Tee Ball

Often, a family’s first introduction to Little League® is in the Tee Ball program. Tee Ball is the entry level division for players, ages can range from 4-7. The experience is grounded in fun, fitness, and fundamentals while also being a key to growing a child’s love for the game.

The Little League Tee Ball program provides volunteer coaches with everything they need to create an environment where players will learn the skills of the game, while having fun and staying active. Parents and legal guardians of Tee Ball players are crucial to the extension of the program, and their satisfaction is equally important to its success. The outreach and inclusion of this division sets the foundation for continued participation in the local Little League program.

Each Little Leaguer is required to play one season of Tee Ball before being eligible to be evaluated by the local league officials for consideration to advance to a higher division of Little League baseball or softball. The Tee Ball Division is co-ed, but may be structured as a baseball or softball program. Such a decision is made by the local league’s Board of Directors.

The use of a robust 10-week Tee Ball program benefits the players and volunteer coaches, who typically are younger parents with little experience as coaches/managers.

Tee Ball players use bats and balls (baseballs and softballs) designated specifically for use in this division. The roster size for a Tee Ball team averages 7-10 players, with a season featuring 1-2 practices per week with a single game played on weekends.

Parents are strongly encouraged to become involved in this entry level of Little League. After completing a Little League volunteer application and passing a required national background check, parents may become involved in practices, and be eligible as coaches, managers, umpires, local league board members and other volunteer positions within the league.

Farm League/ Minor League

Minor League Baseball programs for boys and girls may be operated within each division for younger players with less experience. The minor league may be players ages can range from 8-11.

Divisions may be established within the Minor League for “machine pitch,” “coach-pitch” or “player-pitch.” By local option, a player who is league-age 5 or 6 (use the Little League Age Calculator to determine your child’s League Age for the current year) for the current season and has played a year in Tee Ball is eligible to participate in a coach-pitch division.

A local league might have its 5-8-year-olds in the Minor League Coach Pitch Division, while its 9-10-year-olds are in the Minor League Player-Pitch Division. However, by local option, some of the 9-year-olds could “play down” in the coach-pitch division, and some of the 8-year-olds could “play up.” This is entirely the choice of the local league Board of Directors. League-age 12-year-olds may participate per Regulation V(a).

Rosters may be composed of between 12 and 20 players, but most leagues have rosters in the 12-15 range. The diamond used is a 60-foot diamond and the pitching distance is 46 feet.

Tournament opportunities are available for players league-age 8-10 and 9-11.

Parents are strongly encouraged to become involved in this level of Little League. After completing a Little League volunteer application and passing a required national background check, parents may become involved in practices, and be eligible as coaches, managers, umpires, local league board members and other volunteer positions within the league.

Intermediate (50/70)

The Intermediate (50/70) Baseball Division was introduced in January, 2010, as a pilot program for 12- and 13-year-olds which utilizes a 50-foot pitching distance and 70-foot base paths.

The division, which was new division of Little League Baseball in 2013 for players league-age 11-13 with postseason tournament opportunities, including a World Series, offers a transition for players between the standard Little League field size (46-foot pitching distance and 60-foot base paths) and the Junior/Senior/Big League field size (60-foot, 6-inch pitching distance and 90-foot base paths).

Regular season players in the Little League Intermediate 50/70 Baseball Division have the opportunity to dual roster, meaning he/she can play in the Little League Major Baseball Division during the same season. Achieving tournament eligibility is possible in either division, but a player must choose one division of play to participate in during the tournament season.

Many of the Junior League rules are used such as runners being permitted to lead off bases, runners may attempt to steal at any time, and allowing an on-deck batter.

The culmination of the International Tournament is the Intermediate (50/70) Baseball World Series, featuring teams from around the world. All expenses for the teams advancing to the World Series (travel, meals and housing) are paid by Little League International.

Parents are strongly encouraged to become involved in this division of Little League. After completing a Little League volunteer application and passing a required national background check, parents may become involved in practices, and be eligible as coaches, managers, umpires, local league board members and other volunteer positions within the league.

Senior Division

The Senior League Baseball Division is for boys and girls 13-16 years old, using a conventional 90-foot diamond with a pitching distance of 60 feet, 6 inches.

The local league has an option to choose a Tournament Team (or “All Stars”) of 13-16-year-olds from within this division (and/or from within the Junior League division), and the team may enter the International Tournament.

The culmination of the International Tournament is the Senior League Baseball World Series, featuring teams from around the world. All expenses for the teams advancing to the World Series (travel, meals and housing) are paid by Little League International.

Parents are strongly encouraged to become involved in this teenage division of Little League. After completing a Little League volunteer application and passing a required national background check, parents may become involved in practices, and be eligible as coaches, managers, umpires, local league board members and other volunteer positions within the league.

Little League - Character, Courage, Loyalty