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Exploring the Various Divisions of Little League®

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Any community, anywhere in the world can belong to Little League®. Volunteers are the fabric and substance of the program and those same people make their Little League what they want it to be.

Each year, your local league’s Board of Directors decides what divisions and how many teams it will charter based on the ages and total number of players registered to play. For just $10, any Little League can add a team or create a new division in their league.

Children as young as four can begin in Little League Tee Ball. Those same children, with the support of their parents and the league’s leadership, can remain in the program all the way through the age of 16 if the league chooses to charter at least one team in each division.

Tee Ball

All players, parents, and volunteers can begin their Little League experience in Tee Ball. Little League’s Tee Ball program is typically co-ed, but can be structured for baseball or softball. There is even a fun and engaging turnkey program specifically created for new parents who want to enter the program with their children as coaches. Children can play Tee Ball through the age of seven before moving up to the Minor Division.

Challenger Division

No one is left out or left behind when you choose to join Little League. The greatest example of inclusion is provided by the Challenger Division for physically and developmentally challenged children and young adults. For 25 years, Challenger players (ages 4-18, or up to the age of 22 if the player is still in school), their parents and communities have benefited from being a part of Little League.

Minor Leagues

  • Baseball and Softball
  • Ages 7 to 12
  • Divisions may be established for “machine pitch,” “coach pitch” or “player pitch”

Little League® or Major League

  • Baseball and Softball
  • Ages 8 to 12
  • First level with an international tournament for 11-and 12-year-olds
  • May be structured based on age ranges

Intermediate (50/70) Baseball

  • Baseball only
  • Ages 11 to 13
  • This is a transitional program that uses a 50-foot pitching distance and 70-foot base paths, and offers tournament play, including a World Series

Junior League

  • Baseball and Softball
  • Ages 12 to 14
  • Baseball – This division plays on a standard baseball field (dimensions: 60-foot pitching distance; 90-foot base paths) and offers tournament play, including a World Series
  • Softball – This division and the other Teenage Softball divisions use the same base path and fence dimensions as Little League softball with a 43-foot pitching distance. It links Little League and Senior League, and offers tournament play, including a World Series

Senior League

  • Baseball and Softball
  • Ages 13 to 16
  • Baseball – This division plays on a standard baseball field (dimensions: 60-foot pitching distance; 90-foot base paths) and offers tournament play, including a World Series
  • Softball – Players who are age eligible for Junior Division may play Senior League, but may not dual roster. Senior League offers tournament play, including a World Series

Boys Softball

  • Tee Ball (ages 4 to 6); Minor League (ages 7-11); Major League (ages 9-12); and Teenage Divisions play on fields with 60-foot base paths
  • The pitching distances vary by division. Minor League – 35 feet; Major League – 40 feet; Teenage Divisions – 43 feet

To appreciate what Little League can do for your family and neighborhood, you first need to know what’s available. The divisions listed in this article are further explained here. Please, take a moment to review. Remember, parents have the ability to impact everything about a local league. If there is not a Little League where you live, it is easy to start one.