9U Division Players who turn 10 prior to May 1 of the current season are not eligible unless they are in the 3rd grade. Also, any player turning 11 prior to August 1 will not be eligible. Players who are 9u are eligible for this division regardless of their grade.
In general, 9U baseball is not coach-pitch. At the 9U baseball level, there may be a handful of coach-pitch leagues, but a majority of 9U baseball teams are kid-pitch leagues.
Typical Travel Distances: 9U Travel pitches at the 11U/12U distance (46 feet) and uses the closest base pegs at both fields (60 feet). 10U Travel pitches at the 11U/12U rubber (46 feet) and uses the middle base pegs at Walker and furthest base pegs at Prospect (65 feet).
Base stealing IS allowed in the 9U division, however, leading off is NOT. In 9U, the base runner must wait until the ball crosses home plate before stealing.
8u (Ages 7-8)
Baseball Divisions
Players who are league age 5-6 that have participated for one regular season in the Tee Ball Division are eligible to be selected to a Minor League Division (coach pitch or machine pitch) team.
Distance from back point of home plate to CENTER of second base: 99 feet. The base must dislodge from its anchor.
10U Description
Players 9 & 10 years of age. Introduction into the complete game, with no restrictions on base stealing in the Spring and “closed” bases in the fall, and players pitching.
(Typically 46-50’ Pitching Distance)
Age | Daily Max (Pitches in Game) | 2 Days Rest |
---|---|---|
9-10 | 75 | 36-50 |
11-12 | 85 | 36-50 |
Pitching velocity by age in the U.S.
Age | Average Velocity¹ | Your Goal² |
---|---|---|
8 | 39 MPH | 40 MPH |
9 | 44 MPH | 45 MPH |
10 | 47 MPH | 50 MPH |
11 | 52 MPH | 55 MPH |
| Nat Rank 1 | Team Siege/ Siege Baseball | FL | | — | — | | Nat Rank 2 | Rawlings Tigers Platinum | NV | | Nat Rank 3 | NTX ACES 9U | TX | | Nat Rank 4 | STH Diamondbacks | TX | | Nat Rank 5 | Home Plate Chili Dogs 9U Miller | GA |
There is no professional consensus as to when exactly kids should start pitching in league games. A handful of online forums mention 9 or 10 as being the right age, but not as any sort of hard, fast rule; the official Little League site has kids pitching starting at age 9.
The baseball rulebook says that you can’t steal a base during a dead ball. However, unlike the hit batter or catcher’s interference situations, after a walk, the ball is live. This means that baserunners who are not forced to advance to the next base can still attempt to do so, at their own risk.
In 1892, a rule credited runners with stolen bases if a base runner advanced on a fly out, or if they advanced more than one base on any safe hit or attempted out, providing an attempt was made by the defense to put the runner out. The rule was rescinded in 1897.
Definition. A stolen base occurs when a baserunner advances by taking a base to which he isn’t entitled. This generally occurs when a pitcher is throwing a pitch, but it can also occur while the pitcher still has the ball or is attempting a pickoff, or as the catcher is throwing the ball back to the pitcher.
ROOKIE BASEBALL (6-7)
Per the Little League Baseball Age Calculator, players must be 6 years old to play.
Baseball divisions consist of the following programs:- Tee Ball (ages 4-7)
Minor League (ages 5-11)
Major Division (ages 9-12)
Intermediate (50/70) (ages 11-13)
Junior League (ages 12-14)
Senior League (ages 13-16)
The Age Determination Date for a Little League Baseball® player is the actual age of a child on August 31 of the current year. The Age Determination Date for a Little League Softball® player is the actual age of a child on December 31 of the previous year.
The player must be 3 years old before August 15, 2022. *** 5U is a program designed for young children, age 4 years, to introduce basic beginning soccer skills. The player must be 4 years old before August 15, 2022. Both Programs align with US Soccer’s Player Development Initiatives.
Players ages 5 & 6. Using a T-ball batting tee, 6U focuses on instruction of beginning players. 10 players are fielded defensively and all players bat. No leading off or stealing of bases is allowed.
Since the research concluded, Little League revamped its Tee Ball program, established a Coach Pitch Program, restructured its teenage divisions, and changed its residency requirements to allow children from four years old to 16 to play in the league where their school is located.
Minor League and Little League
The bases and pitching rubber are also slightly smaller than in standard baseball.
Youth baseballs are designed specifically for baseball players between the ages of 8-14 years old, and they are also used in Little League tournaments. These balls are similar to high school or college baseballs, except that the yarn winding is not as tight.