League Age Calculator 2026
Find your player's league age for every organization at once. Enter a birthdate and see how old your child counts as in Little League, USSSA, Perfect Game, PONY, Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken, and AAU — because the same kid is often a different "age" in each one.
Enter a birthdate above to see every league age at once.
How league age is calculated
There is no single "league age" in youth baseball — each organization picks a determination date and asks: how old is the player on that date? Only three rules cover every major organization:
- Little League Baseball: your child's actual age on August 31 of the season year. Born September–December? They get to play a year "young."
- Travel baseball (USSSA, Perfect Game, AAU) plus PONY and Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken: age on April 30 of the season year — a player is "12U" if they don't turn 13 before May 1.
- Softball: age from the previous year — Little League Softball uses December 31, while USSSA Fastpitch, PONY Softball, and Babe Ruth Softball all use August 31 (both PONY and USSSA changed to August 31 starting with the 2026 season).
Worked example: a boy born June 15, 2014. On August 31, 2026 he is 12 — so he's Little League age 12, his final Majors year. But on April 30, 2026 he was still 11 — so in USSSA, Perfect Game, PONY, and Cal Ripken he plays 11U/Bronco that same season. Any birthday from May 1 through August 31 creates this one-year split, and it's the single most common source of registration confusion.
2026 & 2027 age charts
Little League Baseball (age on Aug 31 of season year)
| League age | 2026 season | 2027 season |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Sep 1, 2021 – Aug 31, 2022 | Sep 1, 2022 – Aug 31, 2023 |
| 5 | Sep 1, 2020 – Aug 31, 2021 | Sep 1, 2021 – Aug 31, 2022 |
| 6 | Sep 1, 2019 – Aug 31, 2020 | Sep 1, 2020 – Aug 31, 2021 |
| 7 | Sep 1, 2018 – Aug 31, 2019 | Sep 1, 2019 – Aug 31, 2020 |
| 8 | Sep 1, 2017 – Aug 31, 2018 | Sep 1, 2018 – Aug 31, 2019 |
| 9 | Sep 1, 2016 – Aug 31, 2017 | Sep 1, 2017 – Aug 31, 2018 |
| 10 | Sep 1, 2015 – Aug 31, 2016 | Sep 1, 2016 – Aug 31, 2017 |
| 11 | Sep 1, 2014 – Aug 31, 2015 | Sep 1, 2015 – Aug 31, 2016 |
| 12 | Sep 1, 2013 – Aug 31, 2014 | Sep 1, 2014 – Aug 31, 2015 |
| 13 | Sep 1, 2012 – Aug 31, 2013 | Sep 1, 2013 – Aug 31, 2014 |
| 14 | Sep 1, 2011 – Aug 31, 2012 | Sep 1, 2012 – Aug 31, 2013 |
| 15 | Sep 1, 2010 – Aug 31, 2011 | Sep 1, 2011 – Aug 31, 2012 |
| 16 | Sep 1, 2009 – Aug 31, 2010 | Sep 1, 2010 – Aug 31, 2011 |
Travel ball & PONY / Babe Ruth (May 1 cutoff — born on or after)
| Division | 2026 season | 2027 season |
|---|---|---|
| 6U | May 1, 2019 | May 1, 2020 |
| 7U | May 1, 2018 | May 1, 2019 |
| 8U | May 1, 2017 | May 1, 2018 |
| 9U | May 1, 2016 | May 1, 2017 |
| 10U | May 1, 2015 | May 1, 2016 |
| 11U | May 1, 2014 | May 1, 2015 |
| 12U | May 1, 2013 | May 1, 2014 |
| 13U | May 1, 2012 | May 1, 2013 |
| 14U | May 1, 2011 | May 1, 2012 |
Travel seasons span two calendar years (USSSA: Aug 1 – Jul 31; AAU: Sep 1 – Aug 31). Fall registrations use the next season's chart — a fall 2026 team plays under the 2027 column.
Little League divisions by age
| Division | League ages |
|---|---|
| Tee Ball | 4–7 |
| Minor League | 7–12 (5–6 with Tee Ball experience) |
| Majors | 9–12 (local leagues may restrict to 10–12 or 11–12) |
| Intermediate (50/70) | 11–13 (baseball only) |
| Junior League | 12–14 |
| Senior League | 13–16 |
Frequently asked questions
What if my child was born in September?
For Little League Baseball, a September–December birthday is the best draw on the calendar: your child hasn't had that year's birthday by August 31, so they're league-aged a year younger and are among the oldest in their division. In travel ball the lucky window is different — May through August birthdays are the "old for their division" ones, because the cutoff is May 1.
Why is my kid a different age in travel ball than in Little League?
Different cutoff dates. Little League counts age on August 31 of the season year; USSSA, Perfect Game, PONY, Babe Ruth, and AAU count age on April 30. Any player born May 1 – August 31 is therefore one year "older" in Little League than in travel ball during the same season. Both numbers are correct.
Did softball age cutoffs really change?
Yes — twice, both effective the 2026 season. USSSA Fastpitch and PONY Softball each moved their determination date to August 31 of the previous year (they formerly used a January 1 / calendar-year rule). Many charts floating around the web still show the old rule. Little League Softball did not change: it still uses age on December 31 of the previous year.
What are grade exceptions in USSSA and Perfect Game?
Both let a player who is too old by birthdate stay with their grade: an age-13 sixth grader can still play 12U, for example. The limits differ — USSSA blocks anyone turning two ages up before August 1, while Perfect Game allows at most two grade-exemption players per team and requires them to be born on or after January 1 of the cutoff year. Check the specific tournament's rules before rostering on an exception.
Is Perfect Game the same as USSSA for ages?
For the basic age math, yes — both use the May 1 cutoff, so a player's XU division is identical. They differ in the fine print: grade-exemption limits (above), and Perfect Game's 14U–18U events also accept players by high-school graduation year as an alternative to birthdate.
Which division should my child actually play in?
League age sets what's allowed, not what's best. Little League lets leagues place players by skill within the eligible bands (a league-age-9 player might play Minors or Majors), and travel organizations let players "play up" a division. Talk to your local league about evaluations — and remember the calculator's job is to make sure you're arguing from the right number.
Sources
Rules verified July 2026 against each organization's published materials: Little League age determination, USSSA, Perfect Game, PONY, Babe Ruth League, and AAU. Always confirm with your local league before registering.