text:
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Part of a series on
The Ten Commandments
I am the LORD thy God
No other gods before me
No graven images or likenesses
Not take the LORD's name in vain
Remember the sabbath day
Honour thy father and thy mother
Thou shalt not kill
Thou shalt not commit adultery
Thou shalt not steal
Thou shalt not bear false witness
Thou shalt not covet
Related articles
Tablets of Stone
Ritual Decalogue
Finger of God
Moses
Ark of the Covenant
Catholic theology
v
t
e
"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain" (KJV; also "You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God" (NRSV) and variants) is one of the Ten Commandments.
It is a prohibition of blasphemy, specifically, the misuse or "taking in vain" of the name of the God of Israel, or using His name to commit evil. Exodus 20:7 reads:
"Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." (KJV).[1]
Based on this commandment, Second Temple Judaism by the Hellenistic period developed a taboo of pronouncing the name of God at all, resulting in the replacement of the Tetragrammaton by "Adonai" (literally "my lords" – see Adonai) in pronunciation.
In the Hebrew Bible itself, the commandment is directed against abuse of the name of God, not against any use; there are numerous examples in the Hebrew Bible and a few in the New Testament where God's name is called upon in oaths to tell the truth or to support the truth of the statement being sworn to, and the books of Daniel and Revelation include instances where an angel sent by God invokes the name of God to support the truth of apocalyptic revelations.[2] God himself is presented as swearing by his own name ("As surely as I live …") to guarantee the certainty of various events foretold through the prophets.[3]
Contents
1 Hebrew Bible
2 In Judaism
3 In the New Testament
4 In the Catholic Church
5 In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
6 Reformation and post-Reformation doctrines
6.1 Winwood Reade's doctrine
7 References
8 External links
Hebrew Bible[edit]
The Hebrew לא תשא לשוא is translated as "thou shalt not take in vain". The word here translated as "in vain" is שוא shav' "emptiness, vanity; emptiness of speech, lying", while "take" is נשא nasa' "to lift, carry, bear, take, take away" (appearing in the second person as תשא). The expression "to take in vain" is also translated less literally as "to misuse" or variants.[4] Some have interpreted the commandment to be against perjury,[5] since invoking God's name in an oath was considered a guarantee of the truth of a statement or promise. Other scholars believe the original intent was to prohibit using the name in the magical practice of conjuration.[6]
Hebrew Bible passages also refer to God's name being profaned by hypocritical behavior of people and false representation of God's words or character.[7] Many scholars also believe the commandment applies to the casual use of God's name in interjections and curses (blasphemy).
The object of the command "thou shalt not take in vain" is את־שם־יהוה אלהיך at-shem-YHWH elohik "this-same name of YHWH, thy elohim", making explicit that the commandment is against the misuse of the proper name Yahweh specifically.
In the Hebrew Bible, as well as in the Ancient Near East and throughout classical antiquity more generally, an oath is a conditional self-curse invoking deities that are asked to inflict punishment on the oath-breaker. There are numerous examples in the Book of Samuel of people strengthening their statements or promises with the phrase, "As surely as Yahweh lives …" [8] and such statements are referred to in Jeremiah as well. The value of invoking punishment from God was based on the belief that God cannot be deceived or evaded. For example, a narrative in the Book of Numbers describes how such an oath is to be administered by a priest to a woman suspected of adultery, with the expectation that the accompanying curse will have no effect on an innocent person.[9]
Such oaths may have been used in civil claims, regarding supposed theft, for example, and the commandment is repeated in the context of honest dealings between people in Leviticus 19:12. At one point of the account of the dedication of the Temple of Solomon, Solomon prays to Yahweh, asking him to hear and act upon curses uttered in a dispute that are then brought before his altar, to distinguish between the person in the right and the one in the wrong.[10]
The prophet Isaiah rebuked Israel as the Babylonian Captivity drew near, pointing out that they bore the name of God, and swore by him, but their swearing was hypocritical since they had forsaken the exclusive worship of Yahweh for the worship of idols.[11] The Israelites had been told in Leviticus that sacrificing their children to idols and then coming to worship God caused God's name to be profaned, thus breaking the commandment.[12] According to the Book of Jeremiah, Yahweh told him to look around Jerusalem, asserting that he would not be able to find an honest man – "Even when they say, As Yahweh lives,' they are sure to be swearing falsely."[13] Jeremiah refers to a situation in which Israelites repented and took oaths in God's name – only to renege by reclaiming as slaves persons they had freed as part of their repentance. This hypocritical act was also considered profaning God's name.[14] In Jeremiah 12, an opportunity is also described for Israel's neighbors to avoid destruction and prosper if they stop swearing by their idol and swear only by the name of Yahweh.[15]
In Judaism[edit]
To avoid coming under guilt by accidentally misusing God's name, Jewish scholars do not write or pronounce the proper name in most circumstances, but use substitutes such as "Adonai (the Lord)," or "HaShem (the Name)."[16] In English translations of the Bible, the name Adonai is often translated "Lord," while the proper name Yahweh represented by the tetragrammaton is often indicated by the use of capital and small capital letters, Lᴏʀᴅ.[17]
Joseph Telushkin, a Modern Orthodox rabbi, wrote that the commandment is much more than a prohibition against casual interjections using God's name. He pointed out that the more literal translation of Lo tissa is "you shall not carry" rather than "you shall not take", and that understanding this helps one understand why the commandment ranks with such as "You shall not murder" and "You shall not commit adultery".[18]
One of the first commandments listed by Maimonides in the Mishneh Torah is the responsibility to sanctify God's name.[19] Maimonides thought the commandment should be taken as generally as possible, and therefore he considered it forbidden to mention God's name unnecessarily at any time. Jewish scholars referred to this as "motzi shem shamayim lavatalah", "uttering the Name of Heaven uselessly."[20] To avoid guilt associated with accidentally breaking the commandment, Jewish scholars applied the prohibition to all seven biblical titles of God in addition to the proper name, and established the safeguard of circumlocution when referring to the Name of God.[21] In writing names of God, a common practice includes substituting letters or syllables so that the written word is not exactly the name, or writing the name in an abbreviated manner. Orthodox Jews will not even pronounce a name of God unless it is said in prayer or religious study. The Sacred Name (Tetragrammaton), is never pronounced by these Jews but always read as "Adonai (the Lord)," "HaShem (the Name)," or sometimes "AdoShem".[22]
May His great Name be blessed forever and ever.
—  from the Kaddish[23]
The Kaddish is an important prayer in a Jewish prayer service whose central theme is the magnification and sanctification of God's name.[24] Along with the Shema and Amidah, it is one of the most important and central prayers of Jewish liturgy.
In the New Testament[edit]
In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught that a person's word should be reliable and one should not swear by God or his creation.[25] In his letter, the Apostle James reiterates the instruction to just say 'yes' or 'no' and keep your word, "so that you may not fall into condemnation."[26]
According to David Cook, appeals to authorities to validate the truth of a promise had expanded in Jesus' day, which was not in line with the original commandment.[27] Jesus is quoted as warning that they were blind and foolish who gave credibility to such arguments.[28]
According to the Gospel of John, Jesus made appeals to the power of the name of God[29] and also claimed the name of God as his own, which constituted blasphemy if it were not true. The Gospel of John relates an incident where a group attempts to stone Jesus after he speaks God's name.[30] Jesus says that he is the Messiah, and makes parallels between himself and the "Son of Man" referred to by the prophet Daniel, which evokes an emphatic response that he has blasphemed (broken the commandment) and deserves death.[31]
Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
—  Matthew 28:18–19 (NIV)
The Apostle Paul occasionally invokes God's name in his letters, calling God as witness to the purity of his motives and honesty of his dealings with the churches to whom he ministered.[32]
The author of Hebrews reviewed God's promise to Abraham as assurance that outstanding promises will yet be fulfilled. "Human beings, of course, swear by someone greater than themselves, and an oath given as confirmation puts an end to all dispute." [33] In the case of the promise of God to Abraham, God swore by his own name to guarantee the promise, since there was nothing greater for him to swear by.[34] Philo pointed out that it is natural that God would swear by himself, even though this is "a thing impossible for anyone else."[35]
Similar to the events described in the Book of Daniel, the Book of Revelation includes a description of an angel who swears by God to the truth of the end-time events being revealed to John.[36]
In the Catholic Church[edit]
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
—  Psalm 8:1, Catechism of the Catholic Church 2160
The Catholic Church teaches that the Lord's name is holy and should be introduced into one's speech only to bless, praise or glorify that name.[37] The name should be used respectfully, with an awareness of the presence of God.[38] It must not be abused by careless speech, false oaths, or words of hatred, reproach or defiance toward God, or used in magic.[39] Since Jesus Christ is believed to be the Messiah, and "the image of the invisible God,"[40] this commandment is applied to the name of Jesus Christ as well.
The sentiment behind this commandment is expressed in the Lord's Prayer, which begins, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." According to Pope Benedict XVI, when God revealed his name to Moses he established a relationship with mankind; Benedict stated that the Incarnation was the culmination of a process that "had begun with the giving of the divine name."[41] Benedict elaborated that this means the divine name could be misused and that Jesus' inclusion of "hallowed be thy name" is a plea for the sanctification of God's name, to "protect the wonderful mystery of his accessibility to us, and constantly assert his true identity as opposed to our distortion of it."
Taking an oath or swearing is to take God as witness to what one affirms. It is to invoke the divine truthfulness as a pledge of one's own truthfulness.[42]
Promises made to others in God's name engage the divine honor, fidelity, truthfulness, and authority. They must be respected in justice. To be unfaithful to them is to misuse God's name and in some way to make God out to be a liar. (1 John 1:10)
—  Catechism of the Catholic Church 2147
For the same reason, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that it is a duty to reject false oaths that others might try to impose; an oath may be made false because it attests to a lie, because an illegitimate authority is requiring it, or because the purpose of the oath is contrary to God's law or human dignity.[43]
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints[edit]
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe in this commandment as written in Exodus 20. This commandment has been repeated in the LDS Scriptures such as the Book of Mormon and in Doctrine and Covenants.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
—  Mosiah 13:15[44]
Keep yourselves from evil to take the name of the Lord in vain, for I am the Lord your God, even the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.
—  Doctrine and Covenants 136:21[45]]
And again, the Lord God hath commanded that men should not murder; that they should not lie; that they should not steal; that they should not take the name of the Lord their God in vain; that they should not envy; that they should not have malice; that they should not contend one with another; that they should not commit whoredoms; and that they should do none of these things; for whoso doeth them shall perish.
—  2 Nephi 26:32[46]
Former prophet and president of the Church, Spencer W. Kimball told the following story to inspire believers: President Kimball underwent surgery many years ago, he was wheeled from the operating room to the intensive care room. The attendant who pushed the gurney which carried him stumbled and let out an oath using the name of the Lord. President Kimball, who was barely conscious, said weakly, "Please! Please! That is my Lord whose names you revile." There was a deathly silence; then the young man whispered with a subdued voice, "I am sorry." [47]
Reformation and post-Reformation doctrines[edit]
Matthew Henry described five categories of actions that constitute taking God's name in vain: 1) hypocrisy – making a profession of God's name, but not living up to that profession; 2) covenant breaking – if one makes promises to God yet does not carry out the promised actions; 3) rash swearing; 4) false swearing; and 5) using the name of God lightly and carelessly, for charms or spells, jest or sport. He pointed out that though a person may hold himself guiltless in one of these matters, the commandment specifically states that God will not.[48]
The Lutheran Witness, a doctrinal document representing the Lutheran faith, supports the view that oaths should not generally be taken at all, except "for the glory of God and the welfare of our neighbor." Specifically, it states that proper use of God's name includes administration of oaths in court, and in swearing-in a spiritual or political leader to their respective offices, which include responsibilities toward God and fellow human beings.[49]
In his Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin sets the stage for discussing this commandment by noting that an oath is calling God to witness that what we say is true, and that an appropriate oath is a kind of worship of God in that it implies a profession of faith. When human testimony fails, people appeal to God as witness, as the only one able to bring hidden things to light and know what is in the heart. False swearing robs God of his truth (to the observer), and therefore it is a serious matter. With regard to the casual use of God's name, Calvin summarized, "remember that an oath is not appointed or allowed for passion or pleasure, but for necessity." He wrote that the frequency of casual use of the name of God has dulled the public conscience but that the commandment, with its penalty, still stands.[50]
Winwood Reade's doctrine[edit]
Historian Winwood Reade has a different interpretation of the third commandment: "Invention of the Oath: But the chief benefit which religion ever conferred upon mankind, whether in ancient or in modern times, was undoubtedly the oath. The priests taught that if a promise was made in the name of the gods, and that promise was broken, the gods would kill those who took their name in vain. Such is the true meaning of the third commandment. Before that time treaties of peace and contracts of every kind in which mutual confidence was required could only be effected by the interchange of hostages. But now by means of this purely theological device a verbal form became itself a sacred pledge: men could at all times confide in one another; and foreign tribes met freely together beneath the shelter of this useful superstition which yet survives in our courts of law."[51]
References[edit]
Jump up ^ translating Biblical Hebrew לא תשא את־שם־יהוה אלהיך לשוא כי לא ינקה יהוה את אשר־ישא את־שמו לשוא׃
Jump up ^ Oath, in The Zondervan Topical Bible, Viening, E., ed., Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1978, ISBN 0-310-33710-0, pp. 719–720
Jump up ^ Live, in Carpenter, E.E. and Comfort, P.W., Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words: 200 Greek and 200 Hebrew words defined and explained, Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000, ISBN 978-0-8054-9352-8, p. 117; Bruce, F.F., The Epistle to the Hebrews, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Wm. B. Eardman's Publishing Company, 1990, ISBN 0-8028-2514-1, p. 154
Jump up ^ Telushkin, J., Jewish Literacy: The most important things to know about the Jewish religion, its people and its history. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1991, ISBN 0-688-08506-7, p. 56
Jump up ^ Ten Commandments, Illustrated Dictionary & Concordance of the Bible, Wigoder, G., general editor, et al., G.G. The Jerusalem Publishing House, Ltd., ISBN 0-89577-407-0, p.980
Jump up ^ en Commandments, HarperCollins Bible Dictionary, 1996, Achtemeier Paul J., ed., New York:HarperCollins Publishers, ISBN 0-06-060037-3, p.1109; Names of God in the OT: Attenuation of the Divine Name, in The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Freedman, D.N., editor-in-chief, New York: Doubleday, 1992, ISBN 0-385-19362-9, p. 1010
Jump up ^ See for examples Leviticus 18:21, 20:3, 21:6; Isaiah 48:1–2; Jeremiah 5:1–2, 7:9–15; Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, Vol. 1 Commentary on Exodus 20:7
Jump up ^ See, for examples, 1 Samuel 14:39, 45, 17:55, 20:3, 20:21, 25:26, 25:34, 26:10, 26:16, etc.
Jump up ^ Numbers 5:19–24; Isaacs RH, Every Person's Guide to Jewish Sexuality, Jason Aronson Publishers, 2000. ISBN 0-7657-6118-1, pp.74–75
Jump up ^ First Kings 8:31–32; Hooker, Paul, First and Second Chronicles, Westminster John Knox Press, 2001, ISBN 0-664-25591-4, p. 138, 143
Jump up ^ Isaiah 48:1–2; Isaiah 40–66, InterVarsity Press,2007, ISBN 0-8308-1481-7, p. 99
Jump up ^ Leviticus 18:21, 20:3, 21:6;Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, Vol. 1 Commentaries on Leviticus 18:21, 20:3 and 21:6
Jump up ^ Jeremiah 5:1–2; Calvin, J, McGrath A, and Packer, J.I., Crossway Classic Commentaries: Jeremiah and Lamentations, Good News Publishers,2000 ISBN 1-58134-157-1, p. 43
Jump up ^ Jeremiah 34:16; Pixley, J., Jeremiah, Chalice Press, 2004, ISBN 0-8272-0527-9, pp. 109–110
Jump up ^ Jeremiah 12:16–17; McKane, W., A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Jeremiah: Introduction, Continuum International Publishing Group, 1986, ISBN 0-567-05042-4, p. 279
Jump up ^ Lamm, Norman, The Shema: Spirituality and law in Judaism, Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 2000, ISBN 0-8276-0713-X, pp. 23–26
Jump up ^ The Episcopal Church, The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments …, New York: Church Publishing Inc., ISBN 0-89869-060-9, p.583; Barker, Kenneth, The Accuracy of the NIV, Baker Books, 1996, ISBN 0-8010-5639-X, p. 21
Jump up ^ Telushkin, J., Jewish Literacy: The most important things to know about the Jewish religion, its people and its history. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1991, ISBN 0-688-08506-7, pp. 56–57
Jump up ^ The Kaddish Prayer: A new translation with a commentary anthologized from Talmudic, Midrashic and Rabbinic sources. New York: Mesorah Publications, Ltd., 2001, ISBN 0-89906-160-5, p.8
Jump up ^ Terumah 3b
Jump up ^ Hoffman, L.A., My people's prayer book: traditional prayers, modern commentaries, Vol. 1: The Sh'ma and its blessings, Jewish Lights Publishing, 1997, ISBN 1-879045-79-6 p. 36
Jump up ^ Lamm, Norman, The Shema: Spirituality and law in Judaism, Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 2000, ISBN 0-8276-0713-X, p. 23
Jump up ^ The Kaddish Prayer: A new translation with a commentary anthologized from Talmudic, Midrashic and Rabbinic sources. New York: Mesorah Publications, Ltd., 2001, ISBN 0-89906-160-5, p.7
Jump up ^ Donin, Hayim Halevy, To pray as a Jew: a guide to the prayer book and the synagogue service, Jerusalem: Moreshet Publishing Co.,1980, ISBN 0-465-08628-4, p. 216
Jump up ^ Matthew 5:33–37;
Jump up ^ James 5:12
Jump up ^ Hale, T., Thorson, S., Applied New Testament Commentary, Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, ISBN 978-0-7814-4865-9, p. 200
Jump up ^ Matthew 23:18–22; Long, T.G., Matthew, Westminster John Knox Press, 1997, ISBN 0-664-25257-5, p. 261
Jump up ^ Kruse, C., The Gospel According to John: an introduction and commentary, Wm B. Eerdman's Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-2771-3, p. 342
Jump up ^ John 8:57–59; Stott, J., Warren, R., Basic Christianity, Wm. B. Eerdman's Publishing Co., 2008, ISBN 0-8028-6463-5, p. 37
Jump up ^ Matthew 26:63–66;Levy, L.W., Blasphemy: verbal offense against the sacred, from Moses to Salman Rushdie, UNC Press, 1995, ISBN 0-8078-4515-9, p. 18
Jump up ^ 2 Corinthians 1:23; Galatians 1:20; Best, W.M., Russell, J.A., Morgan A., The Principles of the Law of Evidence: rules for conducting examination and cross-examination of witnesses, Jersey City: Federick D. Linn & Co., 1882, p. 255
Jump up ^ Hebrews 6:16 (NRSV)
Jump up ^ Mitchell, A.C., Harrington, D.J., Hebrews, Liturgical Press, 2007, ISBN 0-8146-5815-6, pp. 131–132
Jump up ^ Bruce, F.F., Epistle to the Hebrews, Wm. B. Eerdman's Publishing, 1990, ISBN 0-8028-2514-1, pp. 153–154
Jump up ^ Revelation 10:5,6; Smith, Robert H., Apocalypse: A commentary on Revelation in words and images, Order of St. Benedict, Inc., 2000, ISBN 0-8146-2707-2, p. 54
Jump up ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church 2143
Jump up ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church 2144–2145, 2153
Jump up ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church 2148–2149
Jump up ^ Luke 15:11–32; Catechism of the Catholic Church 1701
Jump up ^ Benedict XVI, pp. 143–145
Jump up ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church 2150
Jump up ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church 2151–2153
Jump up ^ http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/13.15?lang=eng#14
Jump up ^ http://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/136.21?lang=eng#20
Jump up ^ http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/26.32?lang=eng#31
Jump up ^ The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 198
Jump up ^ Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, Vol. 1 Commentary on Exodus 20:7
Jump up ^ The Lutheran witness, Volume 11, General English Lutheran Conference of Missouri and Other States, English Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri and Other States, Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States, Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, Edited and published under the auspices of the Cleveland District Conference by C.A. Frank, 1892, p. 181
Jump up ^ Calvin, John, (Beveridge, Henry), Institutes of the Christian Religion, Hendrickson Publishers, 2008, ISBN 1-59856-168-5, pp. 246–248
Jump up ^ Winwood Reade "The Matyrdom of Man", Trubner & Co, London 1872.
External links[edit]
The Third Commandment in Masoretic Hebrew, Septuagint Greek and several English versions
Aseret Hadiberot on the commandment not to take (or carry) the name of God in vain (emptiness).
hide
v
t
e
Ten Commandments
Tablets of Stone · Finger of God · Ritual Decalogue
Commandments
I am the Lord thy God
Thou shalt have no other gods before me
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy
Honour thy father and thy mother
Thou shalt not kill
Thou shalt not commit adultery
Thou shalt not steal
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour
Thou shalt not covet
Related
Moses
Biblical Mount Sinai
Ark of the Covenant
In Catholic theology
Tabot
Alternatives
613 commandments
Seven Laws of Noah
In art
Descent from Mount Sinai (Sistine Chapel, 1481-82 painting)
Moses (c. 1513–1515 sculpture)
Moses Breaking the Tablets of the Law (1659 painting)
Moses (1962 sculpture)
Media
The Ten Commandments (1923 film)
The Ten Commandments (1956 film)
Les Dix Commandements (2000 musical)
K10C: Kids' Ten Commandments (2003 videos)
The Ten Commandments (2004 musical)
The Ten Commandments (2006 miniseries)
The Ten (2007 film)
The Ten Commandments (2007 film)
I Am (2010 film)
The Ten Commandments (2016 film)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thou_shalt_not_take_the_name_of_the_Lord_thy_God_in_vain&oldid=854264976"
Categories:
Ten Commandments
Yahweh
Blasphemy
Religious oaths
Biblical phrases
Negative Mitzvoth
Hidden categories:
Articles containing Hebrew-language text
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
Bahasa Indonesia
עברית
Português
ไทย
Edit links
This page was last edited on 10 August 2018, at 02:42 (UTC).
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: mw-jump-link #mw-head

