Passed Ball Meaning in Softball

A passed ball is a pitch that the catcher should have caught with ordinary effort. This differs from a wild pitch because the fault lies with the catcher rather than pitcher. When the ball gets past the catcher, runners on base can advance to the next bag. This mistake often results in a run if a player is waiting on third base. A pitcher throws a standard strike that bounces off the glove of the waiting catcher. The runner on second base sprints to third while the catcher chases the loose ball. Catchers work on their blocking skills to prevent the ball from rolling away toward the backstop. Minimizing passed balls is a key responsibility for a catcher to protect the team lead. This statistic tracks the defensive reliability of the player behind the home plate area.