Little League Pitching Mound Specs

In 1938, Carl Stotz started organizing neighborhood kids and his young nephews to play baseball in is hometown of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Because the kids were younger in age, he experimented with having them play on different size fields that year. By 1939, he organized the first Little League using the field specifications that are still used today. Rather than a diamond with base paths of 90 feet, as they are in professional baseball, Little Leaguers play on a diamond with base paths of 60 feet. The pitching mound specifications are also different.

  1. Distance

    • In Major League Baseball, the distance between the pitching rubber and the back of home plate is 60 feet 6 inches. In Little League, that distance is reduced to 46 feet. This distance is measured from the front of the pitcher's rubber to the back of home plate. After players move to the 13- to 15-year-old leagues, they play on the large diamond, where the distance between the pitcher's plate and home plate is the same as the one used in Major League Baseball.

    Pitcher's Plate

    • The pitcher's rubber in Major League Baseball is 24 inches long, 6 inches wide and 1 inch thick. In Little League baseball, the length of the pitcher's rubber is reduced to 18 inches. The other dimensions of the pitcher's rubber remain the same. As players graduate to the 13- to 15-year-old leagues, they also move to a pitcher's rubber that is 24 inches in length.

    Mound Circumference

    • In Major League Baseball, the diameter of the circle is 18 feet. In Little League that is reduced to 12 feet. For those who use the radius, this means it is 9 feet and 6 feet, respectively. Once players move to the large diamond when they turn 13, the mound diameter will be 18 feet.

    Pitching Mound

    • According to Major League Baseball regulations, the height of the pitching mound can be no greater than 10 inches above the field. It gently slopes downward with the pitcher's rubber being located at the highest point. The same is true for Little League, but the maximum height is not greater than 6 inches. Once players move to the 13- to 15-year-old leagues, the height of the mound can be raised as high as 10 inches. Because mounds are used so often in Little League, the height is not usually checked between games unless during competition.