World Baseball Softball Confederation

Flag of the WBSC

Following its exclusion of baseball and softball from the Summer Olympics in 2005,[5] the IOC reclassified baseball and softball as two disciplines of the same sport.[6] As the IOC's guidance indicated the necessity for baseball and softball to be jointly considered for reinstatement in the Olympic programme, the two independent International Federations set out on a path toward a full and complete merger.

In 2012, the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and the International Softball Federation (ISF) laid out the essential ground rules for partnership and began working on a constitution that would guide the merger and provide a framework for governance, ethics and operations. At a historic IBAF Congress in Tokyo in April 2013, the Constitution was ratified and since it had already been approved by an ISF working group empowered to do so, the WBSC was officially formalized and empowered.

The creation of a single federation allowed for the permanent alignment, merger and management of baseball and softball at the world level.[7] The merger resulted in an immediate boost to the governance, universality and gender equality of baseball and softball, criteria for an Olympic sport that are heavily valued by the IOC.

At the first-ever World Baseball Softball Congress—in Hammamet, Tunisia—Italy's Fraccari was elected to a seven-year term as the first president of WBSC, along with a fully elected Executive Board.[8]

Creation of Baseball5

B5 batter hitting the ball into field.

In 2017,[9] the WBSC introduced a third discipline to be played at an international level, Baseball5 (B5), which is a five-on-five, five-inning game designed to be played with only a rubber ball on a small field. It is targeted at underserved communities,[10] as well as offering a low-cost and fast-paced entry point to baseball and softball in new places around the world.[11] The WBSC introduced it to aid its ultimate goal of having a billion-strong baseball-softball community by 2030.[12] A major difference between B5 and baseball/softball is that the game is played without a pitcher, with the batter starting each play with the ball.[13] It was inspired by various Latin American street games, such as "cuatro esquinas" (four corners) in Cuba,[14] and has been played in some international tournaments in the Americas and Europe,[15][11][16] as well as having been implemented in some schools in various countries.[17][18] It is due to feature in the 2026 Youth Olympic Games,[19] and has two World Cups for youth and senior players alternating each year starting in 2022, with both of these international events being played in a mixed-gender format.[20] The WBSC is also planning to, as part of its general push into E-Sports, introduce a video game version of Baseball5 in the near future.[21]

The WBSC is governed by the executive board, which consists of fourteen members: president, secretary general, two vice presidents, baseball executive vice president, softball executive vice president, treasurer, four members at large, athlete representative for baseball, athlete representative for softball, and global ambassador.[22]

The Baseball Division is governed by an executive committee, which has thirteen members: president, secretary general, 2nd vice president, 3rd vice president, treasurer, three members at large, four continental vice presidents (one each for Africa, Americas, Europe, and Oceania), and executive director.

The Softball Division is governed by an executive committee that has twenty-three members: president, secretary general, 1st vice president, 2nd vice president, treasurer, twelve vice presidents (two each for Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Oceania, and one each for North America and English-speaking Caribbean), two at-large members, two athlete representatives, immediate past president, and executive director.

The WBSC has four departments: media, finance, tournaments, and marketing. It also has several commissions.

Members

Besides its worldwide institutions, there are five regional governing bodies that oversee the game in the different continents and regions of the world.

• WBSC Africa (28 members)
• WBSC Americas (58 members)
• WBSC Asia (34 members)
• WBSC Europe (54 members)
• WBSC Oceania (24 members)

In total, WBSC recognizes 198 national associations, with 132 national baseball teams as well as 122 women's national teams.[23]

Unlike the ICC, the WBSC identifies associate members as those who particularly endorse international baseball and softball with their own leagues in partnership with the WBSC. These leagues support baseball and softball to the extent that they are major sports in their respective countries. The table below has all leagues along with the country hosted:[24]

Team	Region	League
United States	Americas	AABC
France	Europe	AFBS
Italy	Europe	AIBXC
United States	Americas	BRL
Taiwan	Asia	CPBL
Dominican Republic	Americas	LIDOM
South Korea	Asia	KBO
Mexico	Americas	LMB
Mexico	Americas	LMP
Japan	Asia	NPB
United States	Americas	PONY
Puerto Rico	Americas	LBPRC
United States	Americas	USSSA
Venezuela	Americas	LVBP

• Baseball awards § International
• Softball at the Summer Olympics
• Baseball at the Summer Olympics

• Official website