The rankings reflect a four-year cycle with points generated from recent competitions, including the WBSC Women's Softball World Championship and the Under-19 Women's Softball World Championship.

Under the new system, however, the qualifiers for the Softball World Championships, multi-sport Games and all WBSC sanctioned events involving national softball teams will now be granted points from next year.

In the latest standings, Japan remain at number one following their second-place finish at the 2016 Women's Softball World Championship earlier this year in Surrey, Canada.

The gold medal at that event was not enough for the United States to topple the Japanese, as they remain in second, just 36 points behind their Asian counterparts.

The American team avenged their losses in the previous two finals of the tournament as they beat Japan 7-3 to clinch the gold medal.

Canada has risen to a record high position of third in the world after their bronze medal at their home tournament.

The hosts ensured they ended the competition on a positive note as they comfortably overcame The Netherlands 9-2 in the third placed play-off.

Meanwhile, Australia have slipped one position to fourth and New Zealand complete the top five, climbing three spots.

Elsewhere, Puerto Rico have made it into the top ten for the first time and are seventh, but still find themselves 66 points behind China who occupy sixth.

Puerto Rico's bronze medal finish at the Under-19 Women's World Championship helped push them to their highest position to date.

The Netherlands remain the highest ranked European nation in eighth, while Chinese Taipei and Mexico complete the top ten in ninth and tenth respectively.

Brazil have made the biggest improvement in their position, leaping seven spots to number 11.