This is the definitive resource for ballfield dimensions, construction and renovation. It is a must-have for sports field managers, ground crew members, architects, field builders, athletic directors, sports turf management students, league volunteers, and board members. There are two significant updates with this edition, Version 3.0.

Properly laid out and constructed baseball fields are paramount to the game. Whether you are a parks and recreation type, work for a local school system, or just want your own regulation backyard baseball field, knowing a few basics is necessary before you can build your own field. The following instructions are designed to help set up a field from a relatively level, open area of ground. In addition to the field set-up requirements, keep in mind that to have a quality turfgrass playing surface, sports fields must have the following:

1. adequate water drainage
2. properly designed, installed and maintained irrigation systems
3. a sound maintenance program to address turf and clay conditions
4. the necessary field equipment (bases, pitching rubber) and surrounding structures such as fences.

Baseball and softball are the only major sports that are played on fields that have both turf and exposed soil for a playing surface. Since about 66% of the game is played on the infield, 'skinned' areas should receive as much attention as the turf areas. The concept of clay management is similar to turf management in that it is difficult to write a maintenance program for all infield skinned areas due to diversity among infield soils. One thing that does not change though, is the basic layout.

Figure 1. Baseball Infield Dimensions
(click here for a full size image of Figure 1.)

The following list is a basic 13-step program for laying out a baseball field (Figure 1). If you can follow these basic 13 steps, you can build your own field of dreams. In addition to the steps, a few tips and suggestions were also included. A few basic tools such as shovels, rakes, a couple of measuring tapes, a small sledge hammer, a tamp or roller as well as some supplies such as stakes, string, paint (inverted aerosol spray cans), pitching rubber, bases, and home plate are needed to complete this project. Power tools and some extra hands will make the project go much faster.

Basic Baseball Field Layout

1. Start with a flat, open area. If some elevation is on-site, it should be in the infield area. Ideally, the open area has a good, dense stand of turf or with a little help one can be rejuvenated. If that is not the case, plan a turf management program to coincide with the construction of your ball field. It is helpful to mark out the components of an infield with paint as outlined below to visualize the field before you actually start removing turf.

2. Placement of home plate determines layout of the field. Be sure to plan for some type of backstop to contain stray pitches and to protect fans from tipped balls. If it is truly a backyard field and fans behind the batters box are not likely, planting shrubs about 60 feet (minimum required for high school and college fields) behind home plate may prevent errant balls from rolling too far away from the field.

3. Using the apex of home plate (back corner), cut out turf in a 13-foot radius.

4. The next step is to locate second base. Measure from the back tip of home plate to a distance of 127 feet and 3 3/8 inches (see Table 2 for distance between bases for other leagues). Mark with a wooden stake. When installing base pads, this will be the center of second base.

5. With the tape measure still in place, it is easiest to go ahead and mark the location of the pitching rubber at this time. The placement can be marked by measuring from the back tip of home plate along a string stretched to second base. The pitching rubber should be at 60 feet 6 inches.

6. The easiest way to find first and third base is to use two tape measures. Stretch one tape from second base stake toward the first base line and the second tape from the back tip of home plate toward first base area. The point where the two tapes cross at the 90-foot mark is the back corner of the bases. Repeat this step to find third base. A baseball diamond is actually a 90-foot square.

7. First and third base fit within the square, but second base is measured to the center of the bag. Improperly placed second base is one of the most common mistakes made when setting up a baseball field.

8. To make a 'slide area' around the bases, cut out turf around bases by measuring a 13-foot radius within the 90-foot square. You can leave the base paths grassed if you like, or you can turn them into skinned base paths.

9. Next, turn your attention to the pitcher's mound. The diameter of a pitcher's mound clay is 18 feet, with 10 feet from the front of the rubber, toward home plate and 8 feet from the back of the rubber.

10. The top of the mound consists of a plateau that is 5 feet wide.

11. A regulation pitcher's mound is 10 — inches high (compared to surface level of home plate). Miscalculation of the pitcher's mound height is probably the second most common error in setting up a baseball field. A transit or field level is best for setting the height, but in a pinch, other methods my also work. I once saw a guy peering through a cheap scope clamped to a carpenter's level on a makeshift tripod. Another option is to use your stakes with taut string and a ruler. A standard pitcher's rubber is 24 inches by 6 inches.

12. Building a pitcher's mound is as much an art as it is a science. Build the mound from ground up, 1 inch at a time keeping in mind the mound's slope (see next step). As you add each layer, tamp or roll the soil.

13. Beginning 12 inches in front of the pitcher's rubber and measuring toward home plate, for every one foot of distance the slope will fall one inch (until the slope meets ground level).

Figure 2. Batting Area Detail
(click here for a full size image of Figure 2.)

Figure 3. Pitching Mound Detail
(click here for a full size image of Figure 3.)

The mix used to build the pitcher's landing area (and often the batter's box and catcher's box) should have a significant concentration of clay to provide the necessary stability to resist degradation from increased traffic. A good material will be about 40% sand, 20% silt, and 40% clay. If necessary, you can mix individual components together. Just be sure that individual components are evenly distributed throughout the material.