values: mw-jump-link #p-search

value: td

value: tr

value: th

values: padding:0.2em 0.4em 0.2em;padding-top:0;font-size:145%;line-height:1.2em;font-size: 145%; background-color:#cdf; padding:0.3em

attrs: alt src width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

values: MCC-31231 Mozes toont de wetstafelen (1).tif

value: span

value: li

values: padding:0 0.1em 0.4em;padding:1.0em 0.3em;

values:
/wiki/Finger_of_God_(biblical_phrase)
mw-redirect
Finger of God (biblical phrase)

values: float:right;clear:right;width:22.0em;margin:0 0 1.0em 1.0em;background:#f9f9f9;border:1px solid #aaa;padding:0.2em;border-spacing:0.4em 0;text-align:center;line-height:1.4em;font-size:88%;width:auto; border-spacing:0;

values: checkbox button toctogglecheckbox toctogglecheckbox display:none

values:
/wiki/Book_of_Samuel
mw-redirect
Book of Samuel

values:
/wiki/Babylonian_Captivity
mw-redirect
Babylonian Captivity

values:
/wiki/You_shall_not_murder
mw-redirect
You shall not murder

values:
/wiki/You_shall_not_commit_adultery
mw-redirect
You shall not commit adultery

values: Edit section: In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

values: Edit section: Reformation and post-Reformation doctrines

values:
/wiki/The_Lutheran_Witness
mw-redirect
The Lutheran Witness

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

values: Descent from Mount Sinai (Sistine Chapel)

values: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner mw-collapsible mw-made-collapsible

values: Category:Articles containing Hebrew-language text

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

values: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

values: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

values: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

values: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

values: Permanent link to this revision of the page

values: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

values: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

values: Jangan menyebut nama Tuhan Allahmu dengan sembarangan – Indonesian

values: שבועת שווא ושבועת שקר – Hebrew

values: Não pronunciarás em vão o Nome de Yahweh, o SENHOR teu Deus – Portuguese

values: ห้ามใช้พระนามพระยาห์เวห์พระเจ้าของเจ้าไปในทางที่ผิด – Thai

values: /static/images/wikimedia-button-1.5x.png 1.5x, /static/images/wikimedia-button-2x.png 2x

values: /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x

values:
suggestions
display: none; font-size: 13px;

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Thou_shalt_not_take_the_name_of_the_Lord_thy_God_in_vain rootpage-Thou_shalt_not_take_the_name_of_the_Lord_thy_God_in_vain skin-vector action-view


