
Softball at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing is planned be held over a ten day period starting August 12 and culminating with the medal finals on August 21. All games will be played at the Fengtai Softball Field. Olympic softball is competed by women only; men compete in the similar sport of baseball.
The International Olympic Committee has voted to remove softball from the program for the 2012 Olympics, so this is the last time that softball will be contested at the Olympics unless it is reinstated at a future date. The IOC (International Olympic Committee) will vote on this subject again in 2009.
Eight teams will compete in the Olympic softball tournament, and the competition consists of two rounds. The preliminary round follows a round robin format, where each of the teams plays all the other teams once. Following this, the top four teams advance to a page playoff system round consisting of two semifinal games, and finally the bronze and gold medal games.
The eight teams in the Olympic softball tournament will qualify through a series of tournaments. China, as the host nation, is guaranteed one automatic entry. The top four finishers at the 2006 Softball World Championships will be qualified for the Olympic tournament. Finally, there will be continental qualifying tournaments for Europe/Africa, Pan-America, and Asia/Oceania, with the winners of each tournament earning a spot in the Olympic tournament.
| Date | Event | Location | Qualifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Host Nation | China | ||
| Aug 20-29, 2006 | 2006 ISF World Championship | Beijing | United States Japan Australia Canada |
| June 9-16, 2007 | Europe & Africa Olympic Qualifying Tournament | Trieste | Netherlands |
| Feb. 1-5, 2007 | Asian & Oceania Olympic Qualifying Tournament | Tainan City | Chinese Taipei1 |
| Aug. 19-24, 2007 | Pan-American Olympic Qualifying Tournament | Valencia | Venezuela |
Note 1: Chinese Taipei is the official IOC designation for the state officially referred to as the Republic of China, more commonly known as Taiwan. (See also political status of Taiwan for details.)Group Stage
All times are China Standard Time (UTC+8)
| August 12 — 9:30 at Fengtai Softball Field
Chinese Taipei August 12 — 12:00 at Fengtai Softball Field United States |
August 12 — 17:00 at Fengtai Softball Field
China August 12 — 19:30 at Fengtai Softball Field Japan |
| August 13 — 9:30 at Fengtai Softball Field
China August 13 — 12:00 at Fengtai Softball Field United States |
August 13 — 17:00 at Fengtai Softball Field
Japan August 13 — 19:30 at Fengtai Softball Field Canada |
| August 14 — 9:30 at Fengtai Softball Field
China August 14 — 12:00 at Fengtai Softball Field Canada |
August 14 — 17:00 at Fengtai Softball Field
Netherlands August 14 — 19:30 at Fengtai Softball Field Chinese Taipei |
| August 15 — 9:30 at Fengtai Softball Field
China August 15 — 12:00 at Fengtai Softball Field United States |
August 15 — 17:00 at Fengtai Softball Field
Australia August 15 — 19:30 at Fengtai Softball Field Venezuela |
| August 16 — 9:30 at Fengtai Softball Field
Japan August 16 — 12:00 at Fengtai Softball Field United States |
August 16 — 17:00 at Fengtai Softball Field
Netherlands August 16 — 19:30 at Fengtai Softball Field Venezuela |
| August 17 — 9:30 at Fengtai Softball Field
Chinese Taipei August 17 — 12:00 at Fengtai Softball Field Japan |
August 17 — 17:00 at Fengtai Softball Field
Australia August 17 — 19:30 at Fengtai Softball Field United States |
| August 18 — 9:30 at Fengtai Softball Field
Netherlands August 18 — 12:00 at Fengtai Softball Field China |
August 18 — 17:00 at Fengtai Softball Field
Canada August 18 — 19:30 at Fengtai Softball Field Venezuela |
| August 20 — 9:30 at Fengtai Softball Field | August 20 — 12:00 at Fengtai Softball Field |
August 20 — 17:00 at Fengtai Softball Field
August 21 — 18:30 at Fengtai Softball Field
This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.