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A regulation pitcher's mound is 10 inches high, and the front of the pitching rubber is 60 feet 6 inches from the back point of home plate — the same height and distance used in MLB and NFHS high school baseball. Little League Major/Minor divisions pitch from 46 ft off a 6 in mound with a 10 ft circle; Little League Intermediate (50/70) uses 50 ft, an 8 in mound and a 12 ft circle. Softball has no raised mound: fastpitch uses a flat 16 ft diameter circle, pitched from 43 ft (adult women and 14U-18U girls) down to 35 ft for 10U. The exact numbers change by level, so use the tables below to match your league's rulebook before you build or buy.
"Pitcher's mound dimensions" is really shorthand for three separate measurements: distance from home plate, mound height, and mound diameter. The table below lines them up for baseball.
| Level | Pitching Distance | Mound Height | Mound Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| MLB / NCAA / NFHS High School | 60 ft 6 in | 10 in | 18 ft |
| Little League Major/Minor (Majors: ages 9-12) | 46 ft | 6 in | 10 ft |
| Little League Intermediate (50/70), ages 11-13 | 50 ft | 8 in | 12 ft |
| PONY 14U | 54 ft | 8 in | Not specified in PONY rules |
At the MLB/NCAA/NFHS level, the pitching rubber (pitcher's plate) itself measures 24 in long by 6 in wide. Little League's Intermediate (50/70) layout uses a 12 ft circle, while PONY's 14U rules set the 54 ft distance and 8 in height but don't specify a mound diameter, so check with your specific league before pouring concrete or ordering clay.
The headline number most people search for is how far the pitcher's mound is from home plate, and the answer depends entirely on the level of play. At MLB, NCAA and NFHS high school fields, the pitching rubber is set 60 ft 6 in from the back point (apex) of home plate. The center of the 18 ft mound circle is actually 59 ft from that same point, because the rubber is positioned 18 in behind the center of the circle — a detail that matters when you're laying out the mound rather than just placing the rubber.
For youth baseball, the little league mound distance is shorter: 46 ft for the Little League Major/Minor divisions (Majors is ages 9-12). As players move up, Little League Intermediate (50/70, ages 11-13) moves the rubber back to 50 ft, and PONY 14U pushes it to 54 ft. Softball doesn't use a mound at all — pitchers work from a flat circle, and distances there are covered in the softball section below.
Mound height is measured as the elevation of the pitching plate above the level of home plate. At the MLB, NCAA and NFHS level, that height is 10 in. Little League Major/Minor mounds are lower, at 6 in, while Little League Intermediate (50/70) and PONY 14U mounds are built to 8 in. Softball fields have no mound height at all, since fastpitch and slowpitch both pitch from flat, level ground.
| Level | Mound Height |
|---|---|
| MLB / NCAA / NFHS High School | 10 in |
| Little League Intermediate (50 ft) & PONY 14U (54 ft) | 8 in |
| Little League Major/Minor (46 ft) | 6 in |
| Softball (all fastpitch/slowpitch distances) | Flat, no mound |
This is also why portable pitching mounds are commonly sold in 4 in, 6 in, 8 in and 10 in heights — those four heights cover the range of mound elevations used from entry-level youth ball up through high school and college.
The pitcher's mound shape at the MLB/NCAA/NFHS level is a circle 18 ft in diameter, not a simple hump. On top of that circle sits a flat table, or plateau, measuring 5 ft wide by 34 in deep. The pitching rubber sits within that plateau, with the flat area extending 6 in in front of the rubber and 22 in behind it.
In front of the plateau, the mound slopes down toward home plate. The slope begins 6 in in front of the rubber and drops at a rate of 1 in per 1 ft over a 6 ft run, taking the surface from the 10 in mound height down to 4 in. This gradual, consistent slope is what lets a pitcher stride and land safely as they deliver the ball.
