How far is the pitching mound from home plate? It depends on the level. Little League Majors and younger kid-pitch divisions use 46 feet. The 50/70 divisions move it to 50 feet. From roughly age 13 up through high school, college and the pros, the pitching mound distance is 60 feet, 6 inches. Softball runs shorter, from 35 feet for young fastpitch players up to 43 feet for high school and college.
Below is every major league's pitching distance, base path and mound height in one place, followed by how the distance is actually measured and how to set up a backyard mound so your kid practices at the same distance they play at.
Pitching mound distance by age and league
This table pulls the numbers straight from each organization's own published field specs and rules. Where a league doesn't publish a mound height, we left that cell blank instead of guessing.
| League / division | Typical ages | Pitching distance | Base path | Mound height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little League Minors | Up to 12 | 46 ft | 60 ft | 6 in |
| Little League Majors | 9-12 | 46 ft | 60 ft | 6 in |
| Little League Intermediate (50/70) | 11-13 | 50 ft | 70 ft | 8 in |
| Little League Junior | 12-14 | 60 ft 6 in (54 ft local option) | 90 ft (75 ft local option) | 10 in |
| Little League Senior | 13-16 | 60 ft 6 in | 90 ft | 10 in |
| PONY Pinto 8U (machine/coach pitch) | 8U | 38 ft | 60 ft | - |
| PONY Pinto 8U (player pitch) | 8U | 40 ft | 60 ft | - |
| PONY Mustang 10U | 10U | 46 ft | 60 ft | - |
| PONY Bronco 12U | 12U | 50 ft | 70 ft | - |
| PONY 14U | 14U | 54 ft | 80 ft | - |
| PONY Colt 16U | 16U | 60 ft 6 in | 90 ft | - |
| Cal Ripken Major 60 | 12U | 46 ft | 60 ft | - |
| Cal Ripken Major 70 | 12U | 50 ft | 70 ft | - |
| Babe Ruth Baseball | 13-18 | 60 ft 6 in (MLB rules) | 90 ft | 10 in (MLB rules) |
| High school (NFHS) | 14-18 | 60 ft 6 in | 90 ft | 10 in |
| College (NCAA) | 18+ | 60 ft 6 in | 90 ft | 10 in |
| MLB | Pro | 60 ft 6 in | 90 ft | 10 in |
A few notes on reading this. Little League lets local leagues shorten the Junior League field to 54 feet and 75-foot bases for regular season play, so a 13-year-old's spring field might not match their all-star field. Babe Ruth Baseball says its division plays on standard 90-foot diamonds under the Official Baseball Rules used by MLB, which is why we list the MLB distance and mound height there.
Why the big jump at 13?
The step from 46 or 50 feet straight to 60 feet, 6 inches is the hardest transition in youth baseball. Little League goes from 50/70 directly to the full field in Junior League. PONY smooths it out with a 54-foot, 80-foot-base stop at 14U. If your player is moving up, expect a season of adjustment. Pitches that were strikes at 50 feet will sail high or run out of gas at 60-6 until arm strength and mechanics catch up.
Softball pitching distance by level
Softball pitchers throw from a flat circle, not a raised mound, and the distances are much shorter. Fastpitch and slowpitch also use different distances at the same age.
| Level | Fastpitch distance | Slowpitch distance | Base path (fastpitch) |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA Softball 10U girls | 35 ft | 40 ft | 60 ft |
| USA Softball 12U girls | 40 ft | 46 ft | 60 ft |
| USA Softball 16U and 18U girls | 43 ft | 50 ft | 60 ft |
| USA Softball adult women | 43 ft | 50 ft | 60 ft |
| Little League Softball Minors | 35 ft | - | 60 ft |
| Little League Softball Majors | 40 ft | - | 60 ft |
| Little League Softball Junior/Senior | 43 ft | - | 60 ft |
| PONY Mustang 10U | 35 ft | 40 ft | 60 ft |
| PONY Bronco 12U | 40 ft | 46 ft | 60 ft |
| PONY Colt 16U | 43 ft | 50 ft | 60 ft |
| High school (NFHS) | 43 ft | - | 60 ft |
| College (NCAA) | 43 ft | - | 60 ft |
USA Softball's 14U fastpitch distance varies by classification, so check your specific league before you mark off a practice distance. The high school number changed not that long ago. The NFHS moved high school softball from 40 feet to 43 feet starting with the 2010-11 school year, and Texas UIL schools follow that rule.
In college, the NCAA field diagram puts the pitcher's plate 43 feet from the back point of home plate, with an 8-foot-radius pitcher's circle (16 feet across) drawn from the center of the front edge of the plate.
How the distance from pitching mound to home plate is measured
This trips up a lot of parents and volunteers lining a field for the first time. The distance from pitching mound to home plate is not measured to the center of the mound or to the front of home plate. It runs from the front edge of the pitching rubber to the back point of home plate, the tip that points at the catcher.
