Tournaments Organised by MSL for 2025

Manchester First Ball (26-27 April 2025)

Hosts: Manchester Softball League

For both Manchester and teams all over the UK (and also Ireland), the outdoor slowpitch season kicks off with Manchester First Ball at Wythenshawe Sports Ground.

Rec and Comp tiers play both Saturday and Sunday – in 2025, Firstball is scheduled for 26-27 April. Teams play a series of round robin games before progressing to the knock-out final.

Space for 2025 Firstball will be opening soon. Check this space for more details.

Manchester Main (Saturday-Sunday 2-3 August 2025)

Hosts: Manchester Softball League

Manchester’s mid-season tournament sees teams travelling from all over the UK, including Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow and London for a two-day tournament at both Comp and Rec levels. For 2025, Manchester Main is scheduled for Saturday-Sunday 2-3 August.

Other tournaments in the Greater Manchester area

North West Series

Hosts: BaseballSoftballUK

In previous years, the North West Series served as a three-tournament series across the late spring and summer held at Parrs Wood School in Manchester. After a 2024 hiatus, we’re gauging interest in an attempt to revive these exciting one day tournaments. To that end, please contact N-J, our tournament organiser.

The Alex Hall Memorial Tournament

Hosts: The Alex Hall Memorial Fund for Christies

The memorial tournament for passionate softball player Alex Hall, who sadly died of cancer in 2003. Alex was treated for her illness at the Christies hospital and money raised goes to the Christie Hospital Charity Fund. Entry is for individual players, not whole teams, and teams are designated by the organisers.

Fancy dress is encouraged and there is a picnic half way through. It is always immense fun and with the randomised teams there is the opportunity to meet new players. Teams are chosen to include players of all levels of ability, so it is a great chance for new players to play with and learn from more experienced team-mates.

Away Day Tournaments

We encourage our teams to get out around the UK, and build your experience as a team, by playing in any number of tournaments now available up and down the country. In fact, there are so many leagues across the country today that host their own tournaments — enough to keep you playing the game every weekend if you want to.

Softball by its very nature is both inclusive and friendly: MSL players of all levels of experience love to travel to play other tournaments. Well known tournaments include those in Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, Southampton, Windsor and Farnham Park. And here’s another great thing about our inclusive sport: even if your team can’t get an away trip organised for a particular weekend, there’s plenty of teams that are always willing to take someone else on. It’s a great chance to build your softball network, see something you’ve never seen before in a game, learn new ways to succeed from people willing to share their experiences, and just drink in the thrill (figuratively or literally in some cases) of a great weekend of sport and relaxation.