Softball fields skip the raised mound entirely. Fastpitch uses a flat pitching circle 16 ft in diameter (an 8 ft radius) centered on the pitcher's plate; USA Softball rules call for the circle in fast pitch only, so slowpitch needs just the pitcher's plate. The pitcher's plate itself measures 24 in by 6 in, the same footprint as a baseball rubber, but it sits flush with the ground.
| Level | Pitching Distance | Circle Diameter |
|---|---|---|
| NCAA / High School / Adult Women (fastpitch) | 43 ft | 16 ft |
| 12U and younger youth (fastpitch) | 40 ft | 16 ft |
| 10U (fastpitch) | 35 ft | 16 ft |
| Adult Men (fastpitch) | 46 ft | 16 ft |
| Adult Slowpitch (USA Softball) | 50 ft | No circle (USA Softball uses the 16 ft circle in fast pitch only) |
Because the circle diameter stays the same (16 ft) across fastpitch levels, the main variable to plan for is pitching distance, which shortens as age level drops.
Youth baseball is set up as a progression of distances and heights as players get older and stronger. Little League Majors, for players ages 9-12, uses a 46 ft distance with a 6 in mound and a 10 ft diameter circle. As leagues transition players toward the full high school distance, Little League Intermediate (50/70, ages 11-13) moves to 50 ft with an 8 in mound and a 12 ft circle, and PONY 14U uses 54 ft, also with an 8 in mound. Each step up in distance is paired with a taller mound, easing players toward the 60 ft 6 in, 10 in mound they'll see in high school, college and professional baseball.
Before building or ordering a mound, think about the full footprint, not just the pitching distance. An MLB/NCAA/NFHS mound occupies an 18 ft diameter circle, while a Little League Major/Minor mound only needs a 10 ft diameter circle — just over half the width. Softball needs no elevated structure at all, just a level 16 ft diameter circle for fastpitch, which makes it easier to fit on shared or multi-use fields. Also account for the fact that the rubber sits 18 in in front of the mound's true center on full-size fields, so the circle extends further behind the rubber (toward the plateau's 22 in rear edge) than in front of it. If you're using a portable mound, match its height (4 in, 6 in, 8 in or 10 in) to the level you're building for so the slope and plateau feel correct to pitchers moving between practice and game surfaces.
Baseball dimensions in this guide come from the MLB 2026 Official Baseball Rules (Rule 2.01, Rule 2.04 and Appendix 3, Pitching Mound diagram), Little League International's Major/Minor Divisions Pitching Mound Layout, Intermediate (50/70) Pitching Mound Layout and baseball divisions overview, and the PONY 14U league rules. High school baseball follows the NFHS Baseball Rules Book (Rule 1), and college baseball the NCAA Baseball Rules. Softball distances and the pitching circle come from the USA Softball 2026 Official Rules of Softball (Rule 2 and Official Distance Table). Always confirm current measurements with your specific league or governing body before construction, since local leagues sometimes adopt their own variations.
Ready to build or upgrade your mound? Browse pitching mounds and field defense equipment for full-size and game-level mounds, check out portable game and practice mounds for adjustable-height options across youth to high school levels, find a compliant pitching mound rubber to match your rulebook, and outfit your cage or bullpen with a reliable pitching machine for repeatable practice reps.
At MLB, NCAA and NFHS high school level, it's 60 ft 6 in from the back point of home plate. Little League Major/Minor divisions use 46 ft, Little League Intermediate (50/70) uses 50 ft, and PONY 14U uses 54 ft.
MLB, NCAA and NFHS mounds are 10 in high. Little League Intermediate (50/70) and PONY 14U mounds are 8 in, and Little League Major/Minor mounds are 6 in. Softball has no raised mound.
In NFHS high school baseball, the front of the pitching rubber is 60 ft 6 in from the back point of home plate and the mound is 10 in high, the same as MLB.
Little League Major/Minor divisions (Majors is ages 9-12) pitch from 46 ft, with a 6 in mound height and a 10 ft diameter mound circle.
It's an 18 ft diameter circle (at the MLB/NCAA/NFHS level) with a flat 5 ft by 34 in plateau on top holding the rubber, and a sloped front section dropping 1 in per 1 ft for 6 ft toward home plate.
It varies by level: 43 ft for NCAA, high school and adult women's fastpitch, 46 ft for adult men's fastpitch, 40 ft for 12U and younger, 35 ft for 10U, and 50 ft for adult slowpitch.
Both baseball and softball pitching rubbers measure 24 in long by 6 in wide.
The fastpitch softball pitching circle is 16 ft in diameter (an 8 ft radius) around the pitcher's plate, and it's flat rather than raised. USA Softball rules use the circle in fast pitch only.
Gary Thomas