The rankings are derived from the outcomes of the two most recent championships in the senior and junior categories.
Women’s Softball: Italy and Netherlands Maintain Dominance
In women's softball, the 2023 rankings affirm Italy and the Netherlands as the leaders.
Retaining their positions from the previous year, Czechia follows closely the leading duo and Spain secures the fourth spot. Noteworthy shifts include Great Britain's ascent from 7th to 5th, propelled by the silver medal at the Women’s Softball European Championship 2022 and the fifth-place finish at the U-18 Women’s Softball Euros 2023.
Israel (6th) makes significant gains, climbing two positions to achieve its highest-ever ranking, while France (7th) and Germany (8th) experience a one-spot drop.
Ireland (9th) and Ukraine (10th) each advance by one place if compared to the 2022 ranking, contrasting with Poland's (11th) two-position setback.
Austria shows marked improvement, progressing from 15th to 12th, while Croatia (13th), Greece (14th), and Slovakia (15th) each lose a position.
Switzerland, on the other hand, demonstrates an upward trajectory, ascending from 19th to 17th.
The rankings comprise 26 countries in 2023, one less than the previous year due to Serbia's absence in the European Championships.
Men’s Softball: Czechia and Denmark Lead the Way
In the domain of men's softball, Czechia (1st) and Denmark (2nd) uphold their dominance, echoing their standings in the latest Men’s Softball European Championships.
Israel's remarkable third-place position is attributed to achievements in the junior categories and a commendable fifth-place finish in the 2023 Euros.
The Netherlands rises by one spot, securing the fourth place and displacing Croatia (5th). Belgium makes a noteworthy jump from 9th to 6th, reaching France (6th).
Great Britain (8th) and Slovakia (9th) experience minor setbacks, losing one position each, while Spain (10th) makes its inaugural appearance in the rankings.
Thirteen National Federations are represented in the 2023 Men's Softball Rankings.
Slowpitch: Stability in Rankings
Given the absence of the Slowpitch European Championships in the 2023 season, the slowpitch rankings remain consistent with the 2022 standings.
Great Britain maintains its lead with 2050 points, closely followed by Germany with 2100 points, and the Netherlands securing the third position with 1900 points.
Twelve nations are in the Slowpitch European Ranking.
Ranking Methodology: A Precision-Based System
The European Softball ranking system operates on a points-based structure, multiplied by 100, with points awarded based on final standings at European Championships in all categories.
The weighting system allocates 100% to the Senior European Championships, 50% to the U-18 European Championships, and 25% to all other categories (U-22 and U-15 for women's softball and U-18 and U-16 for men's softball).
The rankings consider only the two most recent championships in each category, with a 100% weighting for the most recent and 50% for the previous championship.
The cumulative points determine each country's placement in the rankings.
All previous rankings can be found on the WBSC Europe website.
Cover photo by Grega Valancic
