World Baseball Softball Confederation

World Baseball Softball Confederation
Abbreviation	WBSC
Founded	14 April 2013
Type	Sports federation
Legal status	Governing body of baseball, softball and Baseball5
Purpose	World governing body
Headquarters	Pully, Switzerland
Location	Av. du Général Guisan 45;
Region served	Worldwide
Membership	141 national federations; 7 professional league "associate members"
Official language	English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean
President	Riccardo Fraccari
Main organ	Congress
Subsidiaries	WBSC Africa; WBSC Americas; WBSC Asia; WBSC Europe; WBSC Oceania;
Affiliations	International Olympic Committee, ARISF, GAISF
Website	WBSC.org

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) is the world governing body for the sports of baseball, softball, and Baseball5. It was established in 2013 by the merger of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and International Softball Federation (ISF). Under the WBSC's organizational structure, the IBAF and ISF now serve as the confederation's baseball and softball divisions, respectively. Each division is governed by an executive committee, while the WBSC is governed by an executive board.

The WBSC has 208 National Federation members in 141 countries and territories across Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania. Professional baseball organizations as well as youth organizations are also included and form an arm of the WBSC as associate members. Headquartered in Pully, Switzerland, the WBSC was granted recognition as the sole competent global authority for both the sports of baseball and softball by the International Olympic Committee in 2013.

As the recognised governing body of baseball, softball, and Baseball5, the WBSC is charged with overseeing all international competitions. It holds the exclusive rights of all competitions, tournaments and world championships featuring national teams, including the Olympic Games, and WBSC-associated federations hold the right to organize and select national teams^[1]

Discussions to merge the two separate world governing bodies for the sports of baseball and softball were sparked by a Memorandum of Understanding that saw baseball and softball leaders agree to form a joint bid to be added to the 2020 Olympic Games sports program.^[2]^[3] Baseball and softball were dropped from the 2012 Summer Olympic program and were scheduled to be reinstated for the 2020 Olympics, but the 2020 Olympics were delayed due to the COVID-19 international pandemic. In August 2021, the International Olympic Committee announced that baseball and softball would not be part of the 2024 Paris Olympics.^[4] Baseball5 is still set to feature in the 2026 Youth Olympics.

^ "WBSC Organisational Profile". wbsc.org. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
^ "Baseball, softball agree on name". ESPN Olympics. ESPN. 17 December 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
^ Linden, Julian (8 September 2013). "Baseball-softball vow to fight on after Olympic rejection". Reuters. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
^ "Breakdancing (yes, breakdancing) in, baseball, softball, karate out for 2024 Paris Olympics". USA Today. 6 August 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.

[1] "WBSC Organisational Profile". wbsc.org. Retrieved 9 October 2021.

[ESPN_-_17Dec2012_-_Baseball,_softball_agree_on_name-2] "Baseball, softball agree on name". ESPN Olympics. ESPN. 17 December 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2013.

[3] Linden, Julian (8 September 2013). "Baseball-softball vow to fight on after Olympic rejection". Reuters. Retrieved 18 January 2014.

[4] "Breakdancing (yes, breakdancing) in, baseball, softball, karate out for 2024 Paris Olympics". USA Today. 6 August 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.

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