If you know anything about the softball world, you must have heard about the World Baseball Softball Confederation, the governing body of softball and baseball sports. They are the ones who make the rules of the games and manage everything that happens in the sport of softball and baseball.

This governing body has a significant impact on the sport, and thus we will get into the details of this confederation and how it affects the sport of softball. 

What Is WBSC?

 The regulatory organization for baseball, softball, and Baseball5 is the World Baseball Softball Confederation. Former international governing organizations for baseball and softball merged in 2013 to become the International Baseball and the International Softball Federation.

IBF and ISF, respectively. IBAF and ISF currently function as WBSC’s Baseball and Softball World Divisions under WBSC’s organizational framework. While an executive board runs the WBSC, each division is run by an executive committee.

When Did The WBSC Go Official?

The WBSC, based in Pully, Switzerland, was recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the only worldwide authority for the baseball and softball world during the 125th IOC Session on September 8, 2013.

There are 208 National Federation Members of the WBSC spread throughout 141 nations and territories in Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, and the Pacific Ocean. The World Baseball Softball Council (WBSC) also includes professional baseball groups and youth organizations as associate members.

What Does WBSC Do?

The World Baseball Softball Confederation, abbreviated as (WBSC), is the recognized regulating organization for both the baseball and softball world. It maintains exclusive rights to all contests, tournaments, and world championships, including National Teams. The Olympic Games are included in the scope of these rights. 

A member of the World Basketball Confederation (WBSC) may organize and select national teams. For every 141 areas in which the World Baseball Softball Confederation maintains a National Federation, the WBSC has exclusive jurisdiction to sanction and administer baseball.

The signing of a written and published Memorandum of Understanding by baseball and softball leaders to establish a united candidacy to be included in the 2020 Olympic Games sports program spurred discussions of merging the two independent international governing organizations for baseball and softball.

Baseball and softball were initially set to be reintroduced for the 2020 Summer Olympics after being eliminated from the 2012 Summer Olympic program owing to the widespread epidemic of COVID-19. The IOC ruled softball out of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris in August of that year. As planned, baseball will be included in the 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

Who Governs The WBSC?

The WBSC governs the softball world, so you might be curious, who regulates the WBSC? The executive board governs the WBSC, which comprises the president, secretary-general, two vice presidents, baseball executive vice president, softball executive vice president, treasurer, four general members, baseball athlete representative, softball athlete representative, and a global ambassador make up the executive board of the World Baseball Softball Confederation.

Twelve members of the Baseball Division’s executive committee are in charge of running the division. They include the president of the Baseball Division, the secretary-general; the second vice president; the third vice president; and the treasurer.

An executive committee of twenty-three members includes:

• The president, secretary-general.
• First vice-president.
• Second vice-president.
• Treasurer.
• Twelve VPS.
• Two at-large members.
• Two athlete representatives.
• Immediate past president.
• Executive director.

An executive-selected committee of twenty-three members controls the Softball Division.

Final Worlds

To be up to date with the softball world, it is essential to follow in the footsteps of WBSC. Everything related to the WBSC and its organization is given above for you to understand what the organization is and how they function to make the softball world a better place.