Very Basic Guide to Making A Softball Field
Contents
1. but they can also be very simple and temporary by using a portable backstop four bases and some foul lines To help you build a softball field that is appropriate for your budget and needs the ISF offers two different Facilities Manuals e ISF Technical amp Venue Manual Available from ISF for Olympic Regional and Multi sport competitions e ISF Very Basic Guide to Making a Softball Field You are reading it Let s read on and learn just how YOU can make a softball field out of what you might already have available wherever you re trying to play softball The key is to be CREATIVE and you can build a softball field that everyone can enjoy Good Luck Contents What Does a Softball Field Look Like Parts of a Softball Field Where to Start Making the Playing Surface Making the Backstop Make the Foul Lines Other Parts of the Softball Field DU EE Or ee es e Et Must Haves Home Plate and Pitcher s Plate Bases Can Haves Outfield Fence Dugouts Scorer s Area Bleachers Scoreboards 8 Caring For Your Field The grass The infield dirt if you have any 1 What Does A Softball Field Look Like The playing facility where a softball game is played is referred to as a Softball Field Depending on what part of the world you re from it might also be a Softball Pitch or a Softball Facility What you call it likely depends on where you re from but just know that the officia2. Skinning the Infield If you re lucky enough to have your own land to use then you will probably want to have an all dirt infield and to do so means you re going to have to remove all the dirt from the infield area which is called skinning your infield Figure 1 A 65 19 8m 60 18 29m 55 16 76m The distance of the infield cut out is measured from the front center of the pitching rubber The outfield grass arc is usually the same distance from the pitching rubber in and arc as the bases are apart from each other Note if you are using your softball field for both adults and children s games which means you will be using different base distances then your outfield grass arc should be at 65 19 8m which is where it would go for the adults The children won t care if the grass starts too far away This is much better than having it be too close to the adult infielders Clean the Infield Once you ve removed the grass from your infield then you ll need to clear off all the little stray grass sections and weeds cleaning your infield Cleaning it will best be done by hand with a few people walking all over the dirt portion and picking out all the stray grass and weeds Adding a Sprinkler System If you re really serious about making a good looking softball field and then keeping it in good condition you re going to need to have a sprinkler system underneath both the outfield grass and the infield di
3. The Pitcher s plate is also called the pitching rubber and is a strip of rubber or carpet or chalk that s a long rectangular shape like the picture below The size is listed on page 12 of this manual The pitcher s plate goes directly out in front of home plate whatever pitching distance your particular age group or game uses as listed on page 9 Bases Your field will need to have three bases on it with one base on three of the four corners of the diamond shaped infield The fourth corner will be home plate Each of the bases is square shaped and raised in order to make it easier for both the offensive and defensive players to make plays around the bases The dimensions of the bases are listed on page 12 of this manual If it s possible you should have a double base at first base which is just what it sounds like it s two bases put side by side as shown below The double first base or safety base as it s usually called is designed to allow for two bases at the most active base which is first base One base the white one is the defensive base and the other base the orange base belongs to the runner This helps prevent collisions when the ball and the runner arrive at 1 base at the same time 27 From this view you can see how much a base is raised above the infield surface Again this isn t mandatory but it will help increase the quality of the game played on your field if you are able to fig
4. 122m 4j BATTERS BOX nnd 38 1 em 13 38 1 cm 157 SECOND amp THIRD BASE tap view SECOND amp THIRD BASE side view PITCHER S PLATE O6 am C247 0 9 m 3 219m 7T 43 2 em 17 E h 3 05 m 107 HOMEPLATE 7 6em 25 36 5 em 12 38 I cm 157 38 1 em 157 38 1 em 157 FIRST BASE SAFETY BASE lop view 13 7 em 37 maximum Tai em 37 Minium FIRST BASE SAFETY BASE skde view 12 Placed on either side of home plate are big rectangles called batter s boxes These are where the batter stands to hit the ball The following diagram shows the measurements for placing the batters boxes and catcher s box the area where the catcher plays in relationship to home plate OO m Y F T3 m C25 4 2m 45 219m 7 09 m 3 BATTER 5 BOX nnd CATCHER 5 BOX DETAILS 3 08 m 107 275m 8 57 13 The last measurement that will really come in handy when you are laying out the bases for your field is the distance between home plate and 2 base Since the base distances vary between fast and slowpitch and between age groups so too will the distance between home plate and 2 base Here s a guide to knowing that distance Home Plate to 2 4 Base Measurements 65 ft Base Distances 19 81m 60 ft Base Distances 18 29m 84 10 1 4 25 86m 55 ft Base Distances 16 76m TP 9 1 4 23 07m 14
