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The fence is required by every Major League Baseball field for safety reasons. Hence, there are some rules and regulations regarding its size.
For Big League Baseball, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has suggested the fence be 8 feet tall. In Big League, the distance between both bases is 90 feet. The distance between the home plate and any obstruction should e at least 250 feet. The pitching mound is 6 feet and 6 inches. The association has also discouraged fences made up of nylon or wood.
How Far Can the Fence Be?
The maximum distance for the fence is 300 to 420 feet. This distance is measured from the home plate. Some baseball fields even have fences extended 440 to 500 feet long to catch the foul.
You should know that baseball fields are in the shape of an arch, and this is why they are way deeper from the center than from the sides.
What Kind of Fence Goes Around the Perimeter of a Field?
The fence is usually 8 feet tall and coated with vinyl. The vinyl coating is there for the players’ safety. The guy running at full speed won’t crash into the fence, and it won’t either cut him up as the traditional fence does.
The second reason for a vinyl coating is guest safety. People tend to get super excited when they’re watching a game behind the fences, and this is when the fence comes in handy. It also keeps the high-speed balls out of their laps.
Besides the fence, the rails are covered with four-inch plywood back foam padding with a vinyl wrap on it. If the ball or even a guy gets hit by it, the rail will absorb the blow.
Baseball Field Dimensions
The baseball field dimensions also change like they do in other sports. However, the baseball field dimensions are different for people of different age groups. Imagine nine years old and a Major Leaguer playing in a field size of the same size.
The things that change in a baseball field are:
- Distance from home plate to the pitcher
- Distance between the bases (running distance between the bass)
Tee- Ball
Teeball is the basic level where all baseball players start. When kids are ⅚ years old, they start at tee-ball. Here, the baseball is placed at a steady T at home plate where a batter has to hit. So, in such fields, we should only be concerned about the distances between the bases because at such young ages nobody is pitching the ball. The bases at this level are 50 feet apart from each other.
Little League
It is slightly level up from the T ball. The kids playing here are 7 to 10 years old. At this level, kids start pitching. Therefore, the bases have to at comparatively distant from each other. The bases at little league are 60 feet apart. The distance from the pitcher to the home plate is 46 feet. It is the smallest distance that a player has to pitch the moment they start pitching.
Intermediate Level
The kids playing this level are 11 and 12 years old. They start the preparation for playing in the Big League (Major League) from this field. The distance between the bases at this level is 70 feet. The distance between the pitcher and a home plate also increases to 50 feet.
Middle School-Aged Players
They are a little older than the kids playing Intermediate Level. Their field size will depend on the League they will be playing. Field changes happen at this level. The distance between bases at this level increases to 80 feet. They are on 54 feet pitcher mound. This is also just one level before the big field. This is the level that prepares the kids for the big leagues.
The Big Field
Kids start playing at the big field at the age of 14. All high school people also play on this field. It has 90 feet between the bases, and the pitching mound also levels up to 6 feet, 6 inches.
How to Calculate the Fence for a Baseball Field?
The calculation is pretty quick. Multiply the distance from the home plate in a big field to the fence and then multiply the answer by 1.57. One important thing here is that additional few inches are added by the professional fence makers to catch the foul and for other game-related purposes.
Conclusion
It was all about the fence and the baseball field. All different types of baseball fields have been mentioned along with the way to take out the fence. It is important to not get too lost in calculating the area for the field or fence that you forget to enjoy the real essence of the game itself.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What’s the Maximum Distance for the Outfield Fence in Baseball?
The maximum distance for the Outfield Fence is 325 feet.
How to Measure the Baseball Fence?
The arc of the baseball doesn’t have any definite point to be measured. However, the outfield fence can be measured and its definite point is the back of the home plate.
What Are the Dimensions of the Big League Field?
The distance between all the bases is 90 feet. The distance from home plate for centerfield is almost 400 feet.
