The distance for high school softball pitching rubber is here to stay.

Florida has been one of the two states to experiment with an increased distance over the past few years at 43 feet, compared to the standard distance of 40 feet.

Positive feedback from coaches in Florida and Oregon led to the mandatory rule change. The National Federation of State High School Athletic Associations (NFSHSAA) Board of Directors approved the rule change last week.

The increased distance from pitcher’s mound to home plate has led to more balance between the offense and defense. It also has provided pitchers in Florida the experience of throwing at the same distance used at the college level.

“We had to get online and express whether we wanted to keep it at 43,” said North Fort Myers coach Jeff Miner. “We’ve experimented with it in Lee County the past two years. With the extra three feet, you’re able to react more as a hitter. You have a little more time to see the ball. At 40 feet, it’s become very difficult to react.”

Miner said it also places more emphasis on the defense with more balls being put in play.

The rule change requires all schools to adopt the pitching distance for the 2010-11 academic year, but since Lee County schools already have used it on an experimental basis for two years, they’ll continue to use the 43-foot distance in 2009-10.