A quality infield material will have a lower concentration of clay than the pitcher's mound. The infield skin should be moist and firm, not hard and baked dry. To achieve firmness, an infield mix should not be too sandy. An infield mix with greater than 75% sand causes unstable footing for ballplayers and increases infield skin maintenance problems. A sandy infield will create low spots more quickly and is more likely to create lips at the infield skin/turf interface. Ideally, the infield mix should be between 50% and 75% sand and 25% to 50% clay and silt. A combination that has been successfully used is a 60% sand, 20% silt, 20% clay base mix (sandy clay loam to sandy loam). The silt and clay give the mix firmness. If the mix contains too much silt and clay, compaction and hardness become a problem.

Well, now you have your field of dreams. If you have some big hitters, you may want to erect your outfield fence. This distance varies with the level of play. Confer with League Officials for data listed and recommended placement of outfield fences. Refer to Table 2 for a summary of base, pitching rubber, and outfield wall distances.

Tables

Table 1. Suggested Tool and Supplies for Building a Baseball Field

Table 2. Distance between Bases, from Pitching Rubber to Home Plate, and from Outfield Wall to Home Plate for Various Levels of Play.

Footnotes

1. This document is ENH 159, a series of the Environmental Horticulture Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Publication date: June 2001. Revised: July 2001. Please visit the EDIS web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2. Grady L. Miller, Associate Professor, Environmental Horticulture Department, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

Part of designing your backyard to meet your needs includes making sure you incorporate spaces that are dedicated to favorite hobbies or having fun with your family and friends.

For many homeowners with active families, this means including tennis courts, ping pong tables, putting greens, horseshoe pits, or other courts and fields used for sports.

Depending on what else you would like to have in your backyard, you will also need room for outdoor entertaining areas, an outdoor kitchen or built-in barbecue grill, your vegetable garden, walkways, a lawn area, flower beds or a fountain.

In some cases, a particular space can do double duty and meet more than one of your family’s needs.

For example, an artificial grass lawn can be used as an open play space for kids and pets, and then quickly transformed into a volleyball court or badminton court when your friends arrive.

When creating courts, fields and play spaces for backyard fun, the overall functionality of your yard should be a primary focus, but safety and visual appeal are just as important.

To find some inspiration to help you choose the backyard design that works best for you and your family, check out the following game courts and sports fields ideas that take into consideration safety, functionality and the overall appeal of your yard.

Backyard Game Areas: Things to Consider

Before we dive into various options that might work well for your family and in the space available in your backyard, there are a few things to keep in mind when deciding what will work best for you.

Here are 5 things to consider when designing a game or sports space for your backyard:

1. Do you have enough extra space to dedicate an area for a particular use?

You may have a large yard with plenty of room for a basketball court — or even a baseball diamond — but if space is at a premium, you may need to consider designing a space that can be used for more than one purpose.

2. Can your design idea grow with your family?

Playground equipment is perfect for younger children, but it does not work nearly as well for keeping teenagers occupied with positive activities at home.

When you design a sports or play space, consider how that space can be transformed over the years to continue to meet your family’s changing needs.

Removable sports court surfaces, courts that can be used for multiple purposes, or large areas of artificial grass that do double duty as sports fields are examples of backyard game spaces that can keep up with your growing kids.

3. Do you prefer portable or permanent surfaces and equipment?

Portable games and surfaces are usually less expensive, can be stored when not in use and are easy to change out for something else if your kids switch from baseball to football or outgrow their trampoline.

However, permanent structures and surfaces are usually more attractive and are often safer.

4. Choose a safe ground cover or court surface.

Roughhousing youngsters and competitive adults are sure to slip, fall, scrape their knees and bruise their elbows when playing games or sports in your backyard.

You cannot completely avoid your family members and friends getting a few bumps or abrasions, but you can provide them with safer surfaces by opting for synthetic grass or sports courts designed for backyard use.

5. Can you transform an existing space to better meet your needs?

If our ongoing drought has you thinking about removing your water-hogging natural grass lawn and replacing it with something a bit more earth-friendly, this might be the best place to install your artificial turf putting green or sports court.

If you have an old concrete patio that has seen better days, it still might be in good enough shape to convert to a multi-sport court with a rubber surface placed over the concrete.

This could save you the expense of demolishing the concrete patio and provide you with a backyard sports area that better suits your family’s needs.

10 Backyard Game Courts and Sports Fields Ideas

1. Putting Green

A putting green is a great addition to any golfer’s backyard, particularly if you want to work on your short game or are hoping to encourage your kids to take up the sport.

Artificial turf is a common choice for at-home putting greens and is the best way to ensure a proper putting surface without the tripping hazards, holes and hills that come with natural grass.

A synthetic grass putting green also allows you to get in a few swings whenever you have a chance without having to worry about wetness from sprinklers or rain.

2. Horseshoe Pit

Horseshoe pits are pretty standard in homes where social gatherings are frequently held.

If you want to be fancy and have a regulation court, you will need a rectangular area that is six feet wide and at least 46 feet long.

However, unless you plan on hosting tournaments, you can create a court of any size that works with your landscaping design to give you and your pals a place to pitch some shoes on the weekend.

