The Home team sets up the field before the game.

After the game, the visitor takes down and puts all equipment away. Each team cleans up garbage in its own dugout.

It typically takes at least 2 people to perform field setup, and coaches or managers should arrive about 40 minutes ahead of game time to set up.

Bring out garbage cans for each field.

Clean any garbage or debris out of the dugouts.

Gather all of your Equipment

You will need the following from the equipment shed to set up the fields.

            Golf Cart (Optional but Highly recommended)

            Rake

            Base dig tool.

Two White bases

            One Orange and White (attached) base 

            A Pitchers Mound with 2 nails (For 8U/10U and under)

            Chalk Machine (loaded with chalk)

            Chalking frame for the batter box

2 batting helmet/ Bat holders (one for each dugout)

            Tape Measure (Distance from Home Plate to Pitchers Mound)

            Hammer

 Load up the golf cart with your “stuff” and drive out to your field.

Find the valve cover box (green approx. 6 “ round cover).

Remove the cover and turn on the sprinkler (if the sprinklers are not working, use a garden house with a T-hose connector, insert the hose “T” end into the valve in the sprinkler box, and turn clockwise).

Water the entire infield with 2-1/2 sprinkler rotations. (This keeps the dust down and keeps the neighbors around Alta Vista happy.)

Turn off the sprinkler or remove the hose from the valve, replace the valve cover, and roll up the hose (trying to drain as much of the water inside as possible)

Use the rake, rake home plate, base areas, and pitcher's mound. Fill any holes.

Position the cart on the infield. Take the grate off the back and place it on the ground. Unfold the grate.

Drag the entire infield using the golf cart in a circular motion, starting at the fence line and working toward the pitcher's mound. If the field is in good shape, instead of dragging it with the cart, you may broom it using the large field brooms. DO NOT CREATE A CLOUD OF DUST. Water the field.

Place the bases in their positions.

Remove the base post caps. At the first base, line up a white base next to an orange base. The white base is on the infield side, and the orange “safety base” is placed closest to the foul line.

Regulation bases 60’ - (This will require using the base dig tool to find the base caps and remove the caps to expose the sunken metal posts that pin the bases.)

Distances

Pitching  - 8U  30 Feet – 8’ Radius circle  - 10U  35 Feet - 8’ Radius circle 12U 40 Feet 8’ Radius circle 14U/16U  43 Feet 8’ Radius circle

Bases 60’

Chalking the Batter Box

Position the batter box frame at the Home Plate. A mark on the frame will center the frame with the plate. Take the hammer or stick or … and scribe a line, using the outside of the box, into the dirt. Do one side first, then do the other side. Batter boxes are three (3’) feet wide, seven (7’) feet long, and six (6”) inches from the edge of home plate—the short length 3’ towards the catcher & 4’ length towards the pitcher mound.

 Assure the chalk machine has chalk inside (if not, please fill … chalk is in bags in the equipment shed.)

Position the small chalk machine at one corner and place the release arm in the slot second from the top to enable the flow of chalk. Moving the chalk machine will start the flow of chalk. Remove the batter box frame & follow the line you previously scribed in the dirt. Width of chalk line – Narrow line for softball; wider line is used in baseball.

Chalking the Base Lines

Once the batters box has been chalked, chalk the baselines from home to 1st base and home to 3rd base. Pound a nail in the ground 1 inch behind the back point of home plate. Pull a line from the home plate nail to the outfield grass, passing over the center seam between the white and orange bag on 1st base.  Place the chalkier’s front wheel 1” from the infield side of the line. Chalk along the line from the batter’s box to the outfield. Chalk a “runners” line parallel to the first baseline. At approximately the quarter point between Home Plate and first base, thirty (30’) feet, chalk another line three (3’) feet to the foul side of the baseline. This new line ends across from the backside of the first base.

Repeat step one (1) from above on the third base side. On 3rd base, the baseline is on the foul (outside of the base).    Do not place a second baseline on the 3rd baseline.

IMPORTANT – make the lines straight!

Chalking the On Deck circles

Chalk on the deck circles off the field behind the fence 8’ from the dugout opening.

Hang up both batting helmets and bat holders in each dugout.

Chalking the Coaches Box

The coach box starts directly across from the back (outfield side) of first and third base and runs toward home plate for a distance of fifteen (15’) feet. From the back of the base, measure a distance from the baseline, eight (8’) feet, towards the foul line. The depth shall be approx three (3’) feet.

Pitchers Mound

Position the pitcher’s mound in line with home plate and the distance that is specified for your division. Using the tape measure and holding one end at the back point of the home plate, measure the appropriate distance to the front of the pitcher's mound. Pull the tape all the way through the second base. The tape should be centered on the pitcher’s mound. Drive two (2) stakes through the sides of the metal plate to secure the mound. The pitcher’s mound must be buried to be even with the ground. DO NOT install pitchers mounds above the ground.

Measure out eight (8’) feet of the cord and place it at the center of the mound, and with a scribe a line, draw a radius of  (8’)  to create a 16’circle around the mound. Chalk this circle.

Return all equipment to the equipment shack.