WebBall.com - Balance in Baseball Survey

Can an argument be made for change?

This became one of our longest running, most involved surveys to date - and it's not over yet! The intent was to look into the current geometry of the game at various age levels - to find out what works, what might be ready for change.

Certainly from the reponses received, there are many who believe everything is fine the way it is. Of course, that depends on the league you're in, the national association you're affiliated with, the skill level of the local talent, and the practicalities of changing field dimensions.

Based on the results, an argument could be made for making changes. After all, there is a wide range of diamond sizes being used at some age levels. We have 10 year olds on 70' base paths and 14 year olds on 60' paths. We have older players on short outfields (225' or less) and young players facing fences 275' away. So your perspective might be skewed by your own experience.

Because this is so age specific, we have split the charts into 4 age groups. Within each group there are 3 charts - one on infield geometry, one on some outfield factors, and one that presents True/False results to consider. You can set all 3 charts to the same age group.
[Note: the dimensions shown in each chart are those which voters picked; your own field may or may not fall within these options. See Field Chart for some common dimensions in current use. Our plan is to revisit this topic at some point in the future to add more votes to the results tabulated so far. We will also keep an eye out for any leagues or associations that experiment with dimensional changes. If you hear of anything in your area, let us know.]

Comments from voters...

It wouldn't be much of a Nose 2 Nose, much of a debate, if we didn't include some of the arguments expressed by our voters...

My 11-yr-old son plays travel ball and in the Bronco division of Pony baseball, both with 70 ft. basepaths. At 70 ft., stealing 2nd is routine off of most pitchers and catchers. Stealing 3rd can be done only by quick kids who know how to get a jump on the pitcher. After age 10, sixty feet is a riduculous game favoring the runner over the defense. The only equalizer is that from 46 feet, the game can be controlled by dominant pitching. Backing up the mound and lengthening bases makes the game more of a team game. Players must learn to play defense; runners must learn to run smart. - Dan Baits

Usually triples and inside the park home runs are due to fielding/throwing errors. In Little League players really cannot steal 2nd base. They are just taking advantage of poor play on the part of the fielders (catchers, SS, 2nd-baseman). Since a runner on first cannot leave the base before the ball passes the runner he cannot possilby beat the throw if cleanly caught on the initial pitch to the catcher. - Waitman

These are tough questions due to the wide range in ability level at this age. I have one kid who will be safe every time he hits it on the ground to the left side and a kid who will be out almost every time. The 7-8 age group is too varied to come to any conclusions about field geometry. I have one 65 lb 7 year old and one 115 lb 8 year old. - Gary Pavao

I have not seen many kids who are too big and strong to play on the fields we compete on. In out league, at least, I do not believe kids are any bigger or stronger than kids of the past. It may be different in other leagues. For us anyway, the field sizes that we use fit us well. We do not have a fence on our field. It has never been available. I like this approach personlly, because it gives us a chance to stress small ball, like bunting and hitting to the opposite side of the field. - Matt Tentis

I believe kids are improving at the game because most of kids are receiving better coaching and fundamentals are being stressed. When I played the coaching was some dad who showed up and threw batting practice with the rest of the players in the field and rotating in for their turn at bat. Today we have coaches researching, and utilizing good information that is readily available. - Paul Short

I do not feel , that the youth of today are bigger, stronger, or faster than the youth of 30 years ago. If anything they are lazier and less motivated. But what they are is better prepared. Thirty years ago it was unheard of high schools opening up their gymnasiums for winter baseball training, or individuals owning their own pitching machines. The parents who can afford to hire the best trainers are reaping the best results. I feel the balance and symmetry of the game is a challenge for rec leagues. However, in any league, I do feel it makes a better transition for the youth when a smaller graduation of base paths is used, rather than holding them back and making larger graduations in base paths. - Joel Perry

If the rules were open to change: In the 7-8 year old leagues, if you add 5' to the 60' base paths it would result in more outs from the leftside (3rd, ss) of the infield. - Fulton

