Save the Dates: 2025 Manchester Tournaments Announced

Cue Andy Williams, for it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Yes, it’s that time of year when softball club tournament organisers sit around the tree, drink egg nog and refresh their phones constantly to see what next season’s Manchester slowpitch tournament dates will be. 

Indeed: carols and being of good cheer are all well and good. But as any team captain knows, those wonderful softball excursions to Manchester aren’t going to organise themselves. 🙂

Intro to the 2025 Manchester Softball Tournaments

MSL is here to alleviate a little bit of that pain. We’re pleased to announce the official dates for the three major Manchester slowpitch tournaments of 2025. 

To start matters, let’s get some of the finer details out of the way…

• The sites for all major Manchester tournaments organised by MSL — that is, Manchester Firstball, BSF Single Sex and Manchester Main — will again be Wythenshawe Sports Ground.
• Your organiser for all MSL tournaments once again (that is, for Firstball and Main) is MSL Tournaments and Events Officer Nicola-Jane Dyson.
• Nicola also serves as BSF Single Sex Tournament Director.
• This series of tournaments will constitute two days of pool play, plate and cup competitions, and a fair share of on-site vendors.
• We’ve got dates for now, but many other details to sort out. You’re invited to check out this space on the MSL website, as well as BSUK and our social media channels for updates. And with that in mind…

A Friendly Reminder

If you’ve any suggestions, we’re always keen to hear them. That’s not lip service, either.

And neither is the following: if you‘ve got something to share with us, keep it clean and constructive. Because the solution to delivering a great event is found only when we work together.

The softball community is tightly knit and friendly, even in the most competitive circles. When in doubt: before you hit send, we urge you to trust in the power of Rick…

You’ve been Rick Ruled! Right: lecture over. Let’s check out the six dates of the three Manchester Softball Tournaments for 2025.

2025 Manchester Firstball Tournament

• What: Co-ed tournament formerly known as Manchester Firstball 
• When: Saturday-Sunday 26-27 April 2025
• Organiser: MSL
• Levels of Play: TBD
• Overnight Camping Availability: TBD

We can hear you now: Beeball? What happened to Firstball?

Well, you know, because it’s a busy bee city. Manchester Beeball. Yes, sometimes things sound more brilliant in committee. But this really is a pretty smooth double entendre.

Think about it: when you’re playing your first real competitive softball in a new outdoor season, the tournament grounds in Wythenshawe DO turn into a bit of a hive. Think of all the things getting thrown at you (in addition to the wild throws). There are:

• Scorebooks to remember how to fill in;
• Muscles you need to remember how to stretch out (and if you don’t, those muscles will let you know how neglectful you’ve been by about 1:57pm on Saturday – if not sooner);
• Double checks on whether you have the right ball for the right batter, as well as;
• Screaming fly balls hurtling right at you that you haven’t judged properly in the previous six months (and you might’ve had trouble doing it back then).

That’s not a comprehensive list, either. This is why Firstball/Beeball is one of the more important events on the slow pitch calendar. We’re all dipping our toes into the 2025 slowpitch pond (and in the case of MSL teams, before league play begins). It’s time to get busy on the diamond once again: welcome to the Hive!

2025 BSF Single Sex Nationals Tournament

• What: Single Sex tournament (naturally)
• When: Saturday-Sunday 14-15 June 2025
• Organiser: BSF (please contact Nicola-Jane for all enquiries)
• Levels of Play: TBC (as a guide, 2024 featured Platinum, Gold, Silver & Bronze)
• Overnight Camping Availability: TBD

Talk about a change-up from the usual slow-pitch tournament.

Manchester played host to this exciting national-level tournament back in 2023. Now, after a year in Farnham Park, small ball hitters and big ball hitters split ranks for one weekend and tried their hand against each other. It means new faces in new positions, changes in approach to the game, and an exciting pace that pits peer against peer.

It’s expected that men’s and women’s brackets will feature 16 teams apiece, so we urge folks to act quickly if you’re looking to book a place.

Will this wild, one-time-only weekend of competitive single-sex slowpitch softball see your team hit on all cylinders?

2025 Manchester Main Tournament

• What: Coed tournament
• When: Saturday-Sunday 2-3 August 2025
• Organiser: MSL
• Levels of Play: TBC (2024 featured Gold, Silver & Bronze)
• Overnight Camping Availability: TBD

Finally and not to be outdone, Manchester Main Tournament is back to round out the MSL tournament season for 2025. As league play nationwide reaches its final weeks, Main annually serves as a primer for teams aiming to finish the season strong as the realities of promotion or regulation set in. 

With six fields in play at Wythenshawe last year, Main can also represent an end-of-season competition for many as the dog days of summer signal the beginning of the end of another great softball season.

More details will follow on the MSL website in the 2025 calendar year. Once again, be sure to check in both here and on our social media channels. And unless you want another Rick Ruling, let’s keep it clean and constructive.