(C) Yankees

To: From:          Date: Re:

All District Administrators and Local Little League Presidents Joe Losch, Vice President of Operations November, 1998 The New Teenage Age Structure

The following questions and answers should resolve any concerns you might have regarding the new teenage are structure approved by the Congress in January 1998.  The key to understanding this format is flexibility.  It enables local leagues to adjust the program to meet their needs:

Q: Does the new age structure apply to both baseball and softball?
A: Yes

Q: Can a league operate Junior Leagues as a 13-15 year old program?
A: Yes, this is possible with the Charter Committee's WRITTEN approval based on a request from the league including the age breakdown by number of players.  Thus 14 year olds would be eligible for Junior or Senior Tournament, but not both.  Any 15 year olds would not be eligible for Junior Tournament but would be eligible for Senior Tournament.  Applications for a waiver must go through District Administrator, Region.  Additionally, the Charter Committee must approve all Interleague Play requests at the same time.

Q: Can a player, league age 14, move up and down during the season between a Junior and Senior team?
A: No. Once a player moves up to Senior League they cannot return to Junior League (except when moving from Regular Season in one division to another division for Tournament Play).

Q: If during the regular season a 14 year old Junior player is needed to complete a Senior team, can the player move up to Senior?
A: This decision is made by the local league's Board of Directors and does not require any special permission.

Q: Does a league that is granted 13-15 approval by the Charter Committee have to charter in both the Junior and Senior Division to be eligible for tournament?
A: No, but they must pay Tournament Entry Fees for Junior and Senior League.

Q: Are tournament players restricted to the division they played in for the regular season?
A: No, tournaments are structured by age regardless of the division in which player participated.

Q:What is the purpose of "swing age" (14 and 16 year old)?
A: This gives local leagues greater flexibility to administer the program.  Some leagues need 14 year olds in Juniors or 16 year olds in Seniors. However, remember at tournament time they can only participate in one tournament.

Q: Is there a limit on the number of 14 year olds pitchers that can be used in a week in Junior League or 16 year olds pitchers that can be used in a week in Senior League?
A: No, there is no restriction on the weekly number of 14 year olds pitchers in Junior league or 16 year old pitchers in Senior League.

Q: Can 14 year olds playing in Senior League regular season be eligible for the Junior League tournament team?
A: Yes, 14 year olds are eligible for Junior or Senior tournament team regards of where the division in which they played during the regular season.  However, they may not participate in both tournaments.

Q: Can 16 year olds playing in Big League regular season be eligible for the Senior Tournament team?
A: Yes, 16 year olds would be eligible for Senior or Big League tournament team regardless of the division in which they played during the regular season.  However, they may not participate in both tournaments.

Q: Can we operate a Minor league program in Junior/Senior/Big League?
A: A local league may structure their own program into a minor/major format.  However, all teams would be listed on the charter application as Junior, Senior or Big League.  For instance, if a league has four Senior Minor teams and four Senior Major teams, a total of eight teams would be noted on the Application for Charter.  Any player playing in the Junior, Senior or Big League Minors or Majors is still eligible for tournament play.