text:
Little League Baseball
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
See: Intermediate, Junior, and Senior League Baseball
Little League Baseball, Incorporated
Upcoming season or competition:
2019 Little League World Series
Sport
Baseball, softball
Founded
1939 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Founder
Carl E. Stotz, George Bebble, Bert Bebble
Inaugural season
1939
CEO
Stephen D. Keener
COO
Patrick Wilson
Director
David Houseknecht, CFO
Claim to fame
Largest organized youth sports organization in the world
Motto
Courage, Character, and Loyalty
No. of teams
over 180,000
Competitors
2,600,000
Qualification
Little League International Tournament
TV partner(s)
ESPN, ESPN2, ABC; Madison Square Garden Network (MSG), New England Sports Network (NESN)
Official website
www.littleleague.org
Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc[1]) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization[2][3] based in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States, that organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the United States and the rest of the world.
Founded by Carl Stotz in 1939 as a three-team league in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and formally incorporated on October 10, 1950,[1] Little League Baseball encourages local volunteers to organize and operate Little League programs that are annually chartered through Little League International. Each league can structure itself to best serve the children in the area in which the league operates. Several specific divisions of Little League baseball and softball are available to children ages 4 to 16. The organization holds a congressional charter under Title 36 of the United States Code.[4]
The organization's administrative office is located in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The first Little League Baseball World Series was played in Williamsport in 1947. The Little League International Complex hosts the annual Little League Baseball World Series at Howard J. Lamade Stadium and Little League Volunteer Stadium, and is also the site of the Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum, which provides a history of Little League Baseball and Softball through interactive exhibits for children. Many Major League Baseball (MLB) players played in Little League.
Contents
1 History
1.1 Timeline
1.1.1 Early years
1.1.2 International era
2 Regions
3 Little League World Series
3.1 Little, Junior, Senior, and Big League baseball & softball World Series
4 Museum
5 Awards
6 Baseball divisions
6.1 Summary chart of major divisions in Little League Baseball
6.2 Tee-ball
6.3 Minor leagues
6.4 9–10 year olds
6.5 Little League (or the Major Division)
6.6 Little League Intermediate (50/70) Division
6.7 Junior League
6.8 Senior League
6.9 Big League
7 Challenger program
7.1 Little League Challenger Division
7.2 Senior League Challenger Division
7.3 Participation
8 Softball divisions
8.1 Boys softball
8.2 Girls softball
9 Rules
9.1 Rulebooks and fees
9.2 Length of game
9.3 Mandatory-play rule
9.4 Playing field
9.5 Equipment
9.6 Base running
9.7 Batting
9.8 Substitution
9.9 Pitchers
9.10 Local options
10 MLB Players
11 See also
12 References
12.1 General
12.2 Citations
13 External links
History[edit]
Carl Stotz, a resident of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, founded Little League Baseball in 1939. He began experimenting with his idea in the summer of 1938 when he gathered his nephews, Jimmy and Major Gehron and their neighborhood friends. They tried different field dimensions over the course of the summer and played several informal games. The following summer Stotz felt that he was ready to establish what later became Little League Baseball. The first league in Williamsport had just three teams, each sponsored by a different business. The first teams, Jumbo Pretzel, Lycoming Dairy, and Lundy Lumber, were managed by Carl Stotz and two of his friends, George and Bert Bebble. The men, joined by their wives and another couple, formed the first-ever Little League Board of Directors.[5]
The first League game took place on June 6, 1939. Lundy Lumber defeated Lycoming Dairy, 23-8. Lycoming Dairy came back to claim the league championship. They, the first-half-season champions, defeated Lundy Lumber, the second-half champs, in a best-of-three season-ending series. The following year a second league was formed in Williamsport, and from there Little League Baseball grew to become an international organization of nearly 200,000 teams in every U.S. state and over 80 countries around the world.[5]
From 1951 through 1973, Little League was for boys only. In 1974, Little League rules were revised to allow participation by girls in the baseball program following the result of a lawsuit filed by the National Organization for Women on behalf of Maria Pepe.[6][7]
In 1953, Robert Francis Morrison filed an official charter with Little League Baseball, Incorporated to admit the Cannon Street Y.M.C.A., as its first all-black team. The league consisted of four teams, sponsored by prominent black businesses in Charleston, VA.[8] In 1955, when Morrison entered the Cannon Street All-Stars into the city tournament, white leagues reacted by drafting a resolution requesting a whites-only tournament. All 55 white teams eventually withdrew from the city and state tournament. The Cannon Street All-Stars became the 1955 South Caroline state champions by forfeit. However, they were informed by Little League president, Peter J. McGovern, that they would not be permitted to represent the state at the regional championships in Williamsport, GA. Little League executives invited the Cannon Street All-Stars to attend the tournament as guests to view the World Series that they were not permitted to play in.[9]
According to the Little League Baseball and Softball participation statistics following the 2008 season, there were nearly 2.6 million players in Little League Baseball worldwide, including both boys and girls, including 400,000 registered in softball (also including both boys and girls). For tournament purposes, Little League Baseball is divided into 16 geographic regions; eight National and eight international. Each summer, Little League operates seven World Series tournaments at various locations throughout the U.S. (Little League softball and Junior, Senior, and Big League baseball and softball).
Timeline[edit]
Early years[edit]
1939: Little League is established by Carl E. Stotz. The first season is played in a lot close to Bowman Field. Lycoming Dairy is the first season champion.[5]
1946: Little League has expanded to 12 leagues, all in Pennsylvania.[5]
1947: The first league outside of Pennsylvania is founded in Hammonton, New Jersey. Maynard League of Williamsport defeats a team from Lock Haven, Pennsylvania to win the first Little League World Series. Allen Yearick is the first Little League graduate to play professional baseball when he is signed by the Boston Braves.[5]
1948: Little League has grown to include 94 leagues. Lock Haven returns to the Little League World Series and defeats a league from St. Petersburg, Florida. The first corporate sponsor, U.S. Rubber, is announced,[5] who donate Pro-Keds shoes to teams at the Little League World Series.[10]
1949: Little League is featured in the Saturday Evening Post and on newsreels. Carl Stotz gets hundreds of requests for information on how to form leagues at the local level from all over the United States. Little League incorporates in New York.[5]
1950 or 1951 (sources contradict) Kathryn 'Kay' Johnston -Massar became the first girl to play Little League baseball. Her mother cut her braids and she dressed like a boy. Not knowing what to call herself, she adopted the nickname "Tubby" because of her love of Little Lulu comic books, and joined the Kings Dairy Little League team in Corning, N.Y., posing as a boy.[11] After earning her way onto the team and being assigned first base, she told her coach she was a girl, but he said "That's O.K., you're a darned good player." Kay, aka 'Tubby' (which all her teammates continued to call her even after they knew the truth), played first base for the season, but was forced to quit after just one season because a new rule, known as the Tubby Rule, was created. It declared, "Rule III (f) Girls are not eligible under any circumstances."; that rule was in force until 1974.[12]
1951: Leagues are formed in British Columbia, Canada and near the Panama Canal making them the first leagues outside the United States.[5]
1953: The Little League World Series is televised for the first time. Jim McKay provides the play by play for CBS. Howard Cosell provides play by play for ABC Radio. Joey Jay of Middletown, Connecticut and the Milwaukee Braves is the first Little League graduate to play in the Major Leagues.[5]
1954: Boog Powell, who later played for the Baltimore Orioles plays in the Little League World Series for Lakeland, Florida. Ken Hubbs, who later played for the Chicago Cubs, plays in the Little League World Series for Colton, California. Little League has expanded to more than 3,300 leagues.[5] Jim Barberi who later played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and in a Major League World Series was also a member of the Schenectady, New York team who won the 1954 Series.[citation needed]
1955: There is a Little League organization in each of the 48 U.S. States. George W. Bush begins playing Little League as a catcher for the Cubs of the Central Little League in Midland, Texas. He is the first Little League graduate to be elected President of the United States.[5] The all-black Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars in Charleston, South Carolina created an uproar that every other Little League organization in South Carolina refused to play Cannon Street. Little League sent an ultimatum that the team be able to play, which the other leagues refused, where the other 61 organizations returned their charters and formed their own league in response.[13] No team from the state had made the tournament until 2015.
1956: Carl Stotz severs his ties with Little League Baseball in a dispute over the direction and control of Little League. Stotz believed the league was becoming over-commercialized by Little League president, Peter J. McGovern.[14] Stotz remains active in youth baseball with the "Original League" in Williamsport.[5] Little League records its first on-field death in Garland, Texas as 12-year-old Richard "Rick" Oden is hit in the head by a pitch thrown by Jerry Armstrong. The city park location of the incident is renamed "Rick Oden Field." As batting helmets are yet to be developed, Garland teams finish the season wearing youth football helmets over their baseball caps when batting. Later that year, Fred Shapiro throws a perfect game in the Little League World Series.[citation needed]
International era[edit]
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice poses with Little Leaguers from Chile in Santiago
1957: Angel Macias throws a perfect game and Monterrey, Mexico, becomes the first team from outside the United States to win the Little League World Series. (Portrayed in 2010 film "The Perfect Game".)[5]
1959: The Little League World Series moves from Williamsport to the newly built Little League Headquarters in South Williamsport. The protective baseball helmet is developed by Dr. Creighton J. Hale.[5]
1960: A team from West Berlin, West Germany, is the first team from Europe to play in the Little League World Series. The series is broadcast live for the first time on ABC. Little League has grown to 27,400 teams in more than 5,500 leagues.[5]
1961: Brian Sipe, future quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, plays for the series champions from El Cajon, California.[5]
1962: Jackie Robinson attends the Little League World Series. President John F. Kennedy proclaims National Little League Week.[5]
1967: A team from West Tokyo, Japan, is the first team from Asia to win the Little League World Series.[5]
1969: Taiwan begins a dominant era that would see them win 17 Little League World Series titles.[5]
1971: The aluminum baseball bat is first used. It was partly developed by Little League Baseball. Lloyd McClendon of Gary, Indiana, dominates the Little League World Series, hitting five home runs in five at-bats. He later played in the Major Leagues and become the first Little League graduate to manage an MLB club with the Pittsburgh Pirates.[5]
1973: Ed Vosberg plays in the Little League World Series for Tucson, Arizona. He later played in the College World Series for the University of Arizona in 1980 and the World Series in 1997 for the Florida Marlins. Vosberg is the first person to have played in all three world series.[5]
1974: Girls are formally permitted to play in the Little League Baseball program as result of lawsuit brought on behalf of Frances Pescatore[15] and Jenny Fulle,[16] and a Little League Softball program for both boys and girls is created. Bunny Taylor becomes the first girl to pitch a no-hitter.[17]
1975: In a controversial decision, all foreign teams are banned from the Little League World Series. International play is restored the following year.[5]
