| Inaugural: | 2009 |
| National Softball League | |
| Sport: | Softball |
| Founder: | Roger Grooms & Matthew Slorach |
| Divisions: | NSL1, NSL2 |
| Venue: | Farnham Park |
| Champion: | H2O |
| Most Champs: | H2O (4) |
| Website: | eurosoftball.org |
| Current Season: | 2022 NSL 1 season |
| Current Season2: | 2022 NSL 2 season |
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.[1] 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. 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:
| Year | NSL 1 | NSL 2 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=17% | Winner | width=17% | Runner-up | width=17% | Winner | width=17% | Runner-up |
| 2022 | H2O | Legends | Tempest | The Mob | |||
| 2019 | Traveling Dodgers | Chromies | Blitz Bombers | Naturals | |||
| 2018 | Pioneers | Chromies | Mavericks | Warriors | |||
| 2017 | Chromies | Pioneers | KKs | Naturals | |||
| 2016 | Pioneers | H2O | Manchester Dodgers | Blitz | |||
| 2015 | Slammers | Chromies | Slammers | N/A | |||
| 2014 | Pioneers | Blue Steel | |||||
| 2013 | H2O | Pioneers | |||||
| 2012 | H2O | Pioneers | |||||
| 2011 | H2O | Chromies | |||||
| 2010 | H2O | Chromies | |||||
| 2009 | Chromies | Baker Tomkins | |||||
The two divisions for the 2021 season contain the following teams:[2]
| NSL 1 | NSL 2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bristol Tigers | Bristol Bees | |
| 2 | Blitz Bombers | Fuzzy Ducks | |
| 3 | Blue Steel | Honey Badgers | |
| 4 | Chromies | Leeds Terriers | |
| 5 | H2O | LNZ | |
| 6 | KKs | The Mob | |
| 7 | Legends | Naturals | |
| 8 | Manchester Dodgers | Nino Privados | |
| 9 | Manchester Greensox | SPAM | |
| 10 | Manchester Mavericks | Spittin' Camels | |
| 11 | Pioneers | Tempest | |
| 12 | Windsor Knights | Warriors |
The original 2009 teams and standings were:
| Chromies | 43 | 141 | |
| Baker Tomkins | 41 | 153 | |
| H2O | 38 | 113 | |
| Pioneers | 38 | 159 | |
| Slammers | 35 | 138 | |
| Dragons | 34 | 138 | |
| Munster | 29 | 151 | |
| Los Amos de la Noche | 29 | 214 | |
| Niners | 25 | 173 | |
| Windsor Knights | 22 | 201 | |
| Manchester Marvels | 22 | 214 | |
| Coyotes | 15 | 261 | |
| Nottingham Arrows | 14 | 250 | |
| Solent Mariners | 14 | 299 |
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.