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Baseball fields have a variety of different lines and markings that play a vital role in the game of baseball. However, there are also important differences in the overall dimensions of the field depending on the age of the participants.
With this in mind, we have created a comprehensive illustrated guide detailing all the dimensions and markings you can expect to see on a baseball field. The guide outlines how the dimensions change from the MLB (Major League Baseball) to Little League Baseball, high school baseball, college baseball, and the different PONY League age groups, including baseball field diagrams for each.
After reading this guide you should be able to understand the different components of a baseball field and line a field with confidence.
Baseball Field Layouts
The overall layout of a baseball field doesn’t change between the different skill levels and ages. All fields are split into the ‘infield’ and ‘outfield’. In this section we’ll go through the dimensions and field lines you’d expect to see on the infield and outfield of a baseball field.
Baseball Infield Dimensions and Lines
The infield of a baseball field is where the diamond, bases, home plate, pitcher’s mound and the beginning of the foul lines are located. This is where the pitcher will throw the ball towards the batter, who will look to hit the ball and run around the 4 bases located around the diamond. Below we’ve listed all the components of the infield, giving the dimensions of each.
The Diamond
The diamond is a square that measures 90ft/27.4m on all sides. Batters run around the outline of the diamond once they have hit the ball, deciding whether they want to stop at a base or whether they can make it the whole way around for a ‘home run’.
Bases
In baseball there are three bases known as ‘first base’, ‘second base’ and ‘third base’. They are positioned in each corner of the diamond. The batter running must touch each base before scoring a run at the home plate. The bases are often made of a white rubbery material or a white canvas that must be fastened securely to the ground. Each base must measure 18 inches on all sides to conform to MLB regulations. An update to the rules in September 2022 increased the base sizes from 15 inches up to 18 inches to reduce the risk of collisions between batters running and the basemen. The ‘basemen’ are fielders who are positioned on the bases in order to tag out batters with the ball before the batter can reach the base.
Home Plate
The home plate is the final base that forms the diamond and is located 127ft 3in/38.8m opposite second base. The batter or ‘base runner’ must run a full circuit of the bases and reach the home plate in order to score a run for their team. The home plate is located 90ft/27.4m away from first base to the right and third base on the left. These bases are positioned at 90-degree angles from the home plate.
Foul Lines
The foul lines partially outline the field of play. They extend from the batter’s box to the foul poles deep into the outfield on each side of the field. A ball that is hit and lands on or inside of the foul lines, beyond first or third base is considered a ‘fair ball’, whereas anything that lands outside the foul lines is considered a foul.
Baselines
The baselines are the straight lines in between each of the bases that are 90ft/27.4m long. The baselines between first base and second base, and second base and third base aren’t marked on a baseball field. However, the baselines between the home plate and first base, and between third base and the home plate, overlap with the foul lines.
Running Lane
The running lane is a three-foot-wide lane marked by a 45ft long line painted onto the field parallel to the foul line and first base. It is used as a guide for batters running towards the first base from the home plate. The batter must keep both feet inside the or on the lines of the running lane. The batter running is allowed to step outside of the running lane when close to first base by taking a large step or sliding. However, when outside of the running lane, runners must not interfere with the play otherwise the umpire will call for an interference and the runner involved will be called out.
Batter’s Box
The batter’s box is the area at the home plate where the batter will take position when they are at bat. There are two 3ft/0.9m by 7ft/2.1m rectangular batter’s boxes on a baseball field, with one box on either side of the home plate. The box to the right side of the home plate is for left-handed batters and the box to the left side being for right-handed batters.
Once the pitcher begins their throwing motion, the batter is not allowed to leave the batter’s box. However, they can call a timeout between pitches and leave the box temporarily.
Catcher’s Box
There are two coaches’ boxes located on a baseball field, one outside the foul lines by first base and the other outside the foul lines by third base. The boxes measure 15ft/4.6m by 35ft/10.7m and coaches from the batting team will be stood in both boxes. The coaches must wear helmets and remain inside the boxes. Coaches will give direction to the base runners and sometimes exchange equipment such as sliding mitts or protective clothing.
Coaches’ Box
There are two coaches’ boxes located on a baseball field, one outside the foul lines by first base and the other outside the foul lines by third base. The boxes measure 15ft/4.6m by 35ft/10.7m and coaches from the batting team will be stood in both boxes. The coaches must wear helmets and remain inside the boxes. Coaches will give direction to the base runners and sometimes exchange equipment such as sliding mitts or protective clothing.
Pitcher’s Mound
The pitcher’s mound in baseball is a raised area of dirt in the centre of the diamond containing the pitcher’s rubber, from where a pitcher throws. The pitcher’s rubber is a small rectangle of white rubber within the mound measuring 2ft by 6 inches and is 60ft 6in away from the home plate, which forms what is known as the ‘pitching distance’. The rubber must be located 10in above the ground and is placed 18in behind the center of the mound, which is erected within an 18ft diameter circle.