5. If your infield dirt becomes really hard which often happens following heavy rains you might need to use what is called a nail drag to break up the ground A nail drag is just that a drag that has long nails or spikes coming out of the bottom of it as shown to the left The nails help break up the dirt which will 34 then allow you to move your regular drag over the infield and further break up the dirt clumps Once all the clumps have been worked out of the infield then you ll want to give the field a light watering y Watering Your Infield Dirt Watering your dirt is crucial to keeping it in great playing condition and to keep it from drying out and blowing away When you water your dirt you will want to sprinkle the water over it so that no mud or puddles form You don t want to just turn the water on full and walk away and leave the hose for an hour this will create a total mess when you return You can use a sprinkler to water the infield dirt if it rotates around the field If you don t have a sprinkler then you ll have to water by hand Just know that even though it might take you a lot of time to do this it will really help the quality of your infield a result X Weed Your Infield Dirt Pull out any weeds you find as soon as you see them More Information We hope this manual has helped you and your federation learn how to build a softball field on a very limited budget The intent was not to create a total a
6. over your grass to fill in the low spots and to help smooth out and even out the playing surface Over Seed Over seed means to place a second seed blend into your grass surface Every time that you aerate and topdress your field you should take the time to over seed these same areas to help strengthen your grass Over seeding means to throw some grass seeds on top or over the existing grass You can check with a local gardening or sports field turf expert to help you know the best grass variety for your field and area of the world Fertilizing Your Grass Your turf must have nutrients of nitrogen phosphorous and potassium in order to grow strong enough to handle the pressures that come with being a sport field turf Local agriculture and garden experts can help you determine what the right fertilizer mix for your region will be You should apply a complete balanced fertilizer at least once per year to your field and then supplement it by several additional applications of nitrogen during the growing seasons if possible Watering Your Grass Once you have grass in your outfield you should irrigate or water heavily at least one day per week if that s possible for you This forces the roots to seek water down in the soil resulting in a stronger and deeper root system Try to water your turf immediately following a game or tournament in order to help the grass recover and strengthen quicker Under severe drought conditions your turf w
7. and forth From second base to center field back and forth al 33 Caring For Your Dirt If your softball field has a dirt infield then you re going to have to spend time caring for it just as you do the grass on your field Your infield dirt needs to be watered and weeded just as often as your outfield grass Watering your infield dirt prevents the dirt from drying out and blowing away and the weeding keeps the infield smooth from bad bounces and looking clean and nice X Drag Your Infield Dirt The best way to care for your infield dirt and to make sure it stays level and smooth is to drag it This is a term for dragging or raking the dirt in a long arching fashion Dragging will occur before a game match or practice to make sure that the dirt is level and then following the game or practice to make sure that the ground stays level You can use several rakes or brooms to drag your infield or you can make a long mat and attach it to a rope to pull it or drag it across the infield as shown below When dragging the infield make sure that the drag does not overlap onto your outfield grass area This will cause a dirt build up and a lip will begin to form which will cause ground balls that hit this lip to jump thus making it more difficult for your outfielders Try to vary the direction and the design of your dragging so that your dirt does not begin to form ruts from the drag v Nail Drag Your Infield Dirt
8. as there are athletic sport fields in your country So there s always a positive way to look at your situation C Who Will Be Playing On Your Field Since children play on smaller sized softball fields than adults and fastpitch uses different distances than slowpitch if your field is going to be used by players of all ages then you will need to have the ability to quickly find the correct field distances for each age group While this isn t hard to do it will be important for you to know what age groups might possibly use your field so that when you re making it you can mark out the different distances all at once In addition to knowing the various age groups that will possibly use your field you re going to need to know if teams will be playing both fastpitch and slowpitch because again the distances for these two variations of softball are different Speaking of different sized softball fields for different groups let s look at some charts to see how each age group differs and also how much different fastpitch is from slowpitch The first chart we ll look at shows the ISF regulation distances for bases the pitching rubber the outfield fences if you have any and the size of ball to be used Please note that these distances are based upon the 2010 2013 ISF Official Rule Book If you are reading this manual later than 2013 then you should consult the ISF website www ISFsoftball org for the latest rules and distances I
