Locations & Roles of Every Softball Position, Explained

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Plus, learn which positions tend to be easiest and hardest to play

Co-authored by Haley Snyder and Amy Bobinger, BA

Last Updated: August 5, 2026 Fact Checked

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Infield Position

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Outfield Positions

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At-Bat Positions

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Other Positions

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Hardest & Easiest Positions

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A softball team has 9 players on the field, and each player has a distinct position with an important role to play on the team. Whether you’re brand-new to softball or you’re just curious to learn more about the positions, we’re breaking it all down for you today with insight from a pro softball player. We've got all of the infield positions, outfield positions, and a few optional positions—plus, which positions are hardest (and easiest). Let’s get started!

Softball Positions Diagram

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A diagram showing where each softball position is located on the field.

There are 9 players on a softball field: the Pitcher, Catcher, First Baseman, Second Baseman, Third Baseman, Shortstop, Left Fielder, Center Fielder, and Right Fielder. The Left, Center, and Right Fielders are positioned in the outfield, while the remaining positions play the infield.

Section 1 of 5:

Infield Positions in Softball

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Pitcher (#1) The pitcher stands on the pitching mound, which is the mound of dirt in front of home plate. There may be multiple pitchers in a single game—the first pitcher is the starting pitcher, a relief pitcher comes in to relieve the starting pitcher, and the closing pitcher (or closer) finishes out the game.^{[1]
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- Pitching takes a blend of mental resilience, physical agility, accuracy, and speed. Pitchers also need excellent game awareness, since they’ll often need to adapt their pitches based on what’s happening on the field.
- At higher levels, pitchers should have an excellent command of several different pitches, including a fastball and a changeup.^{[2]
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Meet the wikiHow Expert

Haley Snyder is a softball player and former Division I student athlete with over 10 years of experience specializing in softball mechanics, fundamentals, and pitching.
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Catcher (#2) The catcher wears #2 on the softball field. They crouch behind home plate. Their role is to catch any pitches that aren’t hit by the batter. At higher levels, they also use signs to communicate with the pitcher about what pitch will come next.^{[3]
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- Catchers may also either signal the pitcher or throw the ball to a baseman if a player on the opposing team is trying to steal a base.
- Catchers need to have excellent reflexes and flexibility. If the catcher doesn’t catch the ball, it remains in play, which can give baserunners an opportunity to advance and score.
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First Baseman (#3) The first baseman stands just behind and to the right of first base. If there’s a batter on first, the first baseman stands on the first base bag, instead.^{[4]
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Research source} This is another very active position—most of the infield throws in the game will come their way, so they need to be an excellent catcher.
- Teams often put their tallest player at first base, since they’ll have better reach (and a better chance of catching high throws).^{[5]
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Second Baseman (#4) The second baseman stands between first and second base, a little closer to second base. They typically stay toward the back of the infield dirt. They need to coordinate with the shortstop to cover the base—so both of these positions need team players.^{[6]
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- A lot of ground balls and pop flies will come past the second baseman, and they’ll often be the cutoff person for the outfield (meaning the outfield will throw balls to them to get them back to the infield), so they need to be ready and alert, with a solid glove.
- Softball player Haley Snyder says that infielders like the second baseman should practice fielding ground balls and throwing them to both the left and the right.^{[7]
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Third Baseman (#5) The third baseman stands just behind the third-base bag. This is often called the “hot corner” because a lot of balls will head to this side of the field. Because third base sees so much action, it helps to be very athletic, with excellent reaction times.^{[8]
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- The third baseman also needs a really strong arm, because they’ll often need to throw the ball across the field to first base.
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Shortstop (#6) The shortstop stands between second base and third base, usually closer to the back of the infield dirt. Playing this position is similar to playing second base—shortstops need a good eye, quick reflexes, and a good arm.^{[9]
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- If you look at a baseball diagram, this position is technically numbered out of order—it used to be an outfield position, and the number reflected that. When it was moved to the infield, it kept its number!

Section 2 of 5:

Outfield Positions in Softball

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Left Fielder (#7) The left fielder, #7, stands in left field, or the grassy area behind third base. They have to field any balls that make it past the third baseman. Because most players are right-handed, a lot of balls travel this direction, so left field is a fairly active position.^{[10]
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- Power hitters can send a ball flying into the far back of left field, so left fielders need to have a powerful arm to get the ball back in play.
- “A lot of people that are really successful in the outfield have really good reads on the ball, or quick jumps,” says Snyder.^{[11]
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Center Fielder (#8) The center fielder, or #8, stands in the middle of the outfield. They’re responsible for fielding any balls that get past the shortstop. This position has the most ground to cover, so it’s usually best for the fastest players.^{[12]
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- Center fielders need a really strong arm, too, since they need to send the ball pretty far to get it back to the infield.
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Right Fielder (#9) The right fielder wears #9. It’s their job to field any balls that enter right field, or the grassy area behind first base. At lower levels, this can be a pretty easy position, since not many balls will go this way. But at higher levels, it can be just as active as the rest of the outfield.
- Right fielders sometimes need to throw the ball all the way across the field to stop a player from getting to third, so they need a powerful arm.

Section 3 of 5:

At-Bat Positions in Softball

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Batter The batter stands just to the right or left of home plate. The batter can get on base by hitting the ball when it’s thrown by the pitcher, or they can earn a walk to first base (for instance, if the pitcher throws 4 balls).^{[13]
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- If the batter is left-handed, they stand on the first-base side of the plate (the catcher’s right).
- If the batter is right-handed, they stand on the third-base side of the plate (the catcher’s left).
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Baserunner The baserunner (either the batter or a pinch runner) is a player who’s gotten on base. They’ll either stand on the base or right next to it. If the next batter puts the ball in play, they’ll move to the next base, or to home plate (for a score) if they’re already on third base.^{[14]
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- Baserunners can also attempt to steal bases—but they can only steal a base after the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand.^{[15]
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Section 4 of 5:

Other Positions in Softball

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In addition to the positions above, players can also fill these flex roles. These aren’t exactly formal positions—they don’t have an assigned number. These roles are often filled by players who also play another position on the field. They include:
- Designated Hitter or Designated Player: A player who hits in place of the pitcher or another defensive player.^{[16]
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- Pinch Runner: A player who runs the bases in place of another player (usually a slower runner).
- Pinch Hitter: A player who hits for another player.
- Utility Player: A player who’s comfortable playing multiple positions on the field.

Section 5 of 5:

What are the hardest and easiest positions in softball?

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These tend to be very active positions on the field. They take a lot of athletic ability and mental focus. That said, every role on the field can be challenging at times.
Young players don’t usually hit the ball far enough to make it all the way out to right field. On top of that, most younger players hit right-handed, so the ball is more likely to head to left field if they do get a good hit.