Whether you’re organizing an informal backyard baseball game with friends or a more serious baseball tournament, plotting out a Major League regulation-sized baseball diamond is an important first step. Before you start swinging for the outfield, follow these straightforward steps to chalk a baseball field.
EditSteps
- Rake the area around each plate, including home, first, second, third and the pitcher’s mound, to clear any lumps, holes or rocks.[1] Do the same along the base paths leading to each plate.
- Prepare the strings to measure the field.[2] Measure and cut roughly 94 feet (28.7 m) of thick string and mark the start and end of 90 feet (27.4 m) with a black marker on the string. Measure and cut another piece of string to 130 feet (40 m) and mark the start and end of 127 feet and 3 3/8 inches (38.8 m) with a marker.
- Leave a couple extra feet on either side of the black marks for tying the strings to the stakes.
- Establish the first baseline with the 90 foot (27.4 m) string. Drive a stake into the ground and tie one end of the string around the home plate stake so that the black mark starts at the top point of home plate, which should be facing away from the pitcher’s mound. Run the string along the ground to the right at a 45-degree angle until you reach the second black mark. Pound in another stake at that point and tie the string to that stake.
- Draw the first baseline. Insert the chalk into the chalk marker. Push the chalk marker along the inner side of the string from home plate until you reach the second stake to create the first base line, which is 2 inches (5 cm) wide.
- If you want to create a foul line, stake a 320 to 350 foot (97.5 to 106.7 m) string from home plate along the first baseline and ending at the outfield fence. Then chalk along that line.
- Establish the location of second base. Tie the longer piece of string to the stake behind home plate, aligning the black mark with the stake, and pull the string straight out towards the area where second base will be located. Then untie the shorter piece of string from home base and pull the string out from first base to meet the black marks of both strings together. Drive another stake in the ground at this intersection to establish the bottom corner of second base.
- Draw the second baseline. Turn the chalk market 45-degrees to the left and push the chalk marker along the string to the second base stake.
- Establish the location of third base. Pull the shorter string from the second base stake and draw the string 45 degrees towards where third base will be located. Connect the longer string from the first base stake to the black mark at the end of the shorter string and tie both strings to a stake to establish the location of third base.
- Draw the third baseline. Turn the chalk market 45-degrees to the left and push the chalk marker along the string to the third base stake.
- Connect the shorter string from the third base stake to the home base stake. Use the chalk marker to draw the third base line from third base to home plate.
- If you want to create a foul line, stake a 320 to 350 foot (97.5 to 106.7 m) string from home plate along the third baseline and ending at the outfield fence. Then chalk along that line.
- Chalk the batter’s boxes. Place a batter’s box chalker frame on the right side of home plate with the long side of the rectangle centered with the center of home plate. Chalk around the rectangle. Repeat the chalking with the batter’s box chalker frame on the left side of home plate.
- If you don’t have a batter’s box chalker, measure a rectangle that is 4 feet (1.2 m) wide and 6 feet (1.8 m) tall on both sides of home plate and chalk the rectangle with the chalk marker.
EditTips
- If you wish to have coaching areas, measure and chalk a 4 foot (1.2 m) square box 15 feet (4.5 m) to the right of first base, and another one 15 feet (4.5 m) to the left of third base.
- If you’re just chalking for a casual game, a large piece of chalk may be used instead of a chalk marker.
- Chalk and chalk markers can be found at most major sporting goods stores and online.
EditWarnings
- Avoid chalking the field too soon before a game, as the players might disturb the chalk lines during the warm-ups. Ideally, a final chalking should take place between warm-ups and the first pitch.
- Try to chalk when the ground is as dry as possible if it has recently rained, to ensure that the chalk settles and doesn’t clump too much.
EditThings You’ll Need
- Chalk
- Chalk marker
- Long measuring tape
- String
- Black marker
- 4 Metal stakes
- Mallet (to drive the stakes)
- Batter’s box chalker (optional)
EditSources and Citations
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