I think the Pony 13-14 size field (80' bases, 54' mound, fences vary ours is 252' line, 284' power ally, 292' center) is a good size, the cut off man is needed to get the ball to home or third, not a lot of home runs. The 11-12 size in Little League Majors (60' bases, 46' mound, 180'-200' fence) or PONY Bronco (70' bases, 48' mound, 200'-220' fence), in my limited experience, the fence distance is too small for the throwing arms and the LLWS has too many home runs. Most kids do not learn to play the outfield properly at the younger ages, good coaches do teach outfield play, but if the field was bigger they would be more inclined to teach out field play. The fields should be sized on what the hitters can do (i.e. the right number of home runs) and what the fielders can do (i.e. routine grounders, if fielded cleanly or even a little bobble, are outs + needing cutoffs for home at a minimum). I feel the bases are acceptable, LL Majors might consider 70', but the fences are too close in the 11-12 year age group. - Ed Sly My son competes in LL (11/12) during the regular season, the 'All-Star' tournament after the regular season, and plays some club ball in between (Pony rules) so I think I have a pretty good perspective on the full range of basball played. He pitches in all of these leagues. I also am the AD of our LL Junior program so I get to see kids on 90' bases. For the regular season where baseball is encouraged to be played by a wide range of players I prefer the LL rules. With the better bats and stronger players in the 11-12 year old age I like 70' bases, and 48' mound with stealing/dropped third strike. Any age before this - creates too much chaos and not enough basic learning of the game. Fences at 180' for 9/10, 200-225' for 11-12, and 300' for 13/14 is ideal. For 13/14 year olds the 90' bases and 60' mound is simply too big. I prefer the 80'/54' combination with 300' fences. I think it is important to keep it in perspective and encourage as many kids to play ball and have a positive experience. So it is amazing to me how balanced the game is for the field sizes that were developed many years ago even with the changes in players and equipment. I think the same can be said for MLBB - it has changed a lot but in many ways stayed the same. - D. Griffith

I don't see a need for change. It's good as is because if the kid makes a clean play it's usually and out and if not, it's usually safe. The way it should be. I think rules where the hitter cannot run on a dropped 3rd strike are bad. That discourages the need for catchers to concentrate more and also takes away an opportunity for a kid to run bases that may not be able to hit the ball yet. It also takes some of the advantage from the excellent pitchers. - Bob

In most steal type situations while coaching the 13-14 year olds most calls are fairly close with the runner getting the advantage. Base running and stealing is the most important thing to teach these young players. We have won several ball games not based on skill but just pure straight out stealing and base running smarts. But, when coaching the 17 and under age group the whole picture and strategy of the game changes. Stolen bases are no longer a given and steal signs are used only with very fast kids that have good base running skills. On most teams that I have coached there are only a small amount of players that qualify for a straight out steal sign in this age group. 4-5 per team seem to have the real speed to beat out the throws from most of the good catchers and it all comes down to who got the best jump on the pitch....the runner or the catcher. - Craig Sumala

I like the dimentions as they are. At the level i coach at they come into the league as 11s and struggle a little with the distances. Even at 12, some of the better fielders are smaller kids who work to make the good throws from 3rd to 1st, and from plate to 2nd. - Bob Somers

In eastern Oklahoma, there are several competitive leagues and organizations. I have been associated with teams playing in 'competitive' state championship tournaments that played on fields that were too small. The outfield fence ranged from 190' to 210'. Base distance was 70' and pitching mound was 48'. The short outfield changed the game. Solid line drive hits (doubles and triples) were reduced to singles. A team with speed was at a disadvantage while a team with marginal outfielders were made more competitive due to the help of the fence. The short fences also hurt the batters, it was hard to keep the players from swinging for the fence. I think that for 11-12 year olds the distance should be 250 left and right and 275 center. - Andy McKay

I've long been an advocate of bigger fields for 11-12 year olds. Many organizations use the 46/60 infield with 180 - 190 at the corners, and the field is just too small. The gaps in the outfield are too small for today's stronger, longer hitting kids (with their techno-bats), and the throw from the left side to 1st is ridiculously easy. Any 11 year old with a decent arm can throw from the fence to the plate and the concept of a cutoff is irrelevant as the throws are usually only 40 or 50 feet. I would personally like to see 50/70 with 200-210 at the corners. Spread 'em out and let 'er rip! - G Jones 80 feet is challenging throw for 13's. Throwing to 2nd by catcher even more so, with big jumps, catcher gets few runners. - Clifford Keister

I say changing the distances is blasphemy. Then again I am a traditionalist. I think all baseball should go back to wooden bats. The great thing about baseball is that it provides a level comparison from one generation to the next; change distances and that is gone. - Craig Klukan

I agree that kids are bigger, faster, stronger than before but they are also lazier than when I played ball. I think that the bigger faster stronger thing just balances out because both the defense and the offense are played by the same kids. In our league, the kids who work the hardest win. If your kids won't work, they won't win. - Walt

127 plus feet is a long throw for 13-14 year old boys, and catchers more often than not drop the ball when everyone screams with an urgency that scares residents of local cemetaries. On ground balls - the hitter lacks the speed and endurance to run to first making most plays easy outs (providing the throws are somewhat accurate). When stealing second the advantage is to the runner (although they still lack speed) because pitchers can't hold runners on very well, their motion to home is slow and catchers lack the skill to catch and throw. - Jack Orlando