1980: A team from Tampa, Florida, representing Belmont Heights Little League, is led by two future major leaguers Derek Bell and Gary Sheffield. Bell returns the following year and Belmont Heights again loses in the finals to a team from Taiwan.[5]
1982: The Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum opens. Cody Webster leads a team from Kirkland, Washington, in an upset victory of a powerful team from Taiwan. It was Taiwan's first loss in 31 games.[5] This game was later featured on ESPN's 30 for 30 series Little Big Men.
1984: Seoul, South Korea, wins the first title for a South Korean team. They defeat a team from Altamonte Springs, Florida, led by future Boston Red Sox catcher, Jason Varitek.[5]
1984:: Victoria Roche, a 12-year-old from Belgium, becomes the first girl to play in the Little League World Series.[18]
1988: Tom Seaver is the first former Little Leaguer to be enshrined in the Peter J. McGovern Museum Hall of Excellence.[5]
1989: Poland becomes the first former Warsaw Pact nation to receive a Little League charter. Trumbull, Connecticut, led by future NHL star Chris Drury, wins the Little League World Series.[5]
1991: Future NL All Star Jason Marquis pitches the Staten Island South Shore Little League team to third place in the Little League World Series over Canada, throwing a no-hitter.[19]
1992: Carl Stotz, the founder of Little League, dies. Lights are installed at Lamade Stadium allowing for the first night games to be played. The series is expanded from single elimination to round-robin format. Long Beach, California, managed by former Major Leaguer Jeff Burroughs and led by his son, future Major Leaguer Sean Burroughs, is named series champion after Zamboanga City, Philippines, is forced to forfeit for playing with ineligible players.[5]
1993: Long Beach repeats as champions, defeating Coquivacoa Little League of Maracaibo, Venezuela. It is the first U.S. team to successfully defend its title.[5]
1997: ESPN2 broadcasts regional play for the first time. Taiwan's baseball association withdraws from Little League Baseball (they would rejoin in 2003) over newly established rules on zoning. Bradenton, Florida, and Pottsville, Pennsylvania, play at Lamade Stadium before the largest crowd ever to attend a non-championship game. The crowd was estimated at over 35,000 fans.[5]
1999: Burkina-Faso becomes the 100th nation with a Little League organization. Hirkata Little League of Osaka, Japan, becomes the first Japanese team to win a title since 1976.[5]
2000: An expansion project begins at Little League International. Volunteer Stadium is built. This allows the [5] pool of participants to be doubled from 8 to 16 the following year.
2001: The LLWS expands from 8 to 16 teams, with the following changes to regional lineups (post-2000 regions in bold):
US regions:[citation needed]
The East Region splits into the New England and Mid-Atlantic Regions.
The Central Region splits into the Great Lakes and Midwest Regions.
The South Region splits into the Southeast and Southwest Regions.
The West Region spins off the Northwest Region.
International regions:[citation needed]
Canada remains intact as a region.
The Latin America Region spins off new regions for the Caribbean and Mexico.
The Far East Region splits into the Asia and Pacific Regions.
The Europe Region spins off the TransAtlantic Region.
These two regions were geographically identical, differing in the required composition of playing rosters. Transatlantic teams were required to consist of a majority of players who were nationals of the U.S.A., Canada, or Japan. Europe teams could have no more than three nationals of those countries.
In other news, Volunteer Stadium is opened. George W. Bush becomes the first U.S. president to visit the Little League World Series.[5] Led by phenom Danny Almonte, pitching the first perfect game since 1957, the Rolando Paulino All Stars (Bronx, New York) finish third in the series. The team's entire postseason, however, is wiped from the books when it is found that Almonte was 14 years old.[citation needed]
2002: Austin Dillon plays for Southwest Forsyth (County) Little League in Clemmons, North Carolina. The grandson of Richard Childress, he would win NASCAR championships in the Camping World Truck Series in 2011 and Nationwide Series in 2013, and made his Sprint Cup debut in 2014.[citation needed]
2004: Effective with the 2004 LLWS, the Europe Region is renamed EMEA, for Europe, Middle East, Africa.[citation needed]
2007: Little League expands into Australia for the first time. Effective with the 2007 LLWS, the Asia and Pacific regions are merged to form the Asia-Pacific Region, with Japan being split into its own region.[citation needed]
2007: Little League expands into Kyrgyzstan for the first time[citation needed]
2008: Effective with this year's LLWS, the Transatlantic and EMEA regions are reorganized into the Europe and Middle East and Africa (MEA) regions. The previous nationality restrictions for players from these regions are abolished. Hawai'i wins the 2008 Little League World Series beating Mexico in the Final.
2008: Little League International relocates the Southeast Region Headquarters From Gulfport, Florida, to Warner Robins, Ga. Little League International completes renovation of its administration building in South Williamsport, Pa.[citation needed]
2010: The World Series tournament is reorganized, eliminating pool play and adopting double-elimination until the bracket winners are determined. Little League announces plans to add a pilot division in baseball for ages 12–13 to help baseball Little Leaguers make the transition to regulation-size fields in Junior League Baseball. Bartlett, Illinois, becomes biggest little league.[20]
2011: The World Series officially eliminates the two four-team brackets and puts all eight teams in the United States bracket and all eight teams in the International bracket, with a SEC Baseball Tournament style flipped bracket on the loser's bracket to prevent rematches, but does not require the loser to defeat the winner's bracket team twice in either Saturday championship game where the winner advances to the Sunday final.[citation needed]
2012:
The Middle East and Africa Region produces the first team from the African continent in the Little League World Series: youngsters from Lugazi Little League of Uganda.
On August 29, Little League announces a major reorganization of the international brackets, effective with the 2013 LLWS:[21]
Australia spun off from the Asia–Pacific Region and receive its own berth in the LLWS. This reflects Australia's rise to become the fourth-largest country, and largest outside North America, in Little League participation.
The Middle East and Africa Region is disbanded.
Middle Eastern countries, except for Israel and Turkey (which had been in the Europe Region—see below), are placed in the Asia–Pacific Region.
African countries will be placed in the former Europe Region, which is renamed the Europe and Africa Region. Israel and Turkey, members of the European zone of the International Baseball Federation, remains in the renamed region.
The Intermediate (50/70) Division, which had operated on a pilot basis since the 2011 season, was announced as an official Little League division, the first new division since 1999. The division, which launched fully in the 2013 season, has the same age limits as standard Little League but extends the pitching rubber to 50 feet from home plate and features bases 70 feet apart. The field is also larger than in standard Little League, and the rules are closer to those of standard baseball.[citation needed]
2013:
Davie Jane Gilmour became the first woman to lead the board of directors for Little League.[22]
The first Intermediate Little League World Series is held, in Livermore, California.[23]
2014:
On August 15, 2014, Mo'ne Davis was the first girl in Little League World Series history to pitch a winning game for the Taney Dragons and earned the win,[24] and she was also the first girl to pitch a shutout in Little League postseason history.[25][26] Davis also became the first Little Leaguer to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated (which she was for the issue dated August 25, 2014.)[27] ESPN's coverage of the semifinals game in which Davis played August 20 brought a 3.4 overnight rating, which is an all-time high for Little League on ESPN.[28]
Jackie Robinson West became the first all-African-American Little League team to win the U.S. championship, but it was later vacated due to violations of the 1997 region regulations.[29][30][31]
2018: Little League changes its age rules, moving the birthday deadline from May 1st back to August 31st. This allows 13-year-olds to play Majors level this year against 11-year-olds but those 11-year-olds born between May and August will be robbed of their ability to play next year. [32]
Regions[edit]
Map of Little League regions
For the regions in the other age divisions, see Intermediate, Junior, and Senior League Baseball § Regions.
The national regions represented in the annual Little League Baseball World Series are:
New England
Great Lakes
Mid-Atlantic
Midwest
Southeast
Southwest
Northwest (including Alaska)
West (including Hawaii)
The international regions are:
Canada
Mexico
Asia-Pacific
Japan
Europe and Africa
Australia
Latin America
Caribbean
A Little League World Series game in Howard J. Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport.
Little League World Series[edit]
A game of the 2007 Little League World Series
The best-known event on the Little League Baseball and Softball calendar is the annual Little League Baseball World Series, which is held every August in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Local and regional tournaments leading up to the World Series are held in the U.S. insular areas of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and throughout the world. In 2003, for example, there were tournaments in Canada, Latin America (Mexico, Aruba, Curaçao, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela), Europe (Germany and Poland), and Asia (Japan, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan).
Little, Junior, Senior, and Big League baseball & softball World Series[edit]
The Little League Baseball World Series is just one of nine World Series conducted by Little League International every year, each one held in a different location.
Little League World Series (baseball)
Intermediate Little League World Series (baseball)
Junior League World Series (baseball)
Senior League World Series (baseball)
Big League World Series (baseball) (discontinued after 2016)
Girls Little League Softball World Series (or the Major Division)[33]
Girls Junior League Softball World Series
Girls Senior League Softball World Series[33]
Girls Big League Softball World Series[33] (discontinued after 2016)
Boys Little League Softball World Series[34]
Boys Senior League Softball World Series[35]
Boys Big League Softball World Series[36] (discontinued after 2016)
Museum[edit]
Main article: Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum
Awards[edit]
For winners (by year), see footnote[37]
See also: Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum § Hall of Excellence, and Baseball awards § Little League Baseball
Good Sport of the Year Award[38]
Challenger Award[39]
ASAP (A Safety Awareness Program) Award[40]
Bill Shea Distinguished Little League Graduate Award[41]
Mom of the Year Award[42]
George and Barbara Bush Little League Parents of the Year Award[43]
Volunteer of the Year Award[44]
Howard and Gail Paster Little League Urban Initiative Volunteer of the Year Award[45]
Howard Hartman Little League Friendship Award[46]
Baseball divisions[edit]
Little League Baseball has several baseball divisions for boys and girls, based on age.[47]
Summary chart of major divisions in Little League Baseball[edit]
See also: List of Little League World Series champions by division
The major divisions of Little League Baseball have their own World Series format as follows:
Division
Location
First Held
Age of players
Series
Little League Baseball
South Williamsport, Pennsylvania 1947 9–12 years old Little League World Series
Intermediate League Baseball
Livermore, California 2013 11–13 years old Intermediate League World Series
Junior League Baseball
Taylor, Michigan 1981 13–14 years old Junior League World Series
Senior League Baseball
Bangor, Maine 1961 14–16 years old Senior League World Series
Big League Baseball
Easley, South Carolina 1968 16–18 years old Big League World Series
(discontinued after 2016)
Tee-ball[edit]
See also: Tee-ball
Tee-ball is for boys and girls ages 4–5, with local leagues given the option to allow 6–7-year-olds to play. In Tee-ball, players hit the ball off of a tee located atop home plate; live pitching is not allowed. The purpose of the division is to teach young children the basic fundamentals of hitting and fielding.[47]
Minor leagues[edit]
The Minor League Baseball division is generally for children ages 7–11, with local leagues given the option to allow 6-year-old children to try out. Local leagues are permitted to further divide the Minor League division based on player age and/or experience, and often consist of coach-pitch (i.e., the batter's coach lightly pitching the ball) or machine-pitch at lower levels, with defensive players pitching at higher levels.[47]
