Little League sorts players by league age, not by grade or by how old a child is on opening day. For baseball, league age is the player’s actual age on August 31 of the season year (Little League). That one date decides which divisions a child can play, and it is not the same date other youth programs use. If you only want the answer, type a birth month and year into our league age and field finder; the rest of this page explains what it is telling you.
How league age works, with a worked example
Take a child born July 15, 2015, for the 2027 season. On August 31, 2027 that child is 12, so the league age is 12. A child born September 15, 2015 is still 11 on that date, so the league age is 11, even though the two are two months apart. Little League’s 2027 baseball age chart lays this out by birth month: the months January through August of a birth year share one league age, and September through December of the same year fall into the next lower one.
The same July 2015 birthday gives a different answer in other programs, because they count from a different date:
- PONY counts age on April 30. Its board moved the date from August 31 to April 30 in 2022 (PONY league age key). The July 2015 child is 11 in PONY for 2027.
- Babe Ruth League and its Cal Ripken division use May 1 as the deciding date (Babe Ruth League age chart). Same result: age 11.
So one child can be “12” in Little League and “11” in PONY or Cal Ripken in the same year. That matters when a family moves between a recreational league and a travel team that plays under a different program.
Little League baseball divisions and the ages each accepts
These are the eligibility ranges Little League publishes for baseball. They overlap on purpose, and a local league may use a narrower range inside them:
| Division | League ages eligible | Bases | Pitching distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tee Ball | 4–7 | 60 ft (50 ft local option) | Ball hit off a tee |
| Minor League | 7–12 (5–6 after one season of Tee Ball) | 60 ft | 46 ft |
| Little League (Majors) | 9–12 (a local league may start at 10 or 11) | 60 ft | 46 ft |
| Intermediate (50/70) | 11–13 | 70 ft | 50 ft |
| Junior League | 12–14 | Up to 90 ft; 75 ft local option in the regular season | 60 ft 6 in; 54 ft local option |
| Senior League | 13–16 | 90 ft | 60 ft 6 in |
Sources: League Age Determination for the ages and Field Specifications for the distances. Little League’s older Junior/Senior field diagram shows 80-foot bases for Junior League where the current page says 75, so ask your league which it uses. Checked October 3, 2026.
Two things in older descriptions of Little League no longer match what Little League lists for baseball. There is no separate “Rookie” division in that list: coach-pitch and machine-pitch are formats inside Minor League. And the list stops at Senior League for ages 13–16; the “Big League” division some sites still mention is not on the page. Check your local league if it offers something older.
What each step up actually changes
The jumps are in the field, not just the age. Minors and Majors share a 60-foot, 46-foot field; Majors is where most players meet the full game. The Intermediate (50/70) division is the first bigger diamond: 70-foot bases and a 50-foot pitching distance. Junior and Senior play on the 90-foot diamond with the pitcher 60 feet 6 inches away, which is the distance used in professional baseball. Little League recommends outfield fences at 200 feet for Intermediate and below and 300 feet for Junior and Senior.
The bat changes too. Little League’s rules cap bats at 33 inches in Minors and Majors, 34 inches in Intermediate and Junior, and 36 inches in Senior, and Senior League bats that are not solid wood must be BBCOR certified. The full table is on our youth bat rules page. A glove that fit in Minors is often too small on a full-size infield, so the youth baseball glove size guide is worth a look before the move.
Moving up, moving down, and playing in two divisions
Because the eligibility ranges overlap, a league-age-12 player can be eligible for Minors, Majors, Intermediate and Junior in the same year. Little League lets the local board narrow those ranges and decide placement, so the national chart tells you what is allowed, not what your league does. Ask your registrar which ranges your league uses before you assume a division.
Little League versus travel and other programs
Travel and club teams often follow PONY, Cal Ripken or their own rules, with different cutoff dates and division names. If your child is moving between systems, run the birth date through the finder to see each program’s league age side by side. For the money and time side of that decision, see whether travel baseball is right for your kid and what it costs.
Frequently asked questions about Little League divisions and age brackets
What age is the Little League Majors division?
Little League makes league ages 9–12 eligible for Majors, and a local league may restrict it to 10–12 or 11–12. Your league decides the range it actually uses.
How is a child’s Little League age determined?
For baseball, it is the child’s actual age on August 31 of the season year. Softball uses a different date, December 31 of the previous year (Little League).
What is the difference between Minor League and Majors?
Both use a 60-foot field with a 46-foot pitching distance. Minor League accepts a wider, younger age range (7–12, and 5–6 after a season of Tee Ball) and includes coach-pitch and machine-pitch formats; Majors accepts league ages 9–12 and is the division most people think of as Little League.
Can a player move up a division early?
Within the age ranges Little League publishes, yes: local boards can narrow or widen ranges inside them and place players. A player outside a division’s listed league ages is not eligible for it.
Is Intermediate (50/70) the same as Junior League?
No. Intermediate (50/70) is for league ages 11–13 and uses 70-foot bases and a 50-foot pitching distance. Junior League is for ages 12–14 and moves to the 90-foot diamond, with a local option to shorten distances in the regular season.
Reviewed against Little League’s own pages on October 3, 2026. We rewrote this article that day after finding that its earlier version described the age cutoff vaguely and listed divisions that Little League’s current page does not. Sources: League Age Determination, 2027 baseball age chart, Field Specifications. Drafted with AI assistance; see our editorial policy.
Related reading
League age and field finder, Youth bat rules by league, Coach-Pitch vs Machine-Pitch: What’s the Difference, How Much Does Travel Baseball Actually Cost?.
Baseball Place publishes general information for players, parents and coaches. This isn’t coaching, medical or safety advice, and pitch counts, training loads and return-to-play decisions vary by age and individual. For arm health, injury or conditioning questions, check current guidelines from USA Baseball or Little League International, or talk to a certified coach or athletic trainer.