Gear › Catcher's gear

Catcher's gear

Catchers wear the most gear on the field. Her measurements matter more than her age, and if she's between two sizes, pick the longer one.

What's in a set

Catcher's helmet with a throat guard. Most fastpitch catchers wear a hockey-style helmet that covers the whole head and face.
Chest protector. Fastpitch chest protectors are shaped for girls.
Leg guards that cover the knees, shins, and the top of the feet.
Catcher's mitt. See the mitt sizes.
Optional: knee savers. Foam wedges that attach to the leg guards and take pressure off the knees in a squat.

Catcher's gear size chart

Ages are rough guides. Use her measurements when you can. Intermediate sizes are made for the in-between years, roughly 12 to 15, when youth gear is too small and adult gear is too big.

How to measure

Chest protector: she stands up straight. Measure from the small dip at the top of her breastbone straight down to the line across the top of her hip bones.
That number is her chest protector size. Baseball chest protectors are measured to the belly button, so make sure you're reading a fastpitch chart.

Leg guards: she sits down in her softball pants and cleats.
Measure from the middle of her kneecap down to her ankle, or to the knot of her cleat laces.
That number is her leg guard size. If she's between sizes, pick the longer one.

Common mistakes

Buying a set to grow into. Gear that's too big shifts around and leaves gaps.
A chest protector that's too long. It hits her thighs in a squat and pushes up toward her throat.
Baseball catcher's gear. It's cut longer and straighter, so it doesn't fit girls as well.
Skipping the throat guard. It's required, and it protects her neck from foul tips.

First-season tip: Ask whether the team has a shared set first. If she's going to catch for real, buy her mitt early, because a catcher's mitt takes weeks to break in.

Want sizes for your player?

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