# pitcher's mound

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchers-mound/306666>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 3, 2005, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchers-mound/306666 "2005-06-03T02:23:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchers-mound/306666/1 "2005-06-03T02:23:12Z")

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Watching the girls NCAA softball playoffs made me wonder. Why isn’t there a pitcher’s mound for softball? Or maybe an even better question: Why IS there a pitcher’s mound for hardball?

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**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchers-mound/306666/2 "2005-06-03T02:39:05Z")

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[http://experts.about.com/q/2552/3388045.htm](http://experts.about.com/q/2552/3388045.htm)

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**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchers-mound/306666/3 "2005-06-03T03:08:12Z")

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Baseballs are thrown with an overhand motion (except for those sidearmers and submariners). Softballs are thrown with an underhand motion. The mound gives an advantage to the overhand-throwing pitcher over the batter. A mound would give no such advantage for an underhander.