Your daughter pitches from one spot this year, and next year the rubber moves back. Here's the deal: the distance depends on her age group and on who runs her league. I put every number in one chart, straight from each rulebook, then I'll tell you what to do when she moves back.
In USA Softball and USSSA fastpitch, girls pitch from 35 feet at 10U, 40 feet at 12U and 43 feet at 14U; USSSA 8U is also 35 feet. Little League goes by division: Minors 35, Majors 40, Juniors 43. Bases are 60 feet in all three.
Train it: Command & Composure (Level 2 Pitching) → Free: Free Softball Practice Plans →Softball pitching distance by age: the chart
Distance is measured from the back point of home plate to the front edge of the pitcher's plate. These are girls' fastpitch numbers from each organization's current rulebook. At 6U most kids hit off a tee or a coach pitches, so check your league for its setup.
| Age | USA Softball | USSSA Fastpitch | Little League Softball |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6U | Not in the national table | Coach Pitch division: 35 ft | Tee Ball (no live pitching) or coach-pitch Minors |
| 8U | Not in the national table | 35 ft | Minor League: 35 ft |
| 10U | 35 ft | 35 ft | Minor League: 35 ft |
| 12U | 40 ft | 40 ft (11U is also 40 ft) | Little League (Majors): 40 ft |
| 14U | 43 ft | 43 ft | Junior League: 43 ft |
Two things trip parents up. Little League goes by division, not age. Minors is ages 5 to 11 at 35 feet, and Majors is ages 9 to 12 at 40 feet, so a 10-year-old could pitch from either spot. And USSSA moves back at 11U, a year before most parents expect it.
Base distance and ball size by age
- Bases: 60 feet in every fastpitch age group for USA Softball, USSSA and Little League. Little League lets a local board use a 50-foot diamond for Tee Ball.
- 10U and younger: an 11-inch ball in USA Softball and USSSA, and in Little League Tee Ball and Minors.
- 12U and older: a 12-inch ball in USA Softball and USSSA, and in Little League Majors, Juniors and Seniors.
- Pitcher's plate: 24 inches long and 6 inches wide, inside a circle with an 8-foot radius (USA Softball and USSSA).
Rules change, and a local league can add its own. Check your league's current rulebook before the season, especially for 6U and 8U.
12U fastpitch pitching distance: what changes at 40 feet
In USA Softball, the jump to 12U (11U in USSSA) hands her two changes on the same day. The rubber moves back 5 feet, from 35 to 40, and the ball grows from 11 inches to 12. That's a lot for one 11-year-old.
- The stride gets longer. To cover 5 more feet, her legs have to drive her farther down the line. A short stride at 40 feet means pitches in the dirt.
- The legs do more of the work. If she tries to make up the distance with her arm, she'll muscle it and the ball sails high.
- The release moves. The bigger ball and longer throw change where the ball comes out. Her old release spot will be off for a while, and that's normal.
- Strikes dip at first. Expect more balls for a few weeks. It isn't a slump. It's a new distance.
One of my favorite words is "Exactness." For a young pitcher, that means we know the exact distance, measure it with a tape and practice at that spot, not "about right."
How to move her back without wrecking her motion
Give her a few weeks. I want you to change one thing at a time, in this order.
- Step 1, new ball first: at her old distance, pitch the 12-inch ball for one to two weeks until her grip and release feel normal again.
- Step 2, move back 2 feet: tape a line 2 feet behind her old spot (37 feet for a 10U pitcher). Stay there until most of her pitches reach the catcher's glove without bouncing.
- Step 3, 2 more feet, then the last foot: go to 39 feet, then 40. Same test before each move.
- Step 4, finish every session close: end with 5 easy pitches from her old distance so she walks off feeling good.
"Less is more." For an 11-year-old, that means 15 good pitches at the new line beat 50 tired ones. Short sessions, with rest days in between.
Keep her arm healthy through the move
A new distance tempts kids to throw more and harder. Warm up first, count every pitch, practice pitches too, and stop for the day if anything hurts. If the pain sticks around, call your pediatrician.
Follow your league's pitching limits. Little League softball, for example, caps Minors and Majors pitchers at 12 innings in a day, and 7 or more innings means a calendar day of rest.
Our free softball practice plans give you a printable fastpitch practice for her age, no login. When she's ready for more, Command & Composure is our four-week, 16-session Level 2 pitching program, with routines, target work and smart workload habits.
One thing to remember
The rubber moves back at 12U (and at 11U in USSSA), so plan the move a few weeks ahead and change one thing at a time.
What to do this week
Find out which organization runs her league and look up her distance in the chart. Then take a tape measure to the backyard and mark her exact distance plus a line 2 feet behind it.
Parent questions
Is 12U softball pitching distance 40 or 43 feet?
In USA Softball, USSSA and Little League Majors, 12U fastpitch pitchers throw from 40 feet. The move to 43 feet comes at 14U (13U in USSSA) and Little League Juniors.
How far do 8U softball pitchers pitch from?
USSSA 8U and Little League Minors use 35 feet. USA Softball's national distance table starts at 10U, so 8U setups are decided locally. Check your league's rulebook.
What distance do high school softball pitchers throw from?
High school softball under NFHS rules uses 43 feet, the same as 14U and up in USA Softball and USSSA.
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Sources: USA Softball: 2026 Official Rules of Softball (Rule 2 Official Distance Table, Rule 3 balls, Rule 6A pitching) · USA Softball: 2026 Major Rule Differences, USA Softball vs. NCAA vs. NFHS · USSSA Fastpitch Rulebook & By-Laws, 18th Edition (Rule 1 distances, Rule 2 balls, Rule 6 pitching) · Little League: Field Specifications · Little League: Little League Softball Divisions · Little League: Approved Tournament Balls (11-inch and 12-inch softballs by division) · Little League: Regular Season Pitching Rules (Softball, Regulation VI)