The aim is for all 127 national softball federations, including Britain, to be independent from any other sport by 2010 as it steps up its efforts to be readmitted to the Olympic programme for the 2016 Games.

 

Less than 25 per cent of federations still combined with baseball or other sports. 

 

It was baseball's poor record on doping and lack of participation by its major players in the Olympics that was credited with helping lead to softball being voted off the programme for London 2012 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at its Session in Singapore in July 2005.

 

The updated ISF Code restricts membership to softball-only organisations.

 

This is seen as a crucial action in softball’s campaign to be reinstated onto the Olympic Programme in 2016 after such a hugely successful Beijing Olympic Games this summer.

 

ISF president Don Porter said: “National softball federations deserve as much support as we can provide to ensure that they achieve sustainable independence. 

 

"The Transition Commission will help national federations by providing commercial, administrative, and operational expertise.

 

“Softball is a fabulous sport in its own right and it is vital that federations have complete autonomy as soon as possible to ensure that they can implement the softball initiatives we are putting in place.

 

“This move further confirms our commitment to modernizsng softball, a commitment we have pledged continuously to the International Olympic Committee. 

 

"We are committed to extending the reach of softball to new audiences and build upon the fantastic progress we have made over the past two years.”

 

Legislation passed at the ISF Congress decreed that ISF members [national federations] may not be constitutionally linked to a national federation of any other sport. 

 

Today’s announcement of the Transition Commission is the next step following the ISF’s statement late last month on the timeline set for complete separation, with a programme offering assistance to help national softball federations achieve compliance within two years.

 

They are designed to help eradicate any confusion in the Olympic Movement; it will clarify once and for all that softball is a fully independent international sport federation with independent national federations.

 

The ISF believes these plans are vital to the future development and growth of softball for adult women and men, youth development, and other disciplines of the sport, including Wheelchair, Beach, and Arena (indoor) Softball.

 

Softball was first featured in the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996 and this year’s competition in Beijing, which was won by Japan, was hugely successful with a total attendance close to 180,000 and a continuation of the sport’s record of no positive drug tests in major competitions.

 

Softball, along with baseball, is one of seven sports hoping to be elected as part of the Olympic programme for 2016.

 

The other sports are golf, karate, roller sports, rugby sevens and squash.

 

A decision is due to be made by the IOC at its Session in Copenhagen in October 2009.