9–10 year olds[edit]
"The 9–10 Year Old Baseball Division for boys and girls was established as a tournament program in 1994. It gives children of this age the opportunity to experience tournament competition, up to state level. Players on these teams can be chosen from among Major Division and/or Minor Division teams. The diamond used is a 60-foot diamond and the pitching distance is 46 feet."[47]
Little League (or the Major Division)[edit]
See also: Little League World Series
"The Little League Baseball Division (sometimes known as the Major Division) is for boys and girls ages 9–12. A local league may choose to limit its Major Division to 10-, 11-, and 12-year-olds, or 11–12-year-olds. The diamond used is a 60-foot diamond and the pitching distance is 46 feet. The local league has an option to choose a Tournament Team (or 'All Stars') of 11–12-year-olds from within this division, and the team may enter the International Tournament. The culmination of the International Tournament is the Little League Baseball World Series, featuring teams from around the globe. All expenses for the teams advancing to the World Series (travel, meals, and housing) are paid by Little League Baseball."[47]
Little League Intermediate (50/70) Division[edit]
See also: Intermediate, Junior, and Senior League Baseball
In 2012, Little League announced plans to add a new division of play for the 2013 season, the Little League Intermediate Division. This Division is played on a field with a 50-foot (15 m) pitching distance and 70-foot (21 m) base paths. It is open to players ages 11–13, but may be limited to ages 11–12 or 12–13 by a local league. Players in this division are able to lead off and steal. The rules follow rules similar to those of the Junior, Senior, and Big League Divisions of play.
Little League holds a World Series in this level of play, officially called the Intermediate Little League World Series, in Livermore, California.[48]
Junior League[edit]
Main article: Junior, Senior & Big League Baseball
"The Junior League Baseball Division is a program for boys and girls ages 13–14, using a conventional 90-foot (27 m) diamond with a pitching distance of 60 feet 6 inches (18.44 m). (A modified diamond is available during the regular season.) The local league has an option to choose a Tournament Team (or "All Stars") of 13-14-year-olds from within this division (and/or from within the Senior League Division), and the team may enter the International Tournament. The culmination of the International Tournament is the Junior League Baseball World Series, featuring teams from around the globe. All expenses for the teams advancing to the World Series (travel, meals, and housing) are paid by Little League Baseball."[47]
Senior League[edit]
Main article: Junior, Senior & Big League Baseball
"The Senior League Baseball Division is for boys and girls 14–16 years old, using a conventional 90-foot (27 m) diamond with a pitching distance of 60 feet 6 inches (18.44 m). The local league has an option to choose a Tournament Team (or "All Stars") of 14- to 16-year-olds from within this division (and/or from within the Junior League or Big League divisions), and the team may enter the International Tournament. The culmination of the International Tournament is the Senior League Baseball World Series, featuring teams from around the globe. All expenses for the teams advancing to the World Series (travel, meals, and housing) are paid by Little League Baseball."[47]
Big League[edit]
Main article: Junior, Senior & Big League Baseball
Note: The Big League division was discontinued after the 2016 Big League World Series.
"The Big League Baseball Division is for boys and girls ages 16–18, using a conventional 90-foot (27 m) diamond with a pitching distance of 60 feet 6 inches (18.44 m). The local league has an option to choose a Tournament Team (or "All Stars") of 16–18-year-olds from within this division (and/or from within the Senior League Division), and the team may enter the International Tournament. The culmination of the International Tournament is the Big League Baseball World Series, featuring teams from around the globe. All expenses for the teams advancing to the World Series (travel, meals, and housing) are paid by Little League Baseball."[47]
Challenger program[edit]
Little League introduced the Challenger Division in 1989 to provide opportunities for children with physical and intellectual challenges to participate in the Little League program. The Challenger Division utilizes a "buddy system" in which Little Leaguers assist Challenger participants in the areas of batting, running and fielding. Challenger Division games are typically non-competitive in nature.[49]
Little League Challenger Division[edit]
Introduced in 1989, the Little League Challenger Division is for participants ages 4–18. Games are played on a 46/60 field and are non-competitive.
Senior League Challenger Division[edit]
Approved at the 2014 Little League International Congress the Senior League Challenger Division launched in 2015. This division is for participants ages 15 and above (no maximum age). Games are played on a 60/90 field and are non-competitive. Leagues may request permission to play games on a smaller field as well.
Participation[edit]
As of 2016, nearly 1,000 Little Leagues in 10 countries around the world offered the Challenger Program providing an opportunity for more than 31,000 individuals with physical or intellectual challenges to participate in the Little League program.
Softball divisions[edit]
Little League Baseball has several softball divisions for girls and boys, based on age.
Division
Location
First Held
Age of players
Series
Little League Softball
Portland, Oregon 1974 9–12 years old[50] Little League World Series (softball)
Junior League Softball
Kirkland, Washington 1999 12–14 years old[50] Junior League World Series (softball)
Senior League Softball
Sussex County, Delaware 1976 13–16 years old[50] Senior League World Series (softball)
Big League Softball
Kalamazoo, Michigan 1982 14–18 years old[50] Big League World Series (softball)
Boys softball[edit]
See footnote[51]
Tee Ball Softball for Boys
Minor League Softball for Boys
Little League Softball (or the Major Division) for Boys
Senior League Softball for Boys
Big League Softball for Boys
Girls softball[edit]
See footnotes[33][52][53]
Girls Tee Ball Softball
Girls Minor League Softball
Girls Little League Softball (or the Major Division)
See also: Little League Softball World Series
Girls Junior League Softball
See also: Junior League World Series (softball)
Girls Senior League Softball
Girls Big League Softball
Rules[edit]
The playing rules for the baseball divisions essentially follow the "Official Baseball Rules" (as defined by and used by Major League Baseball and published at Official Baseball Rules at MLB.com), especially with respect to the upper divisions (Junior, Senior, and Big League). Some major exceptions are outlined in the following sections, and these apply to Little League (Minor and Major, ages 7–12) except as otherwise noted.
Rulebooks and fees[edit]
Unlike Major League Baseball and most other sports such as football, soccer, and basketball, the official rules of Little League Baseball are available to the general public only by online subscription ($20)[54] or as a printed edition ($7[54] plus $3 for "shipping and handling" within the US via UPS[55]). In Canada, rulebook orders requested through LittleLeague.ca are routed to the US website at the same prices, except that "shipping and handling" to Canada via UPS is US$15.51, for a total of US$22.51 for a single printed copy.[55]
Rulebooks are not available in sporting goods or other stores and must be ordered directly from Little League Baseball, Incorporated or one of its "Regional Centers".[54][56] One paper copy is provided to each team that has sent in an "Application for Charter and Insurance",[54] although previously two copies were provided.[56]
Little League has been criticized for requiring payment to view its rules.[56] However, the organization counters by claiming it has been exposed to lawsuits in the past in cases involving organizations not officially affiliated with Little League but which nonetheless use its rules.[56]
Length of game[edit]
A regulation game is 6 innings. If the game is called prior to the completion of six innings, it is considered an official game if four innings have been completed (three and a half, if the home team leads); otherwise, if at least one inning has been completed, it is a suspended game.
In Intermediate Little League, as well as the Junior, Senior, and Big League levels (ages 13–18), a game is seven innings and is official if five innings have been completed.
Mandatory-play rule[edit]
In all divisions except Senior and Big League, every player on the team roster must have at least one plate appearance and play six consecutive outs on defense in each game. The penalty for a manager violating the rule is a two-game suspension. This rule is waived if the game is completed prior to the usual duration of the game (six innings in Little League and below, seven innings in Intermediate Little League and Junior League). This rule is modified during tournament play. During tournament play, teams that have 13 or more players dressed at the field for a game are mandated to have one (1) "At Bat" during the game per player with no defensive requirement. Teams that have 12 or fewer players dressed at the field for a tournament game require each player to receive one (1) "At Bat" plus six consecutive outs played in the field on defense.
Playing field[edit]
The size of the field is dependent on the division of play.[57]
Tee-ball
The distance between the bases is generally 50 feet (15.24 m).
Minor League and Little League
The distance between the bases is 60 feet (18.29 m) and the distance from the pitcher's mound to home plate is 46 feet (14.02 m). Outfield fences must be at least 165 feet (50 m) from home plate, but are usually 200 feet (60 m) or more (the fields at the Williamsport complex have fences 225 feet away). The bases and pitching rubber are also slightly smaller than in standard baseball.[citation needed] Also, unlike fields at almost all levels of competitive baseball for teenagers and adults, the distance between home plate and the outfield fence is constant throughout fair territory.
Intermediate Little League
The distance between the bases is 70 feet (21.34 m) and the distance from the pitcher's mound to home plate is 50 feet (15.24 m). The recommended distance between home plate and the outfield fence ranges from 200 to 275 feet (60–85 m); unlike regular Little League, the distances can vary within fair territory. As in regular Little League, the bases and pitching rubber are also slightly smaller than in standard baseball.
Junior League, Senior League, and Big League
The distance between the bases is 90 feet (27.43 m), the same as for regulation Major League Baseball fields. The distance between the pitcher's mound to home plate is 60.5 feet (18.44 m), also identical to that of MLB. The minimum outfield distance in the upper divisions is 300 feet (91 m) (compare with MLB's official but not strictly enforced minimum of 325 feet [99 m] at the foul lines), while the maximum for Big League is 425 feet (130 m). (Base paths of 80 feet [24.38 m] are optional for Junior League regular season play.)
Equipment[edit]
A Little Leaguer executing a bunt
Bats (all levels) may be made from wood or other materials (such as aluminum) and must be approved for use in Little League Baseball. For the Majors Division and below, the maximum bat length is thirty-three (33) inches (838 mm) and barrel diameter may not exceed 2 1⁄4 inches (57 mm). Beginning in 2009 all Little League bats must be labeled with a Bat Performance Factor (BPF) of 1.15 or lower.
Bats for the Junior League level may have a maximum length of thirty-four (34) inches (864 mm) and a maximum barrel diameter of 2 5⁄8 inches (67 mm). Bats for the Big and Senior League levels may have a maximum length of thirty-six (36) inches (914 mm) and a maximum barrel diameter of 2 5⁄8 inches (67 mm). Non-wood Big and Senior League bats must meet the Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) testing standards that are currently used in the NCAA and NFHS (high school).[58] Intermediate Little League bats must meet Junior League specifications.
Base running[edit]
When the pitcher is ready to pitch, a baserunner may not leave the bag until the pitch reaches the batter in Minor League and standard Little League. In the upper levels, including Intermediate Little League, the runner can leave the bag at any time while the ball is in play.
If a fielder is waiting at the base with the ball, an advancing runner must attempt to avoid contact. A runner may not slide head-first except when retreating to a previously held base.
In the upper levels, runners must still make an attempt to avoid contact if possible, and may not maliciously initiate contact with a fielder.
Batting[edit]
The upper limit of the strike zone extends to the batter's armpits.[59]