Baseball Outfield Dimensions
The outfield of a baseball field is the open area of turf beyond the infield. The boundaries of the outfield are marked by the foul lines which must extend a minimum of 320ft/97.5m on each side of the field from the batter’s boxes.
Unlike the dimensions of the infield, the outfield’s dimensions can significantly vary from one baseball park to another - even at the professional level. The deepest part of any baseball outfield is known as the ‘centerfield’ which typically measures at least 400ft/121.92 vertically from the home plate on most MLB fields. Comerica Park in Detroit has the deepest centerfield fence in the MLB at 420ft/128m and Fenway Park in Boston has the shallowest centerfield fence at 390ft/118.9m.
The areas either side of the centre field are known as the ‘left field’ and the ‘right field’. These areas typically measure between 320ft/97.5m and 350ft/106.7m on the majority of MLB fields. The deepest right field in the MLB is Wrigley Field in Chicago at 353ft/107.6m, with the shallowest right field is found at Fenway Park measuring 302ft. The same two parks also have the deepest and the shallowest left fields measuring 355ft/108.2 and 310ft/94.5m respectively.
The outfield is what the batters are looking to clear when they are hitting the ball. If successful and the ball is hit outside of the fences without bouncing, and remains within the foul lines, then this is what is known as a ‘home run’ and the batter can run around all the bases without being tagged out.
Fielders are also positioned within the wide, open space that is the outfield. These ‘out-fielders’ will look to catch batters out as well as throwing the ball to the base fielders as quickly as possible in order to try and get batters tagged out.
Little League Baseball Field Dimensions
Little League Baseball is an organization who set up local youth baseball leagues throughout the United States and the rest of the world. There are various different age brackets and ability divisions within Little League, and the field size and pitching distance for a number of the age groups is smaller than a professional MLB field as the younger players can’t throw or hit the ball as hard as professional players.
Below we’ve included a table detailing the baseball field sizes for all Little League Divisions. It is important to note that dimensions given for the size of the diamond or pitching distance in certain divisions are the maximum sizes that they can be, and the specific local league has the option to reduce them at their discretion. The sizes of the centerfield and left/right field will depend on the size of each baseball park, but the minimum size requirements recommended by Little League are included below.
| Little League Division | Age Group | Diamond Size | Pitching Distance | Centerfield Size | Left/Right Field Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tee Ball | 4-7 | 50ft | N/A | 200ft+ | 125ft+ |
| Minor League (Development league) | 5-12 | 60ft (Option to reduce to 50ft) | 46ft | 200ft+ | 200ft+ |
| Major League | 9-12 | 60ft (Option to reduce to 50ft) | 46ft | 200ft+ | 200ft+ |
| Intermediate 50/70 league | 11-13 | 90ft (Option to reduce to 70ft) | 60ft 6in (Option to reduce to 50ft) | 200ft+ | 200ft+ |
| Junior League | 12-14 | 90ft (Option to reduce to 75ft) | 60ft 6in (Option to reduce to 54ft) | 300ft+ | 300ft+ |
| Senior League | 13-16 | 90ft | 60ft 6in | 300ft+ | 300ft+ |
College Baseball Field Dimensions
The dimensions of a college (NCAA) baseball field are very similar to that of a professional MLB field. The infield consists of a 90ft-by-90ft diamond and a pitching distance of 60ft and 6in, like in MLB.
The recommended distances for the outfield are 400ft from the home plate to the centerfield and a minimum off 330ft from the home plate to the end of the foul lines, with the fences rounded out to match the recommended distances. As mentioned earlier, each baseball park is different, hence why recommended distances are given.
High School Field Dimensions
Like a college baseball field, the dimensions of a high school field are almost identical to those on an MLB field. The infield is exactly the same, with a 90ft-by-90ft diamond and a 60ft 6in long pitching distance.
The outfield for high school baseball will measure at least 300ft down the foul lines on the left/right field and 400ft down the centerfield from the home plate.
Middle School Field Dimensions
The infield size, however, does get smaller for middle school fields with 7th grade students playing on infields with a 70ft-by-70ft diamond and a 50ft pitching distance. 8th grade students play on a 80ft-by-80ft diamond with a 54ft pitching distance. Like Little League baseball, kids aged 14 and older will play on a full-size field.
This reduces down to roughly 300ft to the back fence for 8th grade depending on the dimensions of the baseball park, and to 200ft for the 7th grade.
PONY League Baseball Field Dimensions
The PONY (Protect Our Nation’s Youth) League, like the Little League, is another organization that set up youth baseball leagues around the World.
