How far is the mound, really.
Little League Baseball uses 60-foot base paths and a 46-foot pitching distance through the Major division, 70 feet and 50 feet at Intermediate (50/70), and up to 90 feet with a 60-foot 6-inch mound at Senior League. Softball distances are different.
Field size is the thing that actually changes when a player moves up a division, and it changes more than the age number suggests. Going from a 46-foot mound to a 50-foot one is a bigger adjustment for a pitcher than a year of age, and the jump to 60 feet 6 inches is larger still.
The shorthand people use - 46/60, 50/70, 60/90 - is pitching distance followed by base path distance. It is the fastest way to describe a division's field and it is worth learning, because it tells a coach more about what a game will look like than the age group does.
Softball is not baseball with different numbers. The base paths stay at 60 feet across Little League softball divisions while the pitching distance moves from 35 to 40 to 43 feet, which is a fundamentally different progression from baseball's.
Local league options matter here. Little League permits local leagues to vary several of these distances for regular season play, which means the field your child plays on may legitimately differ from the tournament field they see in June. Where a distance below is a local option, the table says so.
The distances below come from Little League's published field specifications. Other organisations - PONY, Cal Ripken, USSSA, and others - use their own progressions, and those are frequently different at the same nominal age. Check the organisation you actually play under.
| Division | Base paths | Pitching distance | Outfield fence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tee Ball | 50-foot diamond (local league option) | n/a | - |
| Minor League | 60 ft | 46 ft | 200 ft recommended |
| Major Division | 60 ft | 46 ft | 200 ft recommended |
| Intermediate (50/70) | 70 ft | 50 ft | 200 ft recommended |
| Junior League | Up to 90 ft (local option to 75 ft) | 60 ft 6 in (local option to 54 ft for regular season) | 300 ft recommended |
| Senior League | Up to 90 ft | 60 ft 6 in | 300 ft recommended |
From Little League's published field specifications. Several distances carry local league options for regular season play - confirm with your league.
| Division | Base paths | Pitching distance | Outfield fence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minor League | 60 ft | 35 ft | 200 ft recommended |
| Major Division | 60 ft | 40 ft | 200 ft recommended |
| Junior League | 60 ft | 43 ft | 200 ft recommended |
| Senior League | 60 ft | 43 ft | 200 ft recommended |
Softball base paths stay at 60 feet across divisions; the pitching distance is what changes.
Field size changes what the same play means - a ball that is a double at 60-foot bases is often a single at 90. Bleacher Notes scores the play as narrated, so the hit chart reflects the field actually played on.
Common questions
- How far is the pitching mound in youth baseball?
- In Little League it is 46 feet through the Major division, 50 feet at Intermediate (50/70), and 60 feet 6 inches at Junior and Senior League, with a local league option to shorten Junior League to 54 feet for regular season play.
- What does 50/70 mean in baseball?
- A 50-foot pitching distance and 70-foot base paths. It is Little League's Intermediate division, sitting between the 46/60 fields of the Major division and the 60-foot-6-inch mound with 90-foot bases used at Senior League.
- How far apart are the bases in Little League?
- 60 feet through the Major division, 70 feet at Intermediate (50/70), and up to 90 feet at Junior and Senior League, with a local league option to shorten Junior League to 75 feet.
- What is the pitching distance in youth softball?
- In Little League Softball it is 35 feet in Minor, 40 feet in Major, and 43 feet in Junior and Senior League. Base paths remain 60 feet across all of those divisions.
- Are field dimensions the same in every youth league?
- No. Little League's specifications apply to Little League. PONY, Cal Ripken, USSSA, and other organisations use their own progressions, which frequently differ at the same nominal age group.
Sources
- Little League - Field Specifications
- Little League - Baseball Field Layout (PDF)
- Little League - Softball Field Layout (PDF)
Rules change, and local leagues override national ones. When this page and your league’s rulebook disagree, your league wins.