League Age & Divisions
How does your player’s age affect the division they’ll be in? It’s a key way to identify the starting point for players in the league.
It’s not always the only factor, though – you can see that there’s some overlap in the groups below. Players who want to play in AAA and above will need to attend a tryout/evaluation. One or more are offered before every season begins.
SMLL has established the following age groups:
Baseball
A player’s “league age” for baseball is the age they will be by the end of August 31 in the current season’s year.
| Division - | League Age Range |
|---|---|
| Tee Ball | 6-4 years old |
| Minor Coach Pitch | 6-5 years old |
| Minor Player Pitch | 9-7 years old |
| Minor AAA | 10-8 years old |
| Major | 12-10 years old |
| 50/70 | 13-11 years old |
Softball
A player’s “league age” for softball is the age they were at the end of the year preceding the season. In other words, how old were they last Dec 31?
In the first year of SMLL softball, 2023, we used age-based divisions to align with nearby fastpitch youth leagues that use softball’s more conventional 2-year groupings. We expanding each division in 2024 to create larger Minor and Major divisions and facilitate a strong Junior team.
2024+
| Division - | League Age Range | Birth Years |
|---|---|---|
| 6U (Minor Coach Pitch) | 6-5 | 2017-2018 |
| 9U (Minor Player Pitch) | 9-7 | 2014-2016 |
| 12U (Major) | 12-10 1 | 2011-2013 2 |
| 15U (Junior) | 15-12 3 | 2008-2011 2 |
2023
| Division - | League Age Range |
|---|---|
| 6U (Coach Pitch) | 6-5 |
| 8U (Coach & Player Pitch) | 8-7 |
| 10U | 10-9 |
| 12U (Major) | 12-11 |
Challenger
A player’s “league age” for Challenger baseball is the age they will be by the end of August 31 in the current season’s year.
| Division - | Age Range | Birth Months |
|---|---|---|
| Challenger | 4-18 (22 if still in school) | 9/2002-8/2020 |
| Senior | 15+ 4 |
League Age
We use the league age to fit players into the categories above. Note that the formula for baseball and softball is different.
See the Little League age calculator for more information.
Please Note: Only players age 8 and above must attend a player tryout/evaluation.