A glove is a mandatory piece of equipment for players in softball and baseball. There are differences in the glove requirements from the governing bodies of softball and baseball leagues. There also are different types of glove in both sports, depending on the position you are playing.
Baseball Glove Types
There are three distinct types of baseball gloves. These include the standard fielder's glove, a catcher's mitt and a first baseman's mitt. Mitts do not have individual finger slots and are larger and more protective than the fielder's glove. The catcher's mitt is thickly padded and round, and is designed to enable a player to catch many fast pitches over the course of the game. A first baseman's mitt is more protective than a fielder's glove, but less protective than the catcher's mitt. In contrast to a catcher's mitt, which is rounded on both sides of the palm, a first baseman's mitt looks more like a longer fielder's glove in the pocket, but has a rounded outer that covers more area.
Baseball Glove Rules
Major League baseball rules govern the size and style of baseball gloves. All three gloves types have their own specifications. A catchers mitt cannot be larger than 38 inches in circumference and longer than 15 1/2 inches from top to bottom. A first baseman's glove cannot be more than 12 inches long and 8 inches wide. Every other fielder's glove may not be longer than 12 inches or wider than 7 3/4 inches.
Softball Gloves
You can also find softball gloves in three different styles, including a fielder's gloves, catcher's mitt and first baseman's mitts. The major difference between softball and baseball gloves is that softball gloves are designed with larger specifications. Due to the larger size of the ball, softball gloves can be several inches longer and have a deeper and larger pocket design. Many of the the companies that manufacture baseball gloves also manufacture softball gloves.
Softball Glove Rules
The International Softball Association, the international governing body of softball worldwide, has rules regarding the gloves that are allowed in competition. By rule no glove can be longer than 14 inches in length or wider than 8 1/2 inches. These rules apply to all types of gloves and show their leniency regarding size restrictions for fielder's gloves.
Considerations
In recreational games, a softball glove can be used for baseball and baseball gloves can be used for softball. Using a baseball glove for softball requires a fielder to be accurate with catches because there is less margin for error. When using a softball glove for baseball, a player should be able to catch the ball fine, but will be slower at getting the ball out of the glove to throw. Players participating in both sports who only want to have one glove should buy a softball glove.
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