What is the Little League Baseball® program?
The Little League Baseball® program includes divisions for all children, ages 4–16. In addition to practicing on-field fundamentals and the excitement of playing games in a competitive environment, Little League Baseball pridefully enlists the sport to strengthen its participants’ self-esteem and confidence.
Regardless of physical size, skill, strength, gender, religion, or nationality, Little League Baseball offers the opportunity for a child to experience and benefit from the life lessons, socialization, and camaraderie that are the cornerstones of the program.
Whether you are looking to compete against neighboring leagues or international countries, Little League Baseball is more than an organization, it’s a community baseball program operated by local volunteers, and dedicated to providing any child with a fun and engaging youth sports environment.
League Age Determination
Your player’s league age is determined by the Little League Baseball® Age Charts. The Age Determination Date for a Little League Baseball player is the actual age of a child on August 31 of the current year.
Little League Baseball® Divisions
Bat Information
Little League® International has assembled an online resource page dedicated to baseball bat information, that includes the latest bat information, current Little League Baseball® rules and regulations governing bats, and a series of frequently asked questions.
As of January 1, 2018, the new USA Baseball Bat Standard was implemented. USABat Standard bats must be used in the Little League Major Baseball Division and below. Either USABat Standard bats or BBCOR bats must be used at the Intermediate (50/70) Baseball and Junior League Baseball Divisions. At the Senior League Baseball Division, all bats must be meet the BBCOR standard. Little League-approved baseball bats that were approved for use for the 2017 season will no longer be acceptable for use in any Little League game or activity as of January 1, 2018.
Regular Season Pitching Rules
The eligibility of a player to pitch in a Little League® Baseball game is governed by a tiered pitch count that is tied to the number of pitches throw in a game. The pitch count determines how many days of rest are required before said player may pitch again in a Little League game.
Little League Baseball® World Series
In 1947, the Board of Directors for the original Little League decided to organize a tournament for all known Little League programs (there were 17) and called it the National Little League Tournament. It was later renamed the Little League Baseball® World Series.
There were 12 teams that participated in the first series in 1947 and more than 2,500 spectators witnessed the championship game, and the results were printed in newspapers around the country. The publicity helped spread Little League nationwide, and within a few years, Little League programs were in every state. When Little League added other programs (Senior League Baseball, softball divisions, etc.), it added tournament play and World Series tournaments in those divisions. There are now seven (7) World Series tournaments played every year in the various divisions of Little League.
Rulebook App
The Little League® Rulebook App has been updated for the 2023 season! The Rulebook App contains the Official Regulations, Playing Rules, and Operating Policies for all divisions of Baseball, Softball, and Challenger in one easy-to-use location.
The App includes all three rulebooks, exclusive rule interpretation videos, and automatic updates for future seasons after a one-time download of $1.99. Purchase on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
