Little League/Youth

• Youth models are smaller to help kids maintain control
• Avoid the urge to buy a bigger glove that you'll grow into
• Kids under the age of 8 should stick with a glove from 9 to 11 inches
• Kids from 8 to early teens, consider an 11-inch glove
• Beginners also benefit from the added control that they get from smaller gloves

High School/ Adult (age)

• Outfielders need 12 to 12 1/2 inch gloves with deeper pockets
• Infielders need smaller gloves (10 1/2 to 11 1/2 inch) with shallower pockets for better control and quicker ball transfer
• Pitchers can go with a slightly larger glove than infielders but still need a small enough glove for fielding and throwing quicklyl
• Softball players require gloves that are slightly longer in length and deeper in the pocket to help field the bigger ball

Catcher's Glove or Mitt (position)

• A fingerless mitt (it does not have individual fingers)
• Has heavy padding to reduce the sting from the pitcher's throw
• Reinforced to withstand the heavy use throughout a game

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First Base Baseball Glove (position)

• Resembles a mitten, but has less padding than the catcher's mitt
• It is longer to help the first baseman field throws from infielders
• A shallow pocket allows the first baseman to quickly retrieve the ball from the mitt

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Infield Gloves

• A five-fingered glove with a shallow pocket
• A youth size is between 9 - 11 inches
• Adults 10 1/2 to 11 1/2 inches is the typical baseball size
• Softball infielder gloves have a deeper pocket to accept the bigger ball
• Second basemen need a smaller glove to help make those quick throws while still having control
• Shortstops use something in the middle for grounders and quick throws
• Third basemen need a larger glove

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Outfield Gloves

• Usually sized at 12 to 12 1/2-inches for adults, about 11 inches for children
• A deeper pocket to handle balls hit high in the air
• Longer length to give as much reach as possible
• If you plan to play various outfield positions, find a glove that provides the most control for those outfield positions

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Pitcher Gloves

• A pitcher's glove can be any size, (just make sure it's comfortable on your hand)
• The closed web is what classifies it as a pitcher's glove
• Pitcher's use a closed web to hide their hand and ball
• Sometimes they have a finger hood to conceal the index finger
• Basket, Basket Connector, Two Piece Solid and Solid One Piece are popular web styles for pitcher’s

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Softball Gloves

• Generally larger both in the pocket and length to help players handle the larger ball
• If you play both baseball and softball, and you only want to buy one glove, select a softball glove

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