What Size Softball Glove Do I Need

Your Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right Baseball and Softball Glove Size

Choosing the right softball or baseball glove size is crucial for success in either sport. Whether you're in the outfield, infield, on the pitcher's mound, at tertiary base, or anywhere else, a properly-plumbing equipment glove will be your game'southward foundation.
Identifying the correct measurements tin can exist tricky, which is why we've put together this guide. Keep reading for our recommendations based on age and position.

Softball and Baseball game Glove Size Charts

The ranges in our sizing charts accommodate smaller, average, and larger hands. We carry each size in our baseball, fastpitch, and slowpitch collections.

Youth Baseball Glove Size Chart

Age	Outfield	Catcher	Starting time Base	Second Base/Curt Stop	Tertiary Base	Pitcher
xi–13	eleven.75–12.5"	31–32.5"	11.five–12.5"	11–11.5"	11–xi.75"	11.5–12"
8–10	10–12"	31–31.5"	xi.5–12"	10.v–eleven.25"	10.five–11.5"	10.5–11.v"
7 and under	ix–10.5"	na	xi.5"	9–10.5"	ix–10.five"	9–10.5"

Adult Baseball Glove Size Chart

By age xiv and above, ideal glove sizes become standardized.

Historic period	Outfield	Catcher	Outset Base	2d Base/Short End	Third Base	Bullpen
fourteen and higher up	12–13"	32–34.5"	12.5"–13"	11.25–11.75"	xi.5–12"	eleven.5–12.five"

Youth Fastpitch Softball Glove Size Chart

Historic period	Outfield	Catcher	First Base	2d Base/Brusque Stop	3rd Base	Pitcher
11–13	xi.75–12.5""	31–32.5"	12–13"	eleven.v–12"	11.v–12.5"	xi.5–12.v"
8–10	10–12"	30–32."	11.five–12"	10.v–11.5"	x.5–11.5"	ten.v–11.five"
7 and under	9–11"	northward.a	11.v"	ix–x.5"	9–10.5"	9–10.5"

Adult Fastpitch Softball Glove Size Chart

Historic period	Outfield	Catcher	Kickoff Base	Second Base/Short Finish	Third Base of operations	Pitcher
14 and above	12–13"	33–34"	12–13"	11.5–12.v"	eleven.75–12.5"	12–12.5"

Slowpitch Softball Glove Size Nautical chart

Slowpitch softball gloves come in a smaller range of standard sizes that fit players of all ages.

Outfield	First Base of operations	2nd Base/Curt End	Third Base	Pitcher
15.5–15"	31–32.5"	11.v–12.5"	12.5–thirteen"	12.5–xiii"

How should a baseball game/softball glove fit?

As you can see in the charts above, recommended baseball and softball glove come in a range of sizes. To ensure a glove'southward suitability, you'll need to evaluate how information technology fits on the players wrist and mitt. The glove should fit snugly. A floppy glove will reduce your ability to catch properly whereas an overly-tight glove will make for an uncomfortable fit.
Primal factors to consider when choosing the correct glove size are the wrist size and fit on the hand. If a glove is besides big it volition experience loose on the hand, palm and fingers. A glove with an adjustable wrist strap is a great option for younger players or those with smaller easily.

How to measure a baseball/softball correctly?

New gloves come with specifications on the tag. You can typically find the measurements etched into either the thumb or pinky finger. If your glove doesn't have any specifications, stretch a measuring tape between the tip of the alphabetize finger, downward along the glove, and to the center heel.

Tips for selecting the right Baseball or Softball Glove

Everything you demand to know almost webbing, padding and glove materials

Carefully consider the type of webbing

Webbing comes in dissimilar styles, some of which are better suited for particular positions. Come across the chart beneath.