In Tee-ball, Minor League, and Little League (if 'uncaught third strike' rule is waived by the local league), the batter is out after the third strike regardless of whether the pitched ball is held by the catcher. In Little League (both standard and Intermediate), Junior, Senior, and Big League, a batter may attempt to advance to first base on a dropped third strike if first base is unoccupied with less than two outs or if first base is unoccupied or occupied with two outs.
If the batter is hit by a pitch, the batter gets walked automatically. However, if the batter does not make an attempt to get out of the way of the pitched ball, the home-plate umpire may continue the at-bat.
Substitution[edit]
Players who have been substituted for may return to the game under certain conditions, though a player who is removed as pitcher may not return to pitch.
Pitchers[edit]
Pitchers in all divisions are limited to a specific pitch count per game and a mandatory rest period between outings. These vary with age. The rest period also depends on the number of pitches thrown.[60]
If the pitcher hits too many batters with the ball, or intentionally hits the batter, he is ejected from the pitching spot.
Intentional base on balls
Historically, a pitcher could intentionally walk a batter by simply announcing his intent to do so and not have to actually throw any pitches. Beginning in 2008, the pitcher had to actually pitch the required four balls (which were counted against the pitch count). In 2017, the Major and Minor levels of Little League Baseball aligned with a new rule of Major League Baseball and allowed the pitcher to intentionally walk a batter simply by declaration. The intentional walk adds 4 to the pitcher's pitch count.[61] This change rescinded a former rule in which the team at bat could decline the award of first base and force the pitcher to pitch, such as to further inflate the pitch count to force the removal of the pitcher.[62]
Local options[edit]
Local leagues have a certain amount of flexibility. For example, a league may opt to use the "continuous batting order" rule (4.04), under which each player on the team's roster bats, even when not in the defensive lineup. Leagues may also waive the "ten-run rule" (4.10(e)) which ends the game if one team is ahead by ten or more runs after four innings.[63][64]
MLB Players[edit]
For a list of current and former Major League Baseball players who played in the Little League World Series, see footnote.[65]
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
The following is an incomplete list of current and former Major League Baseball players who played Little League Baseball.
Roberto Alomar *
Wilson Álvarez *
Jeff Bagwell
Jason Bay *
Derek Bell *
Cody Bellinger *
Larvell Blanks *
Wade Boggs
George Brett
Steve Carlton
Gary Carter
Bobby Cox
Rollie Fingers
Todd Frazier *
Tom Glavine
Randal Grichuk *
Ken Hubbs *
Joey Jay
Randy Johnson
Carney Lansford *
Lance Lynn *
Greg Maddux
Jason Marquis *
Lloyd McClendon *
Andrew McCutchen *
Jim Palmer
Wes Parker
Mike Piazza
Boog Powell *
Jurickson Profar *
Colby Rasmus *
Cal Ripken, Jr.
Iván Rodríguez
Nolan Ryan
Mike Schmidt
Tom Seaver
Jonathan Schoop *
Gary Sheffield *
Don Sutton
Ruben Tejada *
Frank Thomas
Joe Torre
Mike Trout
Jason Varitek *
Dave Veres *
Dan Wilson *
Rick Wise *
Carl Yastrzemski
Robin Yount
* participated in Little League World Series
See also[edit]
List of Little League World Series champions by division
List of Little League Softball World Series champions by division
Amateur baseball in the United States
Major League Baseball
List of organized baseball leagues
Baseball awards § World
Baseball awards § U.S. youth baseball
Baseball clothing and equipment
Going To Bat Foundation
References[edit]
General[edit]
Van Auken, Lance and Robin. Play Ball: The Story of Little League Baseball, Pennsylvania State University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-271-02118-7
Citations[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b "Little League Baseball Inc". Corporation Search. Pennsylvania Department of State. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
Jump up ^ "Little League Baseball Inc, EIN: 23-1688231". Tax Exempt Organization Search. Internal Revenue Service. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
Jump up ^ "Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax". Little League Baseball Incorporated. Guidestar. September 30, 2017.
Jump up ^ 36 U.S.C. §§ 130501-130513, Chapter 1305—Little League Baseball, Incorporated
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag "History of Little League". Little League. Archived from the original on 2007-05-14. Retrieved 2007-06-26.
Jump up ^ Little League: History and Mission: Chronology Archived 2009-02-24 at the Wayback Machine.
Jump up ^ "Little League World Series Opening Ceremony to Mark 30th Anniversary of Decision Allowing Girls to Play". August 9, 2004. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
Jump up ^ "Baseball Dreams Deferred: The Story of the Cannon Street Y.M.C.A. All Stars (Part Two)". Sport in American History. 2014-09-02. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
Jump up ^ "Baseball Dreams Deferred: The Story of the Cannon Street Y.M.C.A. All Stars (Part Two)". Sport in American History. 2014-09-02. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
Jump up ^ Geist, Bill (1999). Little League Confidential: One Coach's Completely Unauthorized Tale of Survival (1st ed.). New York: Dell. ISBN 0-440-50877-0.
Jump up ^ Katie Reyes becomes first girl gamewinner at Little League WS - Big League Stew - MLB Blog - Yahoo! Sports. Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-23.
Jump up ^ Amdur, Neil (2001-08-20). "BASEBALL; One More Pitch for First Girl in Little League". The New York Times.
Jump up ^ "LITTLE LEAGUE'S CIVIL WAR IN '55 A BLACK ALL-STAR TEAM WAS SIDELINED BY A RACIAL BOYCOTT IN SOUTH CAROLINA". Vault. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
Jump up ^ "Carl Edwin Stotz". Pennsylvania Center for the Book. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
Jump up ^ "Now Georgy-porgy Runs Away". CNN. 1974-04-22. Archived from the original on 2015-10-19.
Jump up ^ "No More Discrimination / Little League Relents, Votes To Allow Girls To Play Ball". The Marin Independent Journal. June 13, 1974. p. 14.
Jump up ^ ESPN.com - Page2 - Greatest U.S. women's sports moments. Espn.go.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-23.
Jump up ^ Timeline - espnW Archived 2012-06-05 at the Wayback Machine.. Espn.go.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-23.
Jump up ^ "World Series may pit former Little League stars against each other," ESPN, 10/25/04, accessed 6/6/07
Jump up ^ "Little League plans new division". Sports Illustrated. January 11, 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-14. [dead link]
Jump up ^ "Regions Realigned for 2013: Australia to Play in Little League Baseball World Series" (Press release). Little League Baseball. August 29, 2012. Archived from the original on September 23, 2012. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
Jump up ^ Gilmour is Little League’s first female board chair - The Sunday Dispatch Archived December 16, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.. Psdispatch.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-23.
Jump up ^ "2013 Intermediate World Series". August 5, 2013.
Jump up ^ Rhoden, William C. (August 15, 2014). "A Mound Becomes a Summit: Mo'ne Davis Dominates at Little League World Series. South Korea won the world series against Jackie Robinson West". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 17, 2014. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
Jump up ^ Jacobs, Emma (August 16, 2014). "Mo'ne Davis Throws Like A Girl—At 70 MPH". NPR. Archived from the original on August 17, 2014. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
Jump up ^ Berg, Ted (August 15, 2014). "13-year-old sensation Mo'Ne Davis throws two-hit shutout at Little League World Series". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 17, 2014. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
Jump up ^ Laird, Sam. "Little League Star Mo'ne Davis Hits Sports Illustrated's Cover". Retrieved 31 August 2016.
Jump up ^ "Mo'ne Davis Pitches Record Ratings for Little League World Series". The Hollywood Reporter. 2014-08-21.
Jump up ^ "Chicago wins U.S. title in Little League World Series".
Jump up ^ Sean Gregory. "All Black Team Could Be First to Win Little League World Series". Time.
Jump up ^ "Little League strips Chicago team of U.S. championship, suspends coach – ESPN Chicago". ESPN.com.
Jump up ^ https://www.littleleague.org/news/update-implementation-little-league-baseball-age-determination-date/
^ Jump up to: a b c d Softball World Series. Little League. Retrieved 2011-08-24.
Jump up ^ Little League Softball (or the Major Division) for Boys. Little League. Retrieved 2011-08-24.
Jump up ^ Senior League Softball for Boys. Little League. Retrieved 2011-08-24.
Jump up ^ Big League Softball for Boys Archived 2012-01-27 at the Wayback Machine.. Little League. Retrieved 2011-08-24.
Jump up ^ Awards Recognition. Little League. Retrieved 2011-08-24.
Jump up ^ Good Sport of the Year Award Archived 2009-11-06 at the Wayback Machine.. Little League. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
Jump up ^ Challenger Award Archived 2009-05-19 at the Wayback Machine.. Little League. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
Jump up ^ 2010 ASAP Awards Overview and Past Winners[permanent dead link] (national and regional). Little League. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
Jump up ^ Bill Shea Distinguished Little League Graduate Award Archived 2009-08-26 at the Wayback Machine.. Little League. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
Jump up ^ Mom of the Year Award. Archived 2009-11-06 at the Wayback Machine. Little League. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
Jump up ^ George and Barbara Bush Little League Parents of the Year Award Archived 2009-11-06 at the Wayback Machine.. Little League. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
Jump up ^ Volunteer of the Year Award Archived 2009-07-24 at the Wayback Machine. Little League. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
Jump up ^ Howard and Gail Paster Little League Urban Initiative Volunteer of the Year Award Archived 2009-11-28 at the Wayback Machine.. Little League. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
Jump up ^ "Howard Hartman Award at Little League World Series" Archived 2011-06-07 at the Wayback Machine., Little League Communications Department, August 15, 2008. Little League. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Little League Baseball, Incorporated. "Little League Baseball (or the Major Division)". Retrieved May 12, 2010.
Jump up ^ "Little League Announces Intermediate (50/70) Division". Archived from the original on 2013-04-15.
Jump up ^ Little League Baseball, Incorporated. "Little League Challenger Division". Retrieved March 3, 2012.
^ Jump up to: a b c d "Softball – Divisions of Play". Retrieved 31 August 2016.
Jump up ^ Boys Softball Divisions. Little League. Retrieved 2011-08-24.
Jump up ^ Divisions of Play: Girls Softball Divisions. Little League. Retrieved 2011-08-24.
Jump up ^ Softball Division: Girls Softball Divisions. Little League. Retrieved 2011-08-24.
^ Jump up to: a b c d Little League Baseball, Incorporated (Jan 5, 2010). "2010 Redesigned Rule Books Now Available". Archived from the original on May 11, 2010. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b Little League Baseball, Incorporated (2010). "Little League Store - 2010 Baseball Rule Book". Archived from the original on June 11, 2010. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b c d Gub, Ted (July 29, 2007). "Who's on First? Who Wants to Know, and Why?". Washington Post. p. D1. Retrieved 2008-07-03.
Jump up ^ "Pay Bill, See Offers, Check Email with My Verizon Fios". mysite.verizon.net. Archived from the original on 2009-05-31. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
Jump up ^ "The BESR (Ball Exit Speed Ratio)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 October 2008. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
Jump up ^ THE STRIKE ZONE: Location, Location, Location Archived 2009-06-14 at the Wayback Machine., Little League© Online
Jump up ^ Pitch Count Resource Page Archived 2008-07-26 at the Wayback Machine., Little League© Online
Jump up ^ "2017 Little League Rule and Regulation Changes". LLUmpires.com. 2017-03-13. Retrieved 2017-05-17.
Jump up ^ "New Little League Intentional Walk Rules Change Strategy". GameChanger. 2017-02-22. Retrieved 2017-05-17.
Jump up ^ Rules of Little League, Seattle Community Network (scn.org)
Jump up ^ Little League Rules and Interpretations of Note Archived 2008-09-23 at the Wayback Machine., Western Maine Board of Baseball Umpires (wmbumpires.com)
Jump up ^ "Current and Former Major Leaguers who have Played in the Little League Baseball World Series". Little League. Retrieved 2017-03-30.
External links[edit]
Official website
Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum
Little League World Series Champions
Little League Foundation Chile