9. only very creative but also meets their needs of being portable The key to remember when using NETTING as your backstop is to make sure the holes in the netting are smaller than the size of a softball so the ball won t go through your backstop 23 Here are a few other examples of people being very creative in making their backstops and using what is available to them Using a hammer discus cage in Kenya In China they place metal poles in the ground to hold up the netting These poles have hooks on the top inside part and the netting just slips onto the hooks To summarize your budget and the permanency of your softball field will dictate what you do with your backstop If you are able to use metal poles then try to use the thinnest poles that will be strong enough to hold up your netting or fencing Thinner poles allow fans on the other side of the backstop to more easily see the game instead of looking at poles the whole game The taller your backstops the thicker your poles will need to be in order to support the weight of the netting or fence And finally use what you have available in your part of the world bamboo poles work as well in India as metal poles do in China or Kenya 24 6 Making the Foul Lines Foul lines are lines placed from the back point of home plate out in two directions all the way to the far part of the outfield or to the outfield fence if you have one And just like in football cricket
10. or rugby they are white so they are easily seen against the colors of the grass and dirt These Y Foul lines foul lines are usually made with chalk you can use the same material they use to line the football soccer field but you can also use flour or even very fine grade sand if its white and you have lots of it Once again be creative in using what you have available to you in order to make the foul lines on your softball field Chalk for your foul lines can either be applied by hand or by using a line roller Field paint can also be used instead of chalk just keep in mind that it s a lot more permanent so if you have to share fields with other sports you might want to stick to using chalk or lime Many of our federations have been creative with making their foul lines as well but none more than Kenya when they premiered softball in the All African Military Games in the main football stadium of Nairobi In order to show off the sport to as many people as possible the Kenyan Softball Federation agreed to play on the football field with the agreement that they would not make any permanent lines on the field So what did they do They used bed sheets torn into strips the width of a foul line and then tied end to end and fastened across the running track to some bench legs 25 This is a very creative solution that allowed softball to be played in front of very large crowds and yet not make any marks on the football field
11. Looking at the sheet up close 3 A you can see some slight fraying of the edges but when you look at the foul line from beyond 1 base 4 A it looks the same as a foul line painted on a field in the USA 5 A f Other Parts of the Softball Field Once you ve got your field distances and the foul lines marked there are some things that you MUST HAVE and some things that you CAN HAVE on your softball field The more permanent and impressive you want your field the more of these items you ll want to add Your budget will also play a big part in which of the following items you decide to add to your field The Must Haves are things that every softball field has no matter where it s located or how large or small the budget Let s take a look at the Must Haves Home Plate and Pitcher s Plate Bases Home Plate and Pitcher s Plate Home plate is a five sided object that has a straight front and two straight sides with a point in the back The long straight side points at the pitcher and the pointed side goes in the back toward the catcher The reason that home plate has a point is because this is where both foul lines meet Home plate is usually made of hard rubber so when baserunners with metal cleats on step on home plate they won t slip and fall but can be made of wood carpet or even drawn out of chalk or lime as shown here in India You will find the dimensions for home plate on page 11 of this manual 26
