugar with a cane molasses syrup. Substitutes and replacements must bat in the same position as the player they are replacing. There are also sugar cubes for convenient consumption of a normal amount. .

The order the players bat in, known as the batting order, must stay the same throughout the game. Granulated sugar is available in various crystal sizes, for home and industrial use depending on the application: . The offensive team sends one batter at a time to home plate to use the bat to try to hit the pitch forward into fair territory. . Various illegal acts done by the pitcher, such as leaping or crow-hopping result in a ball being awarded to the batter. White refined sugar is typically sold as granulated sugar, which has been dried to prevent clumping. If the ball lands foul, it is a dead ball and no plays may be made until the pitcher receives the ball again, and the home plate umpire says, "Play ball.". Beet sugar refineries produce refined white sugar directly without an intermediate raw stage.

A count of 3 and 2 is a full count, since the next ball or strike will end the batter's turn at the plate, unless the ball goes foul. It is then further decolorized by filtration through a bed of activated carbon or bone char depending on where the processing takes place. The number of balls is always given first, as 2 and 1, 2 and 2, and so on. Refined sugar can be made by dissolving raw sugar and purifying it with a phosphoric acid method similar to that used for blanco directo, a carbonatation process involving calcium hydroxide and carbon dioxide, or by various filtration strategies. The number of balls and strikes is called the count. White refined sugar is the most common form of sugar in North America and Europe. A pitch which is not a strike and which the batter does not swing at is a ball. In terms of sucrose purity, blanco directo is more pure than mill white, but less pure than white refined sugar. .

A pitch that the batter swings at is also a strike, as is any hit ball that lands in foul territory (unless two strikes have already been called). In producing blanco directo, many impurities are precipitated out of the cane juice by using phosphatation a treatment with phosphoric acid and calcium hydroxide similar to the carbonatation technique used in beet sugar refining. A pitch that passes through that zone is a strike. Blanco directo is a white sugar common in India and other south Asian countries. The strike zone is slightly different in different forms of softball. This is the most common form of sugar in sugarcane growing areas, but does not store or ship well; after a few weeks, its impurities tend to promote discoloration and clumping. . The pitcher tries to throw the ball so that it passes through the strike zone. Mill white sugar, also called plantation white, crystal sugar, or superior sugar, is raw sugar whose colored impurities have not been removed, but rather bleached white by exposure to sulfur dioxide.

The throw, or pitch, must be made with an underarm motion: the ball must be released below the hip when the hand is no farther from the hip than the elbow. The resulting sugar cakes or loaves are called jaggery or gur in India, pingbian tong in China, and panela, panocha, pile, and piloncillo in various parts of Latin America. . After the batter is ready and all fielders (except the catcher) are in fair territory, the pitcher stands at the pitching plate and attempts to throw the ball past the batter to the catcher behind home plate. Raw sugar is sometimes prepared as loaves rather than as a crystalline powder: in this technique, sugar and molasses are poured together into molds and allowed to dry. Play begins with the umpire saying "Play ball". Mauritius and Malawi are significant exporters of such specialty sugars. In all forms of softball, the defensive team is the fielding team; the offensive team is at bat or batting and is trying to score runs. Types of raw sugar available as a specialty item outside the tropics include demerara, muscovado, and turbinado.

If the home team is leading and the road team has just finished its half of the seventh inning, the game ends because it is not necessary for the home team to bat again. Raw sugars are produced in the processing of sugar beet juice but only as intermediates en route to white sugar. In the event of a tie, extra innings are usually played until the tie is broken. Raw sugars are yellow to brown sugars made from clarified cane juice boiled down to a crystalline solid with minimal chemical processing. Batting second is advantageous. Cane and beet pulp can be burnt for fuel, but beet pulp is generally dried, pelleted and used as an animal feedstuff. . The most common rule is that the home team bats second. While cane molasses can be used as an ingredient, molasses from sugar beet is unpalatable and generally used for industrial fermentation or as animal feedstuff.

Officially, which team bats first is decided by a coin toss,[4] although a league may decide otherwise at its discretion. The residues of sugar production differ substantially and from place to place. The teams take turns batting. Testing for impurities can distinguish the two, and these have been developed to reduce fraudulent abuse of EU subsidies, and also aid detection of adulteration of fruit juice. . In each inning, each team bats until three batters have been put out (see below). There is little perceptible difference between sugar produced from beet and that from cane. A softball game consists of at least 7 innings^[3]. The white sugar produced is sieved into different grades for selling. .

Protests are never allowed on what are considered "judgment calls" – balls, strikes, safes and outs. Liquid from which no more sugar can be economically removed is lost from the process as molasses and used in cattle food. . At some tournaments there might be a rules interpreter or Tournament Chief Umpire (TCU) available to pass judgment on such protests, but it is usually up to the league or association involved to decide if the protest would be upheld. The sugar crystals are removed by a centrifuge and the liquid recycled in the crystalliser stages. Only decisions where a rule might have been misinterpreted are considered to be protestable. The sugar is extracted by controlled crystallisation. All decisions made by the umpire(s) are considered to be final. After filtration the juice is concentrated by evaporation to a content of about 70% solids.

