Scrappers

Prior to the vote, the Congress was overwhelmed by letters, emails and phone calls from parents across the country, especially from our own West Region District 62, urging the delegates to vote against the rule change. Little League President and CEO Stephen Keener acknowledged the amount of concern expressed from parents regarding the rule change. As a result, the delegates voted on and passed an amendment to the rule change that it would not go into effect until after a three-year transition period.

Recap:
• The new league age rule goes into effect in 2018
• League age is the age that your child is at any time in the calendar year regardless if it falls in the spring season or not
• In other words, if your child’s birthday is after May 1, that is the “league age” of your child for the spring season that same year
• So 11 year olds who turn 12 after May 1, are now league age 12 for that spring season, playing their 12 year old year as an 11 year old
• International countries have been playing under this rule. The rule change brings the US into conformity with other countries

“I’d like to thank all of our families who wrote to Little League Baseball to express your concerns about the rule change,” said Toby Reece, Ocean View Little League president. “Your voices made a tremendous impact on the decision by the Congress to, at least, amend the rule with a three-year period before the change goes into effect. Though we are very disappointed with the rule change, we are already working on a solution that will enable our league age 13 year olds to continue playing at Ocean View.”

For more info, go to the Little League Baseball Website: http://www.littleleague.org/media/llnewsarchive/2014/January-April/2014CongressVotingResults.htm