12. SF OFFICIAL DISTANCE TABLES DIVISION AGE GROUP BASES PITCHING patel BALL SIZE ADULT FASTPITCH Men 18 29m 60 ft 14 02m 46 ft 76 20m 250 ft 30 5cm 12 inch FASTPITCH Women 18 29m 60 ft _ 13 11m 43 ft _ 67 06m 220 ft 30 5cm 12 inch SLOWPITCH Men 19 81m 65 ft 15 24m 50 ft 91 44m 300 ft 30 5cm 12 inch SLOWPITCH Women 19 81m 65 ft 15 24m 50 ft _ 83 82m 275 ft 27 9cm 11 inch SLOWPITCH Co ed 19 81m 65 ft 15 24m 50 ft 83 82m 275ft 30 5cm 12 inch YOUTH FASTPITCH Jr Women 19 under 18 29m 60 ft 13 11m 43 ft 67 06m 220 ft 30 5cm 12 inch FASTPITCH Jr Men 19 under 18 29m 60 ft 14 02m 46 ft 76 20m 250 ft 30 5cm 12 inch FASTPITCH Jr Women 16 under 18 29m 60 ft 12 19m 40 ft 67 06m 220 ft 30 5cm 12 inch FASTPITCH Jr Men 16 under 18 29m 60 ft 14 02m 46 ft 76 20m 250 ft 30 5cm 12 inch SLOWPITCH Jr Women 19 under 19 81m 65 ft 15 24m 50 ft _ 80 77m 265 ft 27 9cm 11 inch SLOWPITCH Jr Men 19 under 19 81m 65 ft 15 24m 50 ft 91 44m 300 ft 30 5cm 12 inch SLOWPITCH Jr Women 16 under 19 81m 65 ft 14 02m 46 ft 80 77m 265 ft 27 9cm 11 inch SLOWPITCH Jr Men 16 under 19 81m 65 ft 14 02m 46 ft 91 44m 300 ft 30 5cm 12 inch Now for those of you that will possibly be using this field for sc
13. Very Basic Guide to Making A Softball Field M International Softball Federation MESSAGE FROM ISF PRESIDENT DON PORTER Like all sports for practice training or competition a field of play is needed and while softball is competed in at the international level it is also played by millions who do not compete at these levels but still need a field to practice and compete The ISF s number one priority is the development of the sport at all levels of play including recreational schools clubs and masters so a playing field that can be easily and economically built and maintained is a must This guide is designed to help those in countries cities towns and villages that have land space but not the technical information to prepare a field of play for softball Softball is a growing global sport and it is important that the International Softball Federation and its over 125 member National Federations provide support to those that wish to develop organize and play softball This guide is part of that commitment hen f Don E Porter ISF President This manual is not intended to be a complete and comprehensive guide for dealing with every aspect of managing a softball field Instead the purpose of this manual is to help the reader build a very simple softball field out of whatever might be available ISF Championship softball stadiums can be very impressive and expensive structures built to hold over 10 000 people
14. e Comments Higher than recommended amounts increased soil mobility increased maintenance Avoid sands with surfaces that are severely angular or rounded as well as highly spherical For lower maintenance fields use a soil with 65 7596 sand content High maintenance infields can use a tighter soil for better traction by decreasing the sand content to between 55 and 65 Stay with lower end of recommended values to avoid dusty infields High levels of silt 23096 will increase the slickness of an infield skin surface when it is wet Sand 50 75 Silt 15 35 Infield soils with clay contents higher than 25 may require the addition of soil amendments for proper soil consistency Clay 15 35 18 Most infield mixtures will be some combination of Sand Clay Silt If you can have these mixed locally and dumped on your field it will really make a difference in the quality of the field and how safe the field is for your players to play on Infield soil selection will vary from location to location For example a good infield mix is 65 clay 10 silt and 25 sand mixture which passes through a 32 cm 1 8 inches screen If you are able to you can further condition the soil by adding a mixture call TURFACE Pro League at a 20 blend 10 16cm 4 inches deep to absorb excess water and to keep the clay from becoming too hard Rain should not ruin the infield soil because TURFACE is incorporated into
15. h is a pretty tough job An outfield fence can be made of netting wood or fencing as long as 28 o If made of some hard material like wood or fencing it is tall enough to prevent an outfielder from flying over the fence if they run into it while catching a ball running full speed o If you use some kind of pole or stake to hold up the fence that the top of the stake is padded and the outfielder s head cannot hit the stake while trying to make a catch Dugouts This is the part of the softball field where the teams sit while they are batting or where the extra players and coaches sit for the team on defense Dugouts can be as simple as a bench for players to sit on and as fancy as being covered and having bathrooms Most dugouts have enough sitting room for about 15 to 18 people and are usually covered to protect the players from the sun and any rain Dugouts are located off the field of play so that they don t get in the way of a player making a play Let s look at a few examples of dugouts from different places around the world This is an unusually large dugout that has a protective screen in front so the ball is not hit into the dugout This is a simple dugout that also provides shade for some of the fans as well as the players Here s a well shaded dugout that barely holds three grown men so it might need to be a bit bigger 29 Scorer s Area The area where the scorer sits should be behind or near h
