From professional ball stadiums to Little League parks to vacant lots, baseball diamonds look the same, with three bases, home plate and the pitcher's mound making up the infield. The New York Knickerbockers established the dimensions and configuration of a professional baseball field as early as 1846, according to Albert C. Spaulding, who wrote about the legal history of baseball. The layout of baseball fields has changed little from the Knickerbockers' playing days. This standardization makes it easy for you to properly lay out your own baseball bases.
Step 1
Set home plate. Use a shovel to scrape out a flat area for the plate. If you use a physical base for home plate, recess it slightly so it is even with the ground. When a player slides into home plate, he should be able to slide smoothly across the plate without dislodging it. Alternately, you can draw or paint in home plate.
Step 2
Measure from the back tip of home plate straight across the field 127 feet, 3 3/8 inches. Mark this point with the stake or spray paint. This will be the center of second base.
Step 3
Measure 90 feet from the center point of second base that you just marked, holding the tape measure at a 45-degree angle. Mark the 90 feet point with paint. Stretch the tape measure from the back tip of home plate toward this mark, again holding the tape at a 45-degree angle. When the 90 foot point on your tape measure intersects with the 90 foot point you just marked, drive a stake to mark this intersection. This is the back corner of first base.
Step 4
Stretch the tape measure from the back tip of home plate at a 45-degree angle toward the side of the field opposite first base. Make a mark at 90 feet. Measure from the middle of second base toward this mark, holding the tape measure at a 45-degree angle. When the 90 foot point on your tape measure overlaps the 90 foot mark you made earlier, drive a stake. This will be the back corner of third base.
Step 5
Dig a shallow depression at each base, the same dimension as the base. Set the base in the depression. The base should rise above the ground but be seated firmly enough that kicking the base doesn't dislodge it.
Tips and Warnings
- To determine the layout of first and third bases, you may find it easier to use two people with two tape measures. Each person measures a distance of 90 feet from either the middle of second base or the back corner of home plate. Where the tape measures meet determines the position of the base.
Things You'll Need
- Shovel
- Tape measure
- Spray paint
- Wooden stakes
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