Type Of Webbing	Description	Ideal Positions
Two Piece Closed	A two-slice closed web allows you to hibernate the brawl and your fingers. Information technology'due south popular amidst pitchers for this reason.	Bullpen Center Infielder Catcher First Base
Modified Trapeze	If yous don't have a particular webbing preference all the same, the modified trapeze style is versatile enough to beginning with for nearly positions.	Pitcher 3rd Base Outfield
Trapeze Web	The trapeze web style is very popular among outfielders because it helps with catching balls that brand it out that far.	Outfield
I-Spider web	I-Web gloves are very popular with infielders because the big gaps hands allow dirt and droppings to fall through.	Infield
H-Web	The H-Web design is very sturdy. Large gaps also allow players to go along an eye on fly balls.	Outfield Third Base
Basket Spider web	The handbasket web is another style that allows you to hide the ball easily, which pitchers prefer.	Pitcher Third Base Catcher Kickoff Base

Fastpitch softball players should choose an open spider web pattern for the following positions:

First Base
Heart Infielder
Outfield

The open spider web design helps you lot get the ball out of your hand and fix for throwing much faster.

The following positions fastpitch baseball should use airtight web designs for their additional support:

Pitcher
Third Base of operations
Outfield

Choose an appropriate corporeality of padding

The ideal amount of padding also depends on what position y'all play. See the chart below.

Position	Amount Of Padding Needed	Explanation
Catcher	Extra	Pitches travel very apace. Ample padding is needed to prevent injuries. Padding also wears down quickly in a catcher's mitt, which is why y'all need enough to brainstorm with.
Start Base	Extra	The commencement baseman requires mobility when scooping balls out of the dirt.
Bullpen	Non Much	The bullpen's glove is designed to exist flexible, light, and comfortable. Pitchers still do need to take hold of drives coming in their direction but by and large aren't every bit concerned about padding equally players in other positions.
Infielder	Not Much	Infield gloves tend to be on the smaller side to allow for faster transitions.
Outfielder	Non much; more accent on support for fingers	Outfield gloves are typically on the wider side with more than support in the fingers. This makes it easier to take hold of from this position.

Try dissimilar types of leather

There are four main types of leather used to produce baseball and softball gloves. They are as follows:

Full-grain leather

Total-grain leather gloves are stiffer than most other types. This is a effect of the grain being left intact during the manufacturing process. One time the glove breaks in, all the same, you'll find it lasts longer and feels better than most other types of leather.
Ideal For: Frequent players, given the rigorous activeness required to break a total-grain leather glove in.

Premium Steerhide

As the proper noun would propose, premium steerhide is one of the more luxurious baseball glove materials. It still arrives adequately strong and will need to exist broken in. Professional person players typically use premium steerhide.
Ideal For: Serious players who don't mind spending a bit more coin on a glove.

Kip

Kip is also a premium baseball and softball glove textile but arrives more supple than premium steerhide.
Ideal For: Players who want a premium glove but don't want to spend hours breaking it in.

Basic Leather or Cowhide

This is the base-level glove. It breaks in very quickly simply also wears down chop-chop, showing its historic period faster than the other types of leather.
Ideal For: Casual players or those just getting started in the sport.

Don't have preferences yet? Stick with the basics

Padding, webbing, textile, and fit give y'all enough of variables to remember about when choosing a baseball or softball glove. If yous're new to the sport and haven't had fourth dimension to develop preferences, don't worry! Hither are our recommendations for each position.

Components of a Baseball game/Softball Glove

When shopping for gear, you lot need to consider non just your softball or baseball glove'due south size but too its various components and how they'll affect your gameplay. Let'southward wait at the various components of softball and baseball gloves.

Webbing

A baseball or softball glove's webbing connects the pollex and fingers. This component is essential for catching the ball and keeping it in your mitt. Sure hits like fly assurance and line drives would be near-incommunicable to catch without webbing.

Palm

The palm on a baseball or softball glove is heavily padded (for some positions more others) to offer protection against impacts. This prevents the brawl from damaging your lunate, ulna, scaphoid, and radius bones.

Heel

Your glove'southward heel lies just below the palm. It's also typically padded.

Hinge

Baseball and softball gloves accept a section at which they fold shut. This department is chosen the hinge and information technology makes holding onto your catch possible.

Adjusters

Adjusters aren't nowadays on every glove just tend to be found on those meant for youth baseball game and softball. They'll allow you to customize your glove's fit based on conditions.

Fingers

A baseball game or softball glove'due south fingers are, of course, where your four digits go. Some gloves actually lock the eye and index fingers in place to offering better control. This is an alternative to what many players do, which is stick those fingers exterior of the glove.

Lace

Lace is what holds the baseball game or softball glove together, giving information technology grade. These are typically thin pieces of leather that get more flexible over time as your glove "breaks in."