hide
v
t
e
Little League Baseball
Boys
Little League Baseball
Intermediate League Baseball
Junior League Baseball
Senior League Baseball
Big League Baseball
Girls
Little League Softball (girls)
Junior League Softball (girls)
Senior League Softball (girls)
Big League Softball (girls)
Boys softball
Little League Softball (boys)
Senior League Softball (boys)
Big League Softball (boys)
United States
Central
Great Lakes
Midwest
East
Mid-Atlantic
New England
South
Southeast
Southwest
West
Northwest
West
International
Far East
Asia-Pacific and Middle East
Australia
Japan
Latin America
Caribbean
Latin America
Mexico
Other
Canada
Europe and Africa
World Series
Boys baseball
Regions (Little, Intermediate, Junior, Senior, Big WS)
List of Champions
Little League World Series
Intermediate WS
Junior WS
Senior WS
Big WS
Girls softball
List of Champions
Girls Little WS
Girls Junior WS
Girls Senior WS
Girls Big WS
Boys softball
Boys Little League Softball WS
Boys Senior League Softball WS
Boys Big League Softball WS
Notable figures
Carl Stotz
Honors
Little League Baseball awards
Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum
Popular culture
Movies
Mickey
Video games
Little League World Series Baseball
Well-known players
Danny Almonte
Mo'ne Davis
Aaron Durley
Carolyn King
Maria Pepe
Related
Little League elbow
White House Tee Ball Initiative
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Little_League_Baseball&oldid=866240215"
Categories:
Little League World Series
Children's sport
Youth sport in the United States
Softball organizations
Youth baseball
Youth baseball in the United States
Baseball governing bodies in the United States
Baseball in Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
Sports leagues established in 1939
1939 establishments in Pennsylvania
Patriotic and national organizations chartered by the United States Congress
Little League
Hidden categories:
Webarchive template wayback links
All articles with dead external links
Articles with dead external links from September 2010
Articles with dead external links from September 2017
Articles with permanently dead external links
Pages using infobox sports league with unknown parameters
All articles with unsourced statements
Articles with unsourced statements from August 2015
Articles with unsourced statements from April 2014
Incomplete lists from March 2017
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
In other projects
Wikimedia Commons
Languages
Deutsch
Français
한국어
Italiano
עברית
日本語
中文
Edit links
This page was last edited on 29 October 2018, at 04:19 (UTC).
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

