Youth softball glove size chart: by age, by position, by ball

The quick answer

Built from the two published tables below and the ball rule. Where the sources give a range, the table takes the lower end for infield and the upper for outfield; a small hand takes the lower end of any cell.

By age

The ranges are wide because they span a 5-year-old and an 8-year-old. The makers narrow it: Rawlings lists its Sure Catch Softball 11 in for “10U, 8U, 6U, T-Ball” and sells the same glove at 12.5 in for the older end of that band; Easton lists its Ghost Flex fastpitch 11 in for “12U, 10U.” So 11 in is the center of the youth range, and the question is whether she is on the small side of it (10.5) or moving to the 12 in ball (12–12.5).

By position

BaseballMonkey by position: infield 9–12.5 in, outfield 9–13 in, first base mitts 11.5–13 in, catcher's mitts 29.5–35 in around the circumference. Rawlings' softball sizing table (printed on its R9 glove page) for youth fastpitch: infield 10.5–11 in, outfield 11–11.5 in. At the youth level the position difference is half an inch: infielders want a glove they can get the ball out of, outfielders want reach. Pitchers use a closed web (the batter cannot see the grip); catchers use a mitt, covered on the catcher's mitts page. A 7-year-old plays every position in a season; buy the infield size.

The ball changes at 12U

That is the reason the chart steps up at 11–12: the ball she catches gets an inch bigger and an ounce heavier when she moves to Majors or 12U. An 11 in glove that was right at 10U will drop the 12 in ball. Plan on a new glove at that step regardless of hand size.

How to measure a glove

Glove size is the length from the top of the index finger down the palm to the heel, along the outside of the glove. Most makers print it inside the wrist strap or on the thumb. To size a hand at home: measure from the tip of her middle finger to the base of her palm; a 6 in hand is a small youth glove, a 7 in hand is the middle of the range. Then check the wrist opening: with the strap cinched, the glove should not rotate on her wrist when she shakes her hand.

Can she close it?

The size chart gets her the right pocket; the spec sheet tells you whether she can use it. Three things to look for: the maker's break-in rating (Rawlings prints “Player Break-In 10” on both Sure Catch softball gloves; a 10 is ready to use, a 50 is weeks of work), a heel cutout or flex notch (the Sure Catch cutout; Easton's Ghost Flex), and a strap closure (Velcro or a Lock Down strap) rather than a laced wrist. A glove that fails all three will sit in the bag. The break-in guide covers the rest; it applies to fastpitch gloves unchanged.

One pick per size