- MLB: the pitcher's plate is 60 feet, 6 inches from the back point of home plate.
- High school (NFHS): the distance between the nearer edge of the pitcher's plate and the rear tip of home plate is 60 feet, 6 inches.
- Little League: the official mound diagram measures the 46 feet from the pitcher's plate to the rear point of home plate.
Measure from the wrong spot and you can easily be off by a foot or more, which matters when a kid is learning to hit their spots.
How high is the pitching mound?
Pitching mound height is measured from the top of the rubber down to the level of home plate. The height goes up as the field gets bigger:
- Little League Majors and below: 6 inches
- Little League Intermediate (50/70): 8 inches
- Little League Junior, Senior and Big League: 10 inches
- High school, college and MLB: 10 inches
MLB used a 15-inch mound from the early 1900s until 1968 and lowered it to 10 inches starting in 1969. That 10-inch height has been the standard for the full-size field since.
Pitching mound dimensions
On a full-size field, the regulation mound has some very specific pitching mound dimensions. These come from MLB's field rules, and the NFHS uses the same layout for high school:
- The mound sits inside an 18-foot diameter circle.
- The rubber is placed 18 inches behind the center of that circle.
- The pitcher's plate is a 24-inch by 6-inch slab of whitened rubber.
- A level area 5 feet by 34 inches surrounds the rubber.
- The slope starts 6 inches in front of the rubber and drops 1 inch per foot for 6 feet toward home plate.
Little League's mound is smaller. Its official diagram shows a 10-foot diameter circle around the 46-foot rubber, with a level area of 40 by 17 inches around the plate, and Little League's rubber itself is 18 by 4 inches.
Setting up a backyard or practice mound at the right distance
The whole point of a practice mound is to throw at game distance and game height. A few practical steps:
- Pick the distance from the table. Use the pitching mound distance for the league your player is in this season, not the one they'll be in next year.
- Mark the back point of the plate first. Set your home plate (or a throw-down plate), then run a tape from its back tip straight out to where the front edge of the rubber should land.
- Square up the line. Make sure the plate points directly at the rubber. A crooked setup builds bad habits fast.
- Leave room behind the plate. Your catcher or net needs space behind the back point, so the total length you need is longer than the pitching distance itself.
Portable mound height vs. league rules
Portable mounds come in different heights, and this is where parents often go wrong. Many full-size portable mounds are built at 10 inches to match high school and pro fields. That's the right height for a Junior, Senior, Babe Ruth, Colt or high school pitcher. For a Little League Majors pitcher who plays on a 6-inch mound, a 10-inch practice mound is a noticeably steeper drop than they'll see in games.
For example, the PortoLite Standard One-Piece Practice Pitching Mound we list is 10 inches high, 10 feet 6 inches long and 4 feet wide. That matches the 10-inch height used from Junior League and high school up. Browse our pitching mounds collection and match the mound height to the league table above before you buy.
Cage length vs. pitching distance
If you're pitching inside a backyard cage, the cage has to be longer than the pitching distance plus the space behind the plate. As a rough rule, a 55-foot cage leaves room for 46- and 50-foot distances, while a true 60-foot, 6-inch distance calls for a 70-foot cage. Our backyard batting cage size guide walks through lengths, widths and heights in more detail.
The same goes for machine work. When you set a pitching machine at a shorter distance than game distance, the ball reaches the hitter faster than the dial suggests. Our pitching machine speed by age guide covers how to match speed and distance, and you can compare options in our pitching machines collection.
Frequently asked questions
How far is the pitching mound from home plate in Little League?
In Little League Majors and the Minor League, the pitching distance is 46 feet with 60-foot bases. Intermediate (50/70) uses 50 feet, and Junior and Senior League use 60 feet, 6 inches.
How far is the pitching mound from home plate in high school?
High school baseball uses 60 feet, 6 inches, measured from the front edge of the rubber to the rear tip of home plate, with a 10-inch mound. High school softball uses 43 feet.
Does the pitching mound distance change for 12-year-olds?
It depends on the league. A 12-year-old in Little League Majors or Cal Ripken Major 60 throws from 46 feet, while PONY Bronco 12U, Cal Ripken Major 70 and Little League Intermediate use 50 feet.
Is the pitching mound distance measured from the center of the mound?
No. It's measured from the front edge of the pitching rubber to the back point of home plate. On a full-size field the rubber sits 18 inches behind the center of the mound.
What is the softball pitching distance for 12U?
USA Softball 12U fastpitch pitches from 40 feet, and 12U slowpitch uses 46 feet. Little League Softball Majors also uses 40 feet.
Should my 11-year-old practice on a 10-inch mound?
If they play Little League Majors, their game mound is 6 inches, so a 10-inch mound is taller than what they'll face in games. Match the practice mound height to their league whenever you can.