The short version
- For 2027 Little League Baseball, your child's league age is how old they are on August 31, 2027 (Little League).
- Find it fast on the 2027 Baseball Age Chart (PDF).
- Travel ball (USSSA and Perfect Game) uses a May 1 cutoff instead, so your child may be a different age there.
Sign-ups for spring ball start soon, and the first question on most forms is your player's league age. It isn't always the age on their next birthday cake. Here's how Little League works it out.
How Little League figures league age
Little League says the age that counts for baseball is your child's actual age on August 31 of the current season. For the 2027 season, that's August 31, 2027 (Little League league age page).
Softball is different. A Little League softball player's league age is their age on December 31 of the year before (same page). This guide covers baseball.
How to read the 2027 chart
Little League's 2027 Baseball Age Chart is one page. Find your child's birth month across the top, go down to their birth year, and read the league age on the right. The chart is for baseball only, and only for 2027.
A quick example
Take two kids born in 2016, a few months apart:
- Born June 15, 2016: they turn 11 in June 2027, before August 31. League age 11.
- Born October 3, 2016: they're still 10 on August 31, 2027. League age 10.
That matches the 2027 chart, where January through August 2016 birthdays are league age 11 and September through December 2016 birthdays are league age 10.
Which divisions each league age can play
From Little League's division list:
- Tee Ball: league age 4 to 7.
- Minor League: league age 7 to 12. A league age 5 or 6 player who has played one regular season of Tee Ball can also move up to coach- or machine-pitch Minors.
- Little League (Majors): league age 9 to 12. Your local league can limit Majors to ages 10 to 12 or 11 to 12.
- Intermediate (50/70): league age 11 to 13.
- Junior League: league age 12 to 14.
- Senior League: league age 13 to 16.
Your local league board can set narrower cutoffs within these ranges, so check with your league before tryouts.
Travel ball uses a different date
USSSA and Perfect Game both use May 1 instead of August 31:
- USSSA: for each age division, a player who turns the next age before May 1 of the season isn't eligible unless a grade exception applies (USSSA National By-Laws). For example, a player who turns 11 before May 1 can't play 10U unless they're in 4th grade.
- Perfect Game: age divisions for 2027 are set by birth date on or after May 1. For example, 10U is open to players born on or after May 1, 2016. Teams get only two grade exemptions in each division from 6U to 13U (Perfect Game youth age restrictions).
Our June 15, 2016 example is league age 11 in Little League in 2027 but still 10U in USSSA and Perfect Game, since they turn 11 after May 1. That's normal. Just use the right age on each sign-up form.
Bat rules differ too. Little League bans USSSA 1.15 BPF bats in its Majors division and below (Little League bat rules). See what each organization allows on our Little League, USSSA and Perfect Game BatRules pages.
2026 rule changes to know
What changed in 2026 (from Little League's 2026 rule changes)
- Pine tar is allowed at all levels of Little League Baseball and Softball (Rule 1.10, Note 2). It belongs on the handle or grip only. Little League's bat rules say it can't be put on the barrel or taper, or cover the bat's certification logo.
- Thumb protectors are allowed, but choke-up assists aren't. Rule 1.10 now permits thumb protectors and makes clear that products like choke-knobs and choke-up assists are not permitted.
- The pitcher sleeve rule covers all sleeves. Rule 1.11(a)(3) on sleeves worn by the pitcher dropped the "neoprene" wording, so it now applies to every type of sleeve.
- 2027 changes haven't been posted yet. As of Oct 27, 2026, Little League's rule changes page still lists the 2026 updates. We'll update this story when the 2027 changes come out.
Little League's free Rulebook App has the full rules for every division (Little League rules, regulations and policies).
Sources
- Little League, League age determination (retrieved Oct 27, 2026)
- Little League, 2027 Baseball Age Chart (PDF)
- Little League, 2026 rule changes and clarifications
- Little League, Rules, regulations and policies
- Little League, Bat rules
- USSSA, National By-Laws and Rules (PDF)
- Perfect Game, Youth age restrictions