There are thousands of community and youth baseball organizations each year that are interested in installing their own ball field fencing. When it’s time to start laying out their field dimensions and pencil hits paper, they begin to scratch their heads. How do we get a greater distance from center field to home plate than from right or left field to home plate? Great question!
Looking at your layout, draw a line from home plate through the pitcher’s mound to second base. This line represents the line from which the outfield circumference is drawn with the radius point located anywhere along this tangent. There is no common or standard starting point along this line. The only standard is the distance you are trying to achieve from home plate along the outfield circumference. Each field is designed in consideration of the experience level and age group that the field is designed for. Below is a quick reference guide for common youth leagues.
Pinto Baseball Field Dimensions
- Foul lines — 125 feet to fence
- Center field fence — 175 feet
Little League Baseball Field Dimensions
- Foul lines — 200 feet minimum to outfield fence
- Center field fence — 275 feet
Bronco Baseball Field Dimensions
- Foul lines — 225 feet to outfield fence
- Center field fence— 275 feet
Pony Baseball Field Dimensions
- Foul lines — 265 feet to outfield fence
- Center field fence— 275 feet
High School, College, and Pro Baseball Field Dimensions
- Foul lines — 325 feet minimum to outfield fence
- Center field fence— 400+ feet
Beyond the foul lines there is a stretch of fence that connects to the sideline fences. This fence may be either a continuation of the circumference of the outfield fence that connects to the side line fences or it may be a straight line that is tangent to the circumference of the outfield fence. There is no standard here.
Foul line placement requires precision down to the inch. It would not be wise to simply eye-ball the poles off the third base line. If this line is even an inch out of alignment, it may cause some controversial moments during the game. It may need to be relocated to ensure there are no unnecessary foul balls as the stakes begin to rise. It is recommended that a surveyor be utilized to properly layout your ball field fencing.
The bottom line is that baseball is a game of inches and feet measured more often than not by the location of the fence. Be attentive in your installation.
