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 an assessment. 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 A/Coach Pitch | 6-5 years old |
| Minor AA/Player Pitch | 9-7 years old |
| Minor AAA | 10-8 years old |
| Major | 12-10 years old |
| 50/70 | 13-11 years old |
Please Note: Baseball players league-age 8 and over are required to try out.
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?
| Division - | League Age Range | Birth Years |
|---|---|---|
| 8U (Minor Player Pitch) | 8-6 | 2016-2018 |
| 10U (Minor Player Pitch) | 10-9 | 2014-2015 |
| 12U (Major) | 12-11 1 | 2012-2013 |
| 15U (Junior) | 15-12 2 | 2009-2012 |
Please Note: All softball players must attend a player tryout/evaluation.
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. In 2024, we expanded to 3-year groups to create more teams and improve competition, and to launch our new Junior division. In 2025, we will try to find the right balance between 2-year age groups and Little League’s traditional divisions.
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) | 9/2003-8/2021 |
| Senior | 15+ 3 |
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.