16. hool aged programs while the ISF does not currently offer World Championships in age groups below 16 years of age or a Jr Boys World Cup we do encourage younger aged children to learn to play softball Therefore the following table shows the suggested distances and ball sizes for young children Suggested Distances School Age Programs Age Pitching Bases Ball Size 6 and Under T ball 25 feet 7 6m tennis balls 8 and Under 10 and Under 12 and Under 14 and Under T ball 35 feet 10 66 m 35 feet 10 66 m 40 feet 12 19 m 45 feet 13 7 m 55 feet 16 76 m 60 feet 18 28 m 60 feet 18 28 m 9 inches 22 8cm or tennis ball 11 inches 27 94 cm 12 inches 30 48 cm 12 inches 30 48 cm 4 Making the Playing Surface How you make the actual playing surface of your softball field will depend on whether you have your own land to use or if you need to place your field on an already existing multi sport field or a football field Before we discuss playing on a dirt infield versus an all grass infield let s look at some diagrams of how you layout an actual softball field keeping in mind the distances that we just looked at in the previous tables Playing Field Layout and Dimensions The following diagram shows the field layout and distances for a women s fastpitch game using a 13 11m 43 ft pitching distance 18 29m 60 ft bases and no outfield fence Please remember that the pitching
17. ill lose 1 cm 1 4 to 1 3 inches of water per day When grass starts to show wilt due to heat and lack of water the areas should be soaked to a depth of 15 24 25 4 cm 6 10 inches Deep water encourages deep root growth which is good Be careful though because too much 32 watering can cause your grass to be waterlogged and spongy If you live in a region of the world that gets frequent rains remember that frequent aerating will help to keep the soil open and allow the water to be absorbed better down into the root system Try to water early in the day and do it slowly and heavily to let the water get deep into the root system Mowing Your Grass Once your grass starts growing you will need to start mowing your grass Mowing patterns should be alternated every time your turf is cut This promotes a strong and level turf surface by forcing your grass to grow upward rather than falling in horizontal pattern The mowing of the outfield grass should be done often enough so that the grass does not grow more than 2 54 cm 1 inch above the desired length A longer cut may be used on fields that are not being used regularly The longer cut permits greater photosynthesis developing stronger healthier grass There usually are four mowing patterns to use on softball fields Mowing Pattern Tips 1 Up and down parallel to the right field foul line 2 Up and down parallel to the left field foul line 3 4 From foul pole to foul pole back
18. ing sports field like a football field cricket pitch rugby field or hockey field e Indoors on a sports court So first determine what land you have to use to make a softball field Maybe you have to share the land or space with other sports and if so that s okay but your field will be a little more temporary in that case And maybe you actually have a piece of land that has been given to you to use only for softball and if that s the case then you are very fortunate and are able to make your softball field much more permanent Which leads us to the next item to consider B Will it be Permanent or Temporary This question is crucial If you can make your field permanent then you ll be able to do so much more with it and gradually make it better over time But if the only way you can have a softball field at all is to say place one on the corner of a football field when it s not in use or some other sports playing field then that s what you ll have to do So you ll need to get creative and make things much more portable so that you ll be able to have a softball field wherever there s a football field Remember to always try and look at your situation in a positive manner having a permanent field means that you can play on it whenever you want to and you can make improvements on it over time On the other hand having a temporary field that can fit on any sport field and can be moved allows you to have as many different softball fields
19. ion of your softball field assuming that your field has a dirt infield If not then caring only for grass becomes your main concern The more time and attention you give your field the nicer it will look and the better playing surface it will be for your teams and competitions Caring For Your Grass Any kind of heavy athletic traffic is hard on grass The constant use from running makes the dirt underneath the grass get compacted which weakens the grass Let s look at some things you can do to try and maintain better care of the grass on your softball field whether it s your outfield and infield grass or just the grass on your outfield X Aerate Your Field Aerating is the most important turf maintenance practice It helps loosen up the compacted soil caused by all the foot traffic and allows the air and water to move freely within the roots of the grass The core aerator machine is used to pull plugs or cores out of the ground to alleviate soil compaction allowing water fertilizer and oxygen to more easily move down to the roots This is a common practice for all types of grass sporting fields and not just something done on softball fields so you should talk to 3l the operators of other sport pitches or fields regarding how they aerate their grass These aerators usually all have handles on them and can be pushed by hand or pulled behind a tractor Topdress Your Field This means to spread a light material usually sand