Foul balls are called by extending both arms up in the air with a verbal call of "foul ball", while fair balls are indicated only by pointing towards fair territory with no verbal call. Impurities are precipitated with an alkaline solution "milk of lime" and carbon dioxide from the lime kiln. Balls are only called verbally, with no hand gesture. The washed beet is sliced, and the sugar extracted with hot water in a 'diffuser'. Strikes called by the plate umpire, who uses the same motion as the out call with a verbal call of "strike". This processing may be carried out in another factory in another country. . Out calls are made by raising the right hand in a clenched fist,with a verbal call of "out". The resultant sugar is then either sold as is for use or processed further to produce lighter grades.

Safe calls are made by signalling with flat hands facing down moving away from each other, and a verbal call of "safe". It is usual to remove the uncrystallised syrup with a centrifuge. Decisions are usually indicated by both the use of hand signals, and by vocalising the call. The heat is removed and the liquid crystallises, usually while being stirred, to produce sugar crystals. Regardless of what uniform is worn, all umpires in the same game are required to have matching clothing. The juice is then boiled, sediment settles to the bottom and can be dredged out, scum rises to the surface and this is skimmed off. Canadian umpires can wear either a light blue or red shirt. The liquid is then treated (often with lime) to remove impurities, this is then neutralized with sulfur dioxide.

Some umpires wear a variant of the uniform: umpires from the United States Slo-Pitch Softball Association (USSSA), for example, wear red shirts with black shorts. The harvested vegetable material is crushed, and the juice is collected and filtered. Official umpires are often nicknamed "blues", because of their uniforms – in many jurisdictions, most significantly ISF games, umpires wear navy blue slacks, a light powder blue shirt, and a navy baseball cap. In combination with artificial sweeteners, drink manufacturers can produce very low cost products. . Most fast pitch games use a crew of two umpires. The sugar market is also under attack from the cheap prices of glucose syrups produced from wheat and corn (maize). There is never more than one "plate umpire"; there can be up to three "base umpires", and up to a further three umpires positioned in the outfield. .

The number of umpires on a given game can range from a minimum of one to a maximum of seven. sets high sugar prices to support its producers with the effect that many sugar consumers have switched to corn syrup (beverage manufacturers) or moved out of the country (candy makers). Decisions about play are made by umpires. The U.S. If the injured player is unable to return, the replacement player becomes a substitute. These subsidies and a high import tariff make it difficult for other countries to export to the EU states, or compete with it on world markets. Her uniform must be replaced if covered with blood. Part of this is "quota" sugar which is subsidised from industry levies, the remainder (approx half) is "C quota" sugar which is sold at market price without subsidy.

The replaced player may return at any time during the period of time allotted to treat the injury. Excess production quota is exported (approx 5 million tonnes in 2003). Her replacement may act for her for the remainder of the current inning and the entirety of the next. The Common Agricultural Policy of the EU sets maximum quotas for members production to match supply and demand, and a price. Any player who is bleeding must be removed for the game if her{ref|pronouns}} bleeding cannot be stopped within a reasonable time, or if her uniform becomes covered in blood. The world's second largest sugar exporter is the EU. Players are replaced due to injury. The duration of harvesting and processing is influenced by the availability of processing plant capacity, and weather - harvested beet can be laid up until processed but frost damaged beet becomes effectively unprocessable. .

Any player can be substituted. Harvesting and processing continues until March in some cases. A player may be withdrawn from the game and then re-enter once. The beet growing season ends with the start of harvesting around September. A team will usually have several possible substitutes and replacement players. The sugar beet regions are in cooler climates: North West and Eastern Europe, Northern Japan, plus some areas in the United States including California. The rover usually played behind second base before the center fielder. The greatest quantity of sugar is produced in Latin America, the United States and the Caribbean nations, and in the Far East. .

Formerly, sixteen-inch slow pitch fielded the same players as fast pitch as well as an Extra Fielder, who was sometimes known as a Rover or Shortfielder. In 2001/2002 there was over twice as much sugar produced in developing countries as in developed countries. In co-ed, one EP must be female, and one EP must be male. The major cane sugar producing countries are countries with warm climates, such as Brazil, India, China and Australia (in descending order). They are not compatible with designated players, as they do not bat in place of anyone. In the financial year 2001/2002, 134.1 million tonnes of sugar were produced worldwide. . A team may also have one (two in co-ed) Extra Players (EP). Some minor commercial sugar crops include the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), sorghum (Sorghum vulgare), and the sugar maple (Acer saccharum).

In co-ed, male and female players must be distributed throughout the field as follows: The catcher and pitcher must be of opposite sex; there must be two male and two female outfielders; and two male and two female infielders. The most important two sugar crops are sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) and sugar beets (Beta vulgaris), in which sugar can account for 12%–20% of the plant's dry weight. In slow pitch, the fielding team field the same players as in fast pitch, except for the center fielder may be replaced by a left center fielder and a right center fielder. Table sugar or sucrose is extracted from plant sources. The DP bats in place of any fielder, who is known as the designated fielder (DEFO). [1] . A team may also have a tenth player, officially known as a designated player who only bats. It was first cultivated in Brazil 1532 by the Portuguese.

