THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN INFIELD GLOVE & OUTFIELD GLOVE

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN INFIELD GLOVE & OUTFIELD GLOVE   By Coach Tim Wampler

Infielders and outfielders play different roles on the field, so their gloves differ based on how they are used.

An outfielders glove usually has deeper pocket allowing the outfielder to chase down chase fly balls, securing the ball to make a long throw back into the infield. 

The infielder usually fields a ground ball with limited time to get the advancing runner out thus far requiring the player to make a fast transition between catching and throwing the ball. Because of this, infield gloves are often lighter and smaller and contain a smaller pocket!  

One of the most noticeable differences between an infield and an outfielder’s glove is their length. In addition to having a deeper pocket, an outfielder’s glove is also quite a bit longer. This extra length gives the outfielder a little more range that may make the difference in whether or not they successfully make the catch.

The most obvious way to tell the difference between and outfielders glove vs an infielder’s glove is the web or pocket design. Outfield gloves will typically have a closed back and feature more firm wrist support. In contrast, infield gloves will usually have an open back with more flexibility but less stability for the wrist.

Infielders will also use different glove styles based on which position they play. The first baseman’s glove puts in the most work throughout a game. It often catches a large number of high velocity throws throughout a game in order to get those super important outs at first base. For this reason, the first basement uses a mitt instead of a glove, the key difference being that gloves have individual fingers and mitts do not. The first baseman’s mitt is larger, heavier, and more padded than those used by the other infield positions. 

Outfielder’s gloves do not vary specifically based on which part of the outfield they are being used for; instead, the differences in webbing and pocket depth are just a result of personal preference. 

Here is the average dimension recommendation of both types of gloves.

Softball Fielding Glove Sizing Chart