20. isting field will allow you to use lines that might already be there to make the other sport fields Pick a corner that might already have some fencing to serve as your backstop If possible try to place the field so that sun is not in either the batter s or the 1 baseman s eyes Unless you play at Noon when the sun is directly overhead the sun will be in somebody s eyes that s unavoidable What you don t want is for the sun to be in the eyes of the batter the pitcher or the 1 baseman Once you decide where to place your softball field walk that portion of the sport field and make sure all rocks are off the field and that there are no large holes that players could step in and sprain their ankle 21 The picture on the left shows a softball field on an all grass multi sport playing field in India On the right you can see how they placed a softball field in a football soccer stadium in Kenya If your situation forces you to use an existing sport field or pitch for your softball field then just keep in mind the five tips mentioned above and that you will still need to measure and place down bases home plate and a pitching rubber D Making the Backstop A backstop is a structure usually fencing or netting of a small weave type that is placed behind home plate about 4 57m to 9 14 m 15 30 ft Now the Softball Field Dimensions guide on page 11 of this manual states as does the ISF Rule Book that it sh
21. l term is a Softball Field And no the term does not refer to a meadow or a field Let s look at the playing surface for a softball game a softball field and identify the different parts of the field The two main portions of the field are The Infield The Outfield The OUTFIELD is an all grass area that goes the entire width of your field and all the way to the outfield fence if there is one It s the portion of the field beyond the infield The INFIELD is the portion of the field that is usually dirt covered and is commonly a curved cutout that extends from just past 3 2 and 1 base 2 Parts of a Softball Field Building a softball field can involve making an infield and an outfield but it must involve the following BASES HOMEPLATE PITCHING RUBBER FOUL LINES A Pitching Rubber 4 3 Base i 1st Base Foul Line 7 Foul Line d Homeplate 3 _ Where to Start Here are some important questions to find answers to when starting out to build your softball field a Where is the field going to be placed b Will it be permanent or temporary c Who will be playing on your field A Where is the Field Going to be Placed The first thing you need to do in order to build your softball field is to figure out where you are going to put it Here are some options for places you can put a softball field e On a piece of land that you either own or that the government has given you e Onan exist
22. nd complete guide to building a multi million dollar ISF Championship facility If that s what you are interested in doing then please contact the ISF for our championship play manual The ISF encourages you to try and build as many softball fields as you can within your country so that more people around the world can enjoy this great game of softball LIGHTING If you are interested in information regarding lighting your field we currently have that on our website and you can download it from there 35 Again if you are interested in finding out more information on building or caring for your softball field then we encourage you to check out the following websites http www hunterindustries com Resources Design sports field plans html http www ballfields com http www gmsforsportsfields com http www ballfields com tips htm http Awww musco com musco php http ncs osu edu sportsturt http Awww bowcom com COMMENTS amp FEEDBACK This manual was written based upon the demand from many of our member federations If there is additional information or changes in information that you would like to see or information that you have that you would like to share with others please email us info ISFSoftball org so that we can make this as current and useful a tool as is possible Thank You and Good Luck 36
23. ome plate and should be covered if possible It should have a bench or chair for the scorer and a table to write on and should somehow keep the scorer from being bothered by the players or the fans Bleachers Bleachers are the name of the seats where the fans sit and can be added as you need them Since these are common to all sports you should be able to find bleachers of some sort for your field and your fans Scoreboards Scoreboards are common in all sports and are used to not only keep the score of the game or match but also to let the fans and players know information about the game The bigger the scoreboard the more information it can list Common things that an average sized board can display for softball are the score the number of outs the inning and the number of balls and 30 strikes Much larger boards can also tell things like who is current batter whether the last ball hit was a hit or an error and some of the fancy boards can even show video replays Your scoreboard can be just that a board that you hang the score on It doesn t have to be electric if that s not something that is financially possible Let s look at a few scoreboard examples Ciy ot PLANT CITY FLORID BALL STRIKE OUT VISIT BOLAS HIT INNING STRIKES mc 23u56 7690 R H HOME OUTS ERROR Rn ss 8 Caring For Your Softball Field You will need to learn how to care for both the grass and the dirt infield port
