Softball and baseball differ most in three places: the ball, the pitch and the field. A softball is 12 inches around against 9 to 9.25 for a baseball. Softball pitchers throw underhand from a flat circle; baseball pitchers throw overhand from a raised mound. Softball bases are 60 feet apart instead of 90, and the fences sit much closer.
From the bleachers the two sports look alike. The gear looks similar, the diamonds look identical at a glance, and the goal is the same: score more runs than the other team. Softball grew out of baseball. It began in Chicago in 1887 as an indoor game so players could keep playing through the winter, and it moved outdoors soon after. Even so, the two games cannot be played the same way, and the differences show up in the numbers below.
Side by side numbers
- Ball: baseball 9 to 9.25 inches around and about 5 ounces; softball 12 inches around, or 11 inches for players roughly 10 and under
- Glove: baseball 10 to 12.75 inches; fastpitch softball 11.5 to 13 inches; slowpitch softball 12 to 15 inches
- Bat barrel: softball 2.25 inches; adult baseball 2.625 inches; youth baseball 2.25 or 2.625 inches, with 2.75 inches allowed in some travel leagues
- Pitch: baseball overhand or three quarters from a raised mound; softball underhand, usually windmill, from a flat circle
- Pitching distance: baseball 60 feet 6 inches; fastpitch softball 43 feet for women’s high school, college and adult play, 46 feet for men’s fastpitch, 35 to 40 feet in youth play; slowpitch 50 feet
- Bases: baseball 90 feet, or 60 feet in Little League for ages 12 and under; softball 60 feet, or 65 feet in some adult slowpitch leagues
- Outfield fence: baseball 300 feet or more; fastpitch softball commonly 200 to 220 feet
- Innings: baseball 9 in professional and college play and 7 in high school; softball 7 at every level
The gloves
Baseball gloves run about 10 to 12.75 inches, with first base mitts a little larger. Fastpitch softball gloves run about 11.5 to 13 inches, and slowpitch gloves run about 12 to 15 inches. The softball ranges start near where the baseball range ends, and the reason is simple: the pocket is bigger because the ball is bigger.
The bat
Softball bats
Softball has two variants, fastpitch and slowpitch, and the bats for both share one barrel size: 2.25 inches. Maximum length is 34 inches and bats typically weigh 26 to 30 ounces. Fastpitch bats usually carry a drop 8 to drop 12 rating, where the drop is the length in inches minus the weight in ounces, so a 33 inch bat that weighs 23 ounces is a drop 10. Wood, aluminum and composite bats are all made, though wood is rare in fastpitch.
Baseball bats
Baseball splits by level. Professionals must use wood. Amateurs may use wood, aluminum or composite. Adult amateur bats, meaning high school and college, must be BBCOR certified, a requirement in college since 2011 and in high school since 2012, and they come with a 2.625 inch barrel and a drop 3 weight. Youth bats have 2.25 or 2.625 inch barrels, some travel leagues allow 2.75 inches, and drop weights run from about drop 5 to drop 13. The certification a game bat needs depends on the league, so the league rulebook is the place to check before buying.
The ball
A baseball is 9 to 9.25 inches around and weighs about 5 ounces. A regulation softball is 12 inches around; younger players, roughly age 10 and under, use an 11 inch ball. The softball is larger than a baseball, but it is not harder. That extra size is what drives the glove sizes above, since a bigger ball needs a deeper pocket.
The pitching
Baseball pitchers throw overhand or three quarters from a raised mound. The mound is 18 feet across and 10 inches high at the rubber, and the rubber sits 60 feet 6 inches from the back point of home plate. Softball pitchers throw underhand, usually with a windmill motion, from a flat pitching circle 16 feet across, which is an 8 foot radius. The softball distance depends on the level of play:
- 43 feet: women’s high school, college and adult fastpitch
- 46 feet: men’s fastpitch
- 35 to 40 feet: youth fastpitch
- 50 feet: slowpitch
The playing field
Apart from the ball, everything in softball is smaller, and the field is where that shows most. Softball bases are 60 feet apart; some adult slowpitch leagues use 65 feet. Baseball bases are 90 feet apart, with Little League using 60 feet for ages 12 and under. The outfield follows the same pattern. Fastpitch fences commonly stand 200 to 220 feet away, while baseball fences stand 300 feet or more.
The innings
Softball games are shorter. Professional and college baseball play 9 innings and high school baseball plays 7. Softball plays 7 innings at every level. Both sports go to extra innings when a game is tied, with one difference. Softball leagues commonly use a tiebreaker in which each extra inning starts with a runner on second base, with the aim of breaking ties more quickly.
Other differences: lead offs and mercy rules
Lead offs. In baseball a runner may leave the base and attempt a steal any time the ball is live. In softball the runner must stay in contact with the base until the pitcher releases the ball; leaving early is an out.
Mercy rules. Both sports use run ahead rules in amateur play, and the thresholds differ by league. College baseball commonly ends a game when a team leads by 10 runs after 7 innings. College softball ends a game when a team leads by 8 runs after 5 innings. Professional baseball has no mercy rule.
Families with a player in each sport can practice both at home. My Backyard Sports builds backyard batting cages, turf infields and pitching lanes laid out to the distances of the player’s league, so a softball pitcher and a baseball hitter can share the same practice area.
Common questions about softball and baseball
What is the biggest difference between softball and baseball?
The ball and the pitch. A softball is about 12 inches around and is pitched underhand from a flat circle. A baseball is 9 inches around and is pitched overhand from a raised mound. Everything else, from base distances to field size, follows from those two differences.
How far apart are the bases in softball and baseball?
Adult baseball uses 90 foot base paths with the mound 60 feet 6 inches from home plate. Fastpitch softball uses 60 foot base paths with the pitching rubber 43 feet from home. Youth leagues in both sports shorten those distances, which matters if you are laying out a practice infield at home.
Can one backyard setup serve both sports?
A batting cage and a turf infield work for both, since hitting and fielding mechanics overlap. The pitching area is the difference: a portable mound for baseball, a flat lane for softball. We build practice areas that handle both with a movable mound so siblings in different sports can share the space.