Effect model of Fengtai Sports Center Softball Field
- Venue: Fengtai Sports Center Softball Field
- Location: Fengtai Sports Center
- Type: Renovated
- Use during Olympic Games: Softball
- Use during Paralympic Games: None
- Floor area (sq m): 15,570
- Permanent seats: 5000 (main stadium) 3500 (reserve stadium)
- Temporary seats: 5000
- Groundbreaking date: July 28, 2005
Bird's eye view of the field
Softball
There is little soft about Olympic softball. One pitch at Atlanta was clocked at 118 kilometres per hour (73.3 mph). Considering the pitcher stands 13.1 metres (43 feet) from the batter, and the hardest-throwing baseball pitchers throw 160 kilometres per hour (99.4 mph) from 18.4 metres (60 feet), softball batters have essentially the same time to react as their baseball counterparts.
In addition, a softball is as hard as a baseball. The only difference being the size; a softball is 30.4cm (12 inches) in circumference and a baseball is 22.8cm (9 inches).
The softball event of the 29th Olympic Games will be held at Fengtai Softball Field in Beijing from August 12-21, 2008.