24. on your infield is to make your infield with a surface grade or crown A crown is a high spot on your infield located behind the pitcher s rubber from which point all the water can flow and drain off the field An infield should be graded to have a minimum of 0 5 slope with the maximum allowable of 1 Anything less than 596 won t allow the water to drain and anything greater than 196 will effect how balls roll on the infield Be sure to properly maintain the grade or crown by always starting at the pitcher s mound and moving in large outward circles when you drag the infield Preparing an All Grass Infield Below is a picture of a multi sport playing field in Argentina The arrow shows the softball field cut out of the top corner of the grass leaving enough room for the soccer football game across the bottom If you re going to be placing your softball field on a grass playing field like a football cricket or rugby field then you ll want to first consider the following issues when deciding just where to place your field Another view that might be helpful in your situation in placing a softball playing field or pitch on a soccer or football field is below In this view you can see how placing homeplate of your softball field in a corner of the soccer or football field will allow you enough room to setup and entire softball playing field 20 Pick the smoothest flattest portion of the field Picking a corner of an ex
25. ould be 7 62m 9 14m 25 30 ft from both home plate and the foul lines to the backstop and the side fences side fences are simply backstops that continue down both sides of the field parallel to each foul line you do not have to have these on your softball field Please note that these measurements are for ISF Championship play and what you do on your local federation fields may need to be different Backstops have typically been made out of metal poles and wire netting of some sort This picture shows a really tall backstop but yours does not need to be this high The poles run up and down vertical to the ground and the netting or fencing is attached to the poles 22 Some of the ISF member federations have been very creative in making their backstops In India bamboo is very prevalent so they use it for the poles of their backstop Their softball fields need to be portable so they have devised quite a clever system for putting up a backstop wherever they are on any already existing sport field The following pictures show how they put the poles into the ground On the left they simply dig a hole and insert the bamboo stake but on the right they have specially built metal braces with pointed ends that they insert into the ground and then slide the bamboo into the support holes They use netting as their backstop material and roll it up into a bag for easy transportation to the next field This is a terrific system and is not
26. proximately twice the watering time as hall circle spriniders and four times the watering time as quarter circle spriniders 5 Check local codes for backfiow requirements 17 Helpful Websites Some website links that offer good information on both caring for your field and on field irrigation systems are http www hunterindustries com Resources Design sports field plans html http www athleticturf net athleticturf article articleDetail jsp id 81458 http www ballfields com http www gmsforsportsfields com http www ballfields com tips htm Adding Infield Mixture Once you clear off all the grass from your infield area and make an arc cut where the infield meets the outfield grass diagram 1 A you ll want to add some infield mixture over the infield dirt The makeup of this infield mixture will depend upon where you are located in the world and how much or how little rain you get The more rain the more sand you will want in the mixture since sand acts as a drain for the rain water On the other hand if you live in a really dry and windy climate then you will want a little more clay so the wind doesn t blow all the sand away since clay is heavier than sand Be careful not to add too much clay since it can become extremely hard especially if you aren t able to water it often Below is a chart showing different qualities of substances used in combination to make up infield dirt Soil Recommended Separate Percent Rang