The right, center, and left fielders play in the outfield. The Spanish began cultivating sugar cane in the West Indies in 1506, and in Cuba in 1523. The catcher plays behind home plate, squatting to receive the pitch. Only after the Crusades did it begin to rival honey as the sweetener in Europe. The pitcher stands at the pitching point in the centre of the diamond. Alexander the Great's companions reported seeing "honey produced without the intervention of bees" and it remained exotic in Europe until the Arabs started cultivating it in Sicily and Spain. The shortstop plays between second and third base. Sugar was first produced in India.

The second baseman normally plays between first and second base. . The first and third basemen play in the vicinity of their bases. In precise culinary terms, sugar is a type of food associated with one of the primary taste sensations, that of sweetness. . The basemen, the shortstop, the pitcher and the catcher play in the infield. For information on the other sugars, see monosaccharide and disaccharide. . In fast pitch softball the fielding team fields nine players: the left fielder, center fielder, right fielder, the pitcher, catcher, first baseman^[2], second baseman, third baseman, and shortstop. A sugar is denoted by any word on the ingredient list that ends with "ose". .

Depending on the level of play, a team may have nine, ten, eleven, or twelve players, plus substitutes and replacements. The "simple" sugars, or monosaccharides, such as glucose, are a store of energy which is used by biological cells. At adult levels, there is no formal requirement for the catcher to wear a mask, although the official rules recommend it.[1]. The word sugar originates from the Sanskrit word sharkara (शर्करा) which means "sugar" or "pebble." . In slow pitch, the catcher must wear a helmet and mask at youth levels. Table sugar is commercially extracted from either sugar cane or sugar beet. Shin guards also protect the kneecap. It is the most commonly used sugar for altering the flavor and properties (such as mouthfeel, preservation, and texture) of beverages and food.

At the youth level, shin guards are required. In general use, "sugar" is taken to mean sucrose, also called "table sugar" or saccharose, a disaccharide which is a white crystalline solid. A female catcher must wear a body protector at any level of play. "The Myth of the Sugar Buzz" article from Skepticism.Net . In fast pitch, the catcher must wear a protective helmet with as facemask and throat protector. "Sugar Buzz, Fiber Know-How" article from WebMD . Helmets and facemasks that are damaged or altered are forbidden. Sugar statistics .

In addition, a player may, if desired, wear a protective plastic facemask. US Sugar Import Program . Batting helmets must have two ear flaps, one on each side. WTO ruling on EU sugar regime . All batters are required to wear batting helmets. European Union sugar regime proposals . At all youth (under 15) levels, in co-ed (the official terminology for mixed teams) slow pitch, and in modified pitch, metal spikes are not allowed. Sugar Traders Association of the UK .

Many recreational leagues prohibit the use of metal cleats or spikes in order to reduce the possible severity of injuries when a runner slides feet-first into a fielder. African, Caribbean and Pacific sugar exporters . Detachable metal cleats are forbidden at any level of play. Least Developed Countries sugar site . Rounded metal spikes are illegal, as are ones made from hard plastic or other synthetic materials. Wide range of information about sugars, from the Canadian Sugar Institute, a non-profit trade association of Canada's refined sugar manufacturers. . The spikes must extend less than 3/4 inch (1.9 centimeters) away from the sole. Sugar Accelerates Aging .

They may have cleats or spikes. Expert Report on diet and chronic disease (WHO/FAO) . All players are required to wear shoes. Cook's Thesaurus: Sugar (www.foodsubs.com) . Jewelry, except for medic-alert-style bracelets and necklaces, cannot be worn during a game. The word "sugar" in more than 220 languages. . Players' names are optional. Plant Cultures: botany, history and uses of sugar cane .

Numbers like 02 and 2 are considered identical. A C Hannah, The International Sugar Trade, ISBN 1855730693 . At the back of the uniform an Arabic number from 1-99 must be visible. sugar plantations in the Caribbean . A fielder who chooses to wear a helmet (see below) is not required to wear a cap. golden syrup . Caps, visors, and headbands are optional for female players, and must be the same colour if more than one is worn. Sugar substitute .

Caps must be alike and are mandatory for male players. glycomics . The uniform includes a cap, a shirt, an undershirt, and pants; these are the components for which standards are set. holing cane . Each team wears distinctive uniforms. Stevia Herb many times sweeter than pure sugar . Except for the pitcher, whose glove cannot be white or gray (this confuses the batter), gloves and mitts can be any colour. caramel .

The first baseman and the catcher may wear mitts; mitts are distinguished from gloves in that they have extra padding, and no fingers. A small amount of anti-caking agent to prevent clumping may be added, this is either cornstarch (1%-3%) or tri-calcium phosphate. . Gloves have webbing between the thumb and forefinger. Powdered sugar, confectioner's sugar (0.060 mm), or icing sugar (0.024 mm), are produced by grinding sugar to a fine powder. All defensive players may wear fielding gloves, made of leather or similar material. Finest grades