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 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.

Coach/Machine Pitch

Coach/Machine Pitch provides a transitional bridge from the introductory ease of Tee Ball to true baseball. The fields have minor league dimensions. Players rotate among positions and learn to contribute in each. Throwing grows more accurate. And, for the first time, batters learn to hit a pitched ball. 

Coaches pitch to their own teams, either over- or under-hand. Pitches are gentle and the name of the game is put the ball in play. Pitching machines (at slow speeds) are used as well. After six pitches, a player can opt to hit off a tee. In time and through patient instruction, every player will learn the fundamentals of timing and swing and connect with the pitched ball. 

Although Coach/Machine Pitch is a level up from Tee Ball, the emphasis is still on fun, participation, and teamwork. 

Minor Division

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 5-11.

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.

A local league may choose to limit its Major Division to 10-, 11- and 12-year-olds, or 11-12-year-olds. The diamond used is a 60-foot diamond and the pitching distance is 46 feet.

The local league has an option to choose a Tournament Team (or “All Stars”) of 10-12-year-olds from within this division, and the team may enter the International Tournament.

Regular season players in the Little League Baseball Major Division have the opportunity to dual roster, meaning he/she can play in the Little League Major Baseball Division and Intermediate 50/70 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.

The culmination of the International Tournament is the Little 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 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.