key: html

type: local

value: div

attrs: id class

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

value: a

attrs: id class lang

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

attrs: class href

values: mw-jump-link #mw-head

values: mw-jump-link #p-search

attrs: href title

attrs: role class

values:
note
hatnote navigation-not-searchable

value: caption

value: b

value: img

value: i

attrs: colspan style

attrs: href class

attrs: scope style

values:
row
white-space: nowrap

values:
/wiki/United_States_of_America
mw-redirect
United States of America

values:
/wiki/Carl_E._Stotz
mw-redirect
Carl E. Stotz

values:
/wiki/Chief_Financial_Officer
mw-redirect
Chief Financial Officer

values:
/wiki/Madison_Square_Garden_Network
mw-redirect
Madison Square Garden Network

values:
nofollow
http://www.Littleleague.org/
external text

values: checkbox button toctogglecheckbox toctogglecheckbox display:none

values:
/wiki/Bowman_Field_(stadium)
mw-redirect
Bowman Field (stadium)

values:
/wiki/Boston_Braves_(baseball)
mw-redirect
Boston Braves (baseball)

values:
/wiki/U.S._Rubber
mw-redirect
U.S. Rubber

values:
/wiki/Saturday_Evening_Post
mw-redirect
Saturday Evening Post

values:
/wiki/Citadel_Media
mw-redirect
Citadel Media

values:
/wiki/Milwaukee_Braves
mw-redirect
Milwaukee Braves

values: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2015)

values:
noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact
white-space:nowrap;

attrs: alt src width height class srcset data-file-width data-file-height

values:
/wiki/Santiago,_Chile
mw-redirect
Santiago, Chile

values:
/wiki/Monterrey,_Mexico
mw-redirect
Monterrey, Mexico

values:
/wiki/Florida_Marlins
mw-redirect
Florida Marlins

values:
/wiki/Maracaibo,_Venezuela
mw-redirect
Maracaibo, Venezuela

values:
/wiki/Camping_World_Truck_Series
mw-redirect
Camping World Truck Series

values:
/wiki/Nationwide_Series
mw-redirect
Nationwide Series

values:
/wiki/Sprint_Cup_Series
mw-redirect
Sprint Cup Series

values:
/wiki/SEC_Baseball_Tournament
mw-redirect
SEC Baseball Tournament

values: Intermediate, Junior, and Senior League Baseball

values: background-color:#BFEFFF; color:black; border:1px solid #000000; text-align:center;

values: background-color:#800080; color:white; border:1px solid #000000; text-align:center;

values: background-color:#0000CD; color:white; border:1px solid #000000; text-align:center;

values: background-color:#1C86EE; color:black; border:1px solid #000000; text-align:center;

values: background-color:#87CEFA; color:black; border:1px solid #000000; text-align:center;

values: background-color:#DDA0DD; color:black; border:1px solid #000000; text-align:center;

values: background-color:#000080; color:white; border:1px solid #000000; text-align:center;

values: background-color:#00F5FF; color:black; border:1px solid #000000; text-align:center;

values: background-color:#FF0000; color:black; border:1px solid #000000; text-align:center;

values: background-color:#FFFF00; color:black; border:1px solid #000000; text-align:center;

values: background-color:#00FF00; color:black; border:1px solid #000000; text-align:center;

values: background-color:#008000; color:white; border:1px solid #000000; text-align:center;

values: background-color:#EE7AE9; color:black; border:1px solid #000000; text-align:center;

values: background-color:#FF0080; color:black; border:1px solid #000000; text-align:center;

values: background-color:#EEC900; color:black; border:1px solid #000000; text-align:center;

values: background-color:#EE9A00; color:black; border:1px solid #000000; text-align:center;

values: Edit section: Little League World Series

values:
/wiki/U.S._Virgin_Islands
mw-redirect
U.S. Virgin Islands

values: Edit section: Little, Junior, Senior, and Big League baseball & softball World Series

values: Edit section: Summary chart of major divisions in Little League Baseball

values: List of Little League World Series champions by division

values:
/wiki/Junior_League_Baseball
mw-redirect
Junior League Baseball

values: Edit section: Little League (or the Major Division)

values: Edit section: Little League Intermediate (50/70) Division

values: Edit section: Little League Challenger Division

values: Edit section: Senior League Challenger Division

values:
/wiki/Pitcher%27s_mound
mw-redirect
Pitcher's mound

values: The field specification section of littleleague.org does not mention difference in base size (April 2014)

values: National Collegiate Athletic Association

values: National Federation of State High School Associations

values:
/wiki/Cal_Ripken,_Jr.
mw-redirect
Cal Ripken, Jr.

values:
/wiki/Ruben_Tejada
mw-redirect
Ruben Tejada

values: -moz-column-width: 22em; -webkit-column-width: 22em; column-width: 22em;

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.LittleLeagueChallenger.org

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.scn.org/ncll/rules.html

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

values:
nofollow
http://www.littleleague.org/
external text

values:
nofollow
http://www.littleleague.org/museum/
external text

values:
/wiki/Intermediate_League_Baseball
mw-redirect
Intermediate League Baseball

values: Little League Softball (girls) (page does not exist)

values: Junior League Softball (girls) (page does not exist)

values: Senior League Softball (girls) (page does not exist)

values: Big League Softball (girls) (page does not exist)

values: Little League Softball (boys) (page does not exist)

values: Senior League Softball (boys) (page does not exist)

values: Big League Softball (boys) (page does not exist)

values:
;Boys
:_Little_League_Baseball
:_Intermediate_League_Baseball
:_Junior_League_Baseball
:_Senior_League_Baseball
:_Big_League_Baseball

;Girls
:_Little_League_Softball_(girls)
:_Junior_League_Softball_(girls)
:_Senior_League_Softball_(girls)
:_Big_League_Softball_(girls)

;Boys_softball
:_Little_League_Softball_(boys)
:_Senior_League_Softball_(boys)
:_Big_League_Softball_(boys)

values: Little League World Series (Central Region)

values: Little League World Series (Great Lakes Region)

values: Little League World Series (Midwest Region)

values: Little League World Series (East Region)

values: Little League World Series (Mid-Atlantic Region)

values: Little League World Series (New England Region)

values: Little League World Series (South Region)

values: Little League World Series (Southeast Region)

values: Little League World Series (Southwest Region)

values: Little League World Series 1957–2000 (West Region)

values: Little League World Series (Northwest Region)

values: Little League World Series (West Region)

values:
navbox-image
8
width:1px;padding:0px 0px 0px 2px

values: Little League World Series (Far East Region)

values: Little League World Series (Asia-Pacific and Middle East Region)

values: Little League World Series (Caribbean Region)

values: Little League World Series in Latin America

values: Senior League World Series (girls softball) (page does not exist)

values: Big League World Series (girls softball) (page does not exist)

values: Little League World Series (boys softball) (page does not exist)

values: Senior League World Series (boys softball) (page does not exist)

values: Big League World Series (boys softball) (page does not exist)

values: nowraplinks hlist collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner mw-collapsible mw-made-collapsible

values: Category:Youth sport in the United States

values: Category:Youth baseball in the United States

values: Category:Baseball governing bodies in the United States

values: Category:Baseball in Williamsport, Pennsylvania

values: Category:Sports leagues established in 1939

values: Category:1939 establishments in Pennsylvania

values: Category:Patriotic and national organizations chartered by the United States Congress

values: Category:Webarchive template wayback links

values: Category:All articles with dead external links

values: Category:Articles with dead external links from September 2010

values: Category:Articles with dead external links from September 2017

values: Category:Articles with permanently dead external links

values: Category:Pages using infobox sports league with unknown parameters

values: Category:All articles with unsourced statements

values: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from August 2015

values: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from April 2014

values: Category:Incomplete lists from March 2017

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/Little_League_Baseball
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: portal navigation p-wikibase-otherprojects p-wikibase-otherprojects-label

values: 리틀 리그 베이스볼 – Korean

values: ליטל ליג בייסבול – Hebrew

values: 少年棒球聯盟 – Chinese

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Little_League_Baseball rootpage-Little_League_Baseball skin-vector action-view