The actual pit should be sand, dirt or clay, but that long stretch in between the pits will look better, be less dusty and be less of a tripping hazard for inebriated players if you opt for artificial grass or pea gravel.

3. Tennis Court

Backyard tennis courts are hugely convenient for serious players and for families with budding tennis stars.

Traditionally, tennis court surfaces are made from clay, grass or asphalt, all of which are available for backyard court construction.

Opting for synthetic grass makes for an all-weather court that provides a lower-impact playing surface for which your knees and ankles just might thank you.

Another benefit of choosing artificial turf for your tennis court is that it will be easier to transform into something else if your kids lose interest or you decide to overhaul your landscaping design and use the space for something else.

Tennis courts take up more space than almost any other common backyard sports court, so unless you have an unused space that is at least 130 feet long, a backyard tennis court might not be an option.

4. Baseball Diamond

Most homeowners are not going to have the space to install a regulation-size baseball field in their backyard, but a small diamond might be an option if you have some extra land.

If not, you can also downsize your diamond dreams and opt for a batting cage and an area of lawn large enough for some serious games of catch.

Fake grass provides a level, sturdy surface for your outfield without the tripping hazards and mud that come along with natural grass playing fields.

5. Basketball Court

Most homeowners opt for a half court that will fit a little better in the space they have available and still provide a great place to shoot some hoops.

If you are interested in a full court, you will need a space that is at least 60 feet wide and 100 feet long, which means this type of amenity is going to take up some serious real estate.

However, if you opt for a half court you only need a space that is about 60 feet wide and 60 feet long.

More importantly, if a half court will fulfill your basketball needs, this really opens up your options for installing a multi-sport court your family can continue to enjoy as interests change.

6. Volleyball Court

Volleyball is commonly played on grass, sand or a soft, solid surface.

Regulation courts are 30 feet wide and 60 feet long, which might make them a bit large for some homeowners, but you can always shrink the size a bit if you are just playing with friends in your backyard.

A sand court is a great choice if you have a beach theme in your backyard or live close to the coast.

Volleyball is also a good candidate for a multi-sport court, and is a great sport to play on artificial grass.

Choosing a synthetic grass court provides a cushiony, even surface for running, jumping and landing after the perfect spike.

7. Badminton Court

A regulation badminton court is just 20 feet wide and 44 feet long, which makes this a nicer fit for suburban backyards.

Of course, as with other backyard sports, you can always shrink the court even more so that it will better fit your overall landscaping design if you are not concerned about having a regulation-size playing field.

This is another one that works well on a multi-sport court surface or on artificial turf, which can help you save space and avoid taking away from the overall look of your landscaping.

Casual games of badminton can also be immensely enjoyed with a simple, portable badminton set that can be set up quickly on your lawn, so no designated court is necessary for this one.

8. Bocce Ball Court

Bocce ball is an easy, low-impact game that can be enjoyed by all ages, which makes it a popular choice for backyards.

Courts for this sport can be constructed of clay (like a tennis court) or manufactured grass, which provides that ideally level surface necessary for a great game.

There are two additional benefits to installing a backyard bocce ball court: They can be installed in underused areas of your yard, and they look great.

A fake grass bocce ball court requires very little maintenance and looks like a lush, green stretch of lawn when not in use.

Because bocce ball courts are long and narrow, they can often be installed along the side of your yard, which is often underused or even in a side yard to better use that space.

9. Football or Soccer Field

A full-size soccer field or football field is much too large for most backyards, but miniature versions are popping up in suburban yards across the country as youth soccer and football programs continue to gain popularity.

Artificial grass is a no-brainer for this one, particularly when you think of all the mud, grass and dirt that would be tracked into your house on little feet if you used natural grass for your backyard sports field.

One nice thing about installing an area of synthetic turf for this purpose is that you can easily change between soccer goals and football goals, and you can even buy combination goal posts designed for playing both sports on the same field.

Diy Backyard Baseball Field

10. Street Hockey Court

Most homeowners are not going to have room for a regulation-size street hockey court in their backyards, unless you just happen to have an unused space that is about 60 yards wide and 100 yards long.

But that does not mean you cannot enjoy a little roller hockey in your backyard, particularly because so many street hockey enthusiasts have never played on a court that size anyways.

Public basketball courts and parking lots are often the sites of makeshift roller hockey courts, so there is no reason you could not make a large multi-sport court surface work for this.

Backyard Sports: Final Thoughts

Depending on the types of sports your family enjoys, it is likely that all you need is an artificial grass playing field or a multi-sport court surface to meet your family’s needs.

Backyard Football Field

Either of these options help you avoid having mud tracked into your home and are durable choices for high-traffic areas, which is where natural grass sports fields typically have large brown or dead spots.

Backyard Baseball Game

Manufactured grass is a low-maintenance option that looks lush and inviting when not in use as a sports field.

It is a safer surface for physical activities and allows you and your kids to enjoy your favorite games or sports without worrying about wet grass, dirt or mud.

Download Backyard Baseball

Do you have a sports field or court in your backyard? How did you make it work with your landscaping design?