The table below shows all the field dimensions for the different age groups within the PONY Baseball system.
| League Name | Age Group | Diamond Size | Pitching Distance | Centerfield Size | Left/Right Field Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foal | 3-4 | 50ft | 38ft | 200ft+ | 125ft+ |
| Shetland | 5-6 | 50ft | 38ft | 200ft+ | 125ft+ |
| Pinto | 5-8 | 60ft | 38ft | 200ft+ | 125ft+ |
| Mustang | 7-10 | 60ft | 46ft | 225ft+ | 175ft+ |
| Bronco | 9-12 | 70ft | 50ft | 275ft+ | 225ft+ |
| Pony | 11-14 | 80ft | 54ft | 315ft+ | 265ft+ |
| Colt | 13-16 | 90ft | 60ft 6in | 350ft+ | 300ft+ |
| Palomino | 15-19 | 90ft | 60ft 6in | 350ft+ | 300ft+ |
| Thorobred | 17-23 | 90ft | 60ft 6in | 350ft+ | 300ft+ |
What are the differences between a baseball and softball field?
Softball is a variant of baseball that was first introduced as an indoor version of the game but has since developed into an outdoor game that is played by adults and children. It is a safe an effective way of introducing baseball and basic skills and attributes by using a softer ball and lighter bats. Despite being similar games, there are important differences between the two fields to note so that you line your field correctly.
The most obvious difference between softball and baseball fields is that the infield diamond on a softball field is much smaller than in baseball. The diamond will be 60ft long on each side, meaning there is a shorter running distance between the bases in softball. The centerfield on a softball field is closer to the home plate than on a baseball field, typically measuring between 200ft-250ft. Another key difference between the two fields is that the pitching distance is shorter on a softball field at 43ft.
Softball fields will use all dirt for their infields in comparison to a mix of grass and dirt on a baseball field. What is known as the pitcher’s mound in baseball is known as the ‘pitching circle’ in softball, due it’s flatter appearance in comparison to the raised mound in baseball.
How to Line a Baseball Field
We’ll now go through all the steps to line a baseball field. Baseball parks should already be aligned so that the pitcher is throwing across the line of the sunrise and sunset, so follow our step-by-step process to line your field with confidence and to give it a professional look.
Raking and levelling the field
The first steps to lining a baseball field is levelling out the dirt using a rake to make sure the running path along the baseline is smooth. You should then use a baseball field drag mat to remove any unwanted debris off your field to leave it looking pristine.
Locating the home plate and bases
After locating the center of your backstop net, place the apex of the of the home plate 60ft away from the center of the backstop net.
Locate the center of second base by measuring 127ft 3in away from the apex of the home plate and place down your base marker.
Locate first and third base by measuring 90ft from the apex of the home plate, using the sloped edges of the home plate to get the correct angle. Once you have done this make a mark at the end of the line. This mark should measure 90ft from the centre of second base. Then place the outside back corner of the base where the mark is. Repeat this step so you have first and third base on either side of the home plate.
Set the Pitching Rubber
Following a straight line from the apex of the home plate to the centre of second base, measure a 60ft 6in line from the apex of the home plate to where the pitching rubber will be. Square up the rubber by measuring equal distances from the front corners of either side of the home plate to where the corners of the pitching rubber will be.
Prepare the batter’s and catcher’s boxes
Create the batter’s box using a tape measure and stake to draw the outlines of the boxes in the dirt. Once done, paint over the marks using a baseball line marking machine machine for accurate boxes that comply with your league’s regulations.
Painting the foul lines
To set this up, attach a string to a stake at the right side of the foul pole in the right field and run it past the right edge of first base all the way to the back edge and apex of the home plate. Make sure the string is tight as it will ensure the line is completely straight. Using the line marker and this string set-up as a guide, paint along the line of the string, straight past first base, and into the outfield straight towards the foul pole. Typically, the line should be painted 4in thick. Repeat this process for the foul line on the left side of the outfield, painting from the apex and left edge of the home plate straight past third base along your string line, towards the foul pole in the left field.
Painting the running lane and coaches’ boxes
The final steps to lining a baseball field are painting the lines that are outside of the foul lines. First paint a line 3ft away from and parallel to first base and the foul line, that extends 45ft back towards the home plate, to form the running lane.
Finally, paint a rectangular box that runs 35ft long and 15ft wide, parallel to first/third base and the foul line for the coaches’ boxes. These boxes should be marked comfortably outside of the foul lines and running lane.
Now that you have read our extensive baseball field guide you should have a clear understanding of the different markings found on a baseball field. You’ll also know how long the lines on a baseball field should be and where they should be located, meaning you can line a baseball field with confidence.
At Net World Sports we carry a wide selection of baseball field equipment including everything you’ll need to mark a field. From line markers and field drags, to tarpaulin covers to protect your field, we have you covered when it comes to lining a baseball field.
We also carry of comprehensive range of other baseball equipment including batting cages, rebounders, scoreboards, backstop nets, training equipment and more!
