Home plate in baseball has five sides. It is officially called home base and is a five-sided slab of white rubber positioned at one corner of the 90-foot baseball diamond.
The plate’s broad front edge is 17 inches long. Two short sides extend backward from it, each measuring 8.5 inches, while the two rear sides are approximately 12 inches long and meet at a right angle. This shape lets the plate fit neatly into the diamond while giving the umpire a clear target for pitches.
A common mix-up is to count only the four corners of the roughly square portion, or to assume that all four bases have the same shape. First, second, and third bases are square bags; home plate is the distinctive five-sided base. Its pointed end faces toward the pitcher, and its two rear edges align with the foul lines.