Following a previous decision to restructure the Softball World Championships into Softball World Cups, the Board have now decided to launch a women's tournament in the under-15 category which will first be held in 2021. 

A new men's tournament in the under-23 category is also scheduled for 2021. 

The men's competition will consist of 12 teams, split into two groups of six, with the top three in each qualifying for the super round. 

Sixteen teams will play in the women's tournament but the format is yet to be decided. 

Participants will be chosen through a continental qualifying process and one team will be picked through a wildcard. 

The previous Under-19 World Cups for men and women will be redefined into an under-18 age bracket, with the last Under-19s Girls' World Championship taking place next year and becoming the Under-18 World Cup in 2020.

"We had an open discussion today and we took some important decisions," said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari.

"This is the way to grow. 

"I firmly believe softball is going in the right direction."

The WBSC Executive Board met at the Italian Olympic Committee headquarters in Rome.

Women's softball will return to the Olympic progamme at Tokyo 2020 after being axed alongside men's baseball at Tokyo 2020.