National Softball League

This article relies excessively on references to primary sources. Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources. Find sources: "National Softball League" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

National Softball League

Current season, competition or edition: 2022 NSL 1 season 2022 NSL 2 season
Sport	Softball
Founder	Roger Grooms & Matthew Slorach[1]
First season	2009
Divisions	NSL1, NSL2
Venue(s)	Farnham Park
Most recent champion(s)	H2O
Most titles	H2O (4)
Official website	eurosoftball.org

The National Softball League or NSL is a co-ed slowpitch softball league created for the 2009 British softball season (April–September). The league has run every season since then and grew to a two-division league in 2017.^[2] The inaugural season had 14 teams compete in three qualifying events, as well as the Premier Nationals (the top sports championship in the UK).

Twelve teams compete in NSL1 and twelve teams compete in NSL 2 with promotion and relegation taking place between the divisions. For 2019, the Manchester Thunder were relegated from NSL1 to NSL2 while the Manchester Mavericks were promoted from NSL2 to NSL1.

The 2018 season will see the addition of an NSL3 tournament in which eight teams will compete in a 2-day tournament. The top two finishing teams will replace the two relegated teams from NSL2 (Pyromaniacs & Outlaws) for the 2019 season.

The concept of the NSL is to improve the top level of co-ed slowpitch softball in the UK by exposing more players and teams to top-level competition.

The league's founders, Roger Grooms and Matthew Slorach, came up with the idea to link the already existing tournaments into a series, where points were awarded based on the finishing positions of teams at each event.^[3] This concept has been expanded upon where the NSL now provides a pre-defined fixture list for the season which makes sure each team plays all of the others in its division in a home and away format.

The 2020 National Softball League season was cancelled due to COVID-19. In 2021, the NSL season is set to resume with a slightly modified schedule - again, due to COVID-19. NSL1 & NSL2 teams will each play a shortened 11-game season. As a result, no teams will be promoted or relegated.

The winners and runners-up from each season of NSL play:

The two divisions for the 2021 season contain the following teams:^[2][4]

The original 2009 teams and standings were:

The benefits of the NSL were seen during the 2009 season with fourteen teams competing at the 2009 Premier Nationals (up from seven teams at the 2008 A Nationals, which they replaced), increased interest from sponsors in the sport, and television coverage of the final at the Bristol tournament.^{[citation needed]}

• "National Softball League". Retrieved 2009-10-09.