January 24, 2006 > New League age determination for youth baseball

by Biff Jones

BUSA Baseball represents amateur baseball in the U.S. as a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the International Baseball Association Federation (IBAF). Virtually every major national youth baseball organization in the U.S. is a USA Baseball National Member.

USA Baseball has recommended that the league age determination date be changed from July 31 to April 30, for the 2006 season for all youth baseball organizations. For example, under the old regulation, a baseball player who turns 13 years old in May, June or July of 2006 would have been considered league-age 13 for the entire 2006 season. That would have been the case, despite the fact that such a player likely would have played most or all of the regular season (which generally ends in June) without having actually reached his or her 13th birthday. Under the new regulation, such a player will have a league age of 12 throughout the 2006 season. So, whatever the players age is on April 30 will be the age that player will use for the 2006 season.

Most youth baseball organizations are expected to adopt the new date to determine age, though some may not, as it is up to each organization.