27. rt While this might not be possible for many of you reading this that s understandable If you can somehow provide a sprinkler system you will really see the benefit in the form of a beautiful softball field Diagram 2 A shows the typical layout for a softball field irrigation or sprinkler system Most of the sprinkler heads will be placed in the outfield to water the grass but there will be at least one head placed in the infield usually just behind the pitching rubber to allow a hose to be attached and the infield dirt watered This watering of the infield dirt prevents it from drying out and then blowing off your field every time the wind blows We ll talk more about watering your infield in the last chapter of this manual Caring for Your Field When you place the sprinkler heads in the ground make sure that they lie below the surface when they aren t in use so that outfielders won t trip over them You want to make sure that your playing field is as safe for your teams as possible 16 TYPICAL IRRIGATION LAYOUT RM HBV 151EP 1 1 2 Electric Valve Q HBV 101EP1 Electric Valve Q HV 151 RL 1 1 2 Quick Coupling Valve PVC Mainline per local code PVC CL200 size as noted 1Q20 ADS 07 LA Rotor Pop up rii 1 1 27 Gate Valve Source Hunter Industries Figure 2 A 2 Minimum mainline operating pressure at field 65 psi 3 8 controller stations required 4 Full circle spriniders require ap
28. rubber the base and outfield fence if you have one distances all can change according to the previous chart and the age group and sex of the teams playing What WILL NOT CHANGE about the following diagram no matter who is playing on the field are the distances that the playing field sits from the backstop You might not be in a position to have a backstop 7 62m 9 14m 25 30 ft from homeplate and the two foul lines that s okay But just know that if the backstop is too close to homeplate balls that get past the catcher will rebound back too quickly If the backstop is too far from home plate you re going to spend a lot of time chasing after balls You can still play softball under these conditions it just becomes a little more challenging 10 ac ni a i Fi ls Mimar base O a gt Close Up uam anm uu am ML PPP Coaches Bases both sides ef the field A 457m is Ta f a pose 5 a vhs 18 29m tt Baseline to hasc 18 29m 60 CO uz BI Saey Hase ya a 3 lm s AO 9 lm 127 3 6 m fim Comte ben E ims Buckstop and Sade Fence to Foul On Deck Circle O 76m 2757 Rodhus Line 764m H ldm 25 30 must be symmetrical 11 Softball Field Dimensions Now let s take a closer look at the measurements for home plate the pitching rubber and the bases 091 m Y Sm 237 aaa CATCHERS BON DETAILS 2 75m 8 47
29. the infield mix TURFACE Pro League is a brand name identifying a clacined clay material used for conditioning infield clays and soil blends www turface com Tips on Infield Soils V Grab a handful of moist infield mix and squeeze it It should hold together when moist but not be slick 4 There should be no stones in the mixture X Ask for the clay silt and sand content of the mixture that you are getting X The more your field will be used the firmer the footing will need to be and thus you will need more clay in the mixture X Soils need to be conditioned if possible Using products like TURFACE Pro League will help absorb excess water hold consistent moisture content and provide a firm and safe surface Once you have your infield mixture on your infield you ll need to roll it in order to flatten it out Keep in mind that you will want to keep a slight crown high point just behind the pitcher s rubber to allow the water to run off the infield toward the foul lines and the outfield This crown will be very slight and will only be a few degrees but will prevent rain water from pooling up on the field and creating a field of unusable mud This is a picture of a roller that could be used on the infield to help flatten out the dirt on your infield Its nothing more than a heavy round drum that you push using the attached handles 19 Creating Proper Drainage The easiest way to create drainage for any water buildup
30. ure out a substance to use to raise the base Secure the bases the final piece of information regarding bases involves safety and that is to make sure that your bases are secured to the ground in some fashion so they don t move all over when runners touch them going full soeed on their way to another base Straps tied around a base secured to a post can work to hold down a base as can fastening the base to a metal plate on the bottom side of the base that has a small post coming out of it that then pits into a slot on the ground Use your creativity to make sure your players stay safe while running bases The other things you can have on your softball field are things that make your game and playing field better but that aren t required in order to play the game They re things such as Outfield Fence Dugouts Scorer s Area Bleachers Scoreboards Outfield Fence Having an outfield fence is nice but not required unless you will be using the field for ISF championship play The outfield fence distances are listed on page 9 and will vary depending on the age and sex of the players If you are able to have an outfield fence of some sort then it might be easier to have only two different distances for it one for the really young children that might be using your field and one for the adults with the farthest outfield distance This will keep you and your organization from switching fence distances all the time whic
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