Specific Differences in Little League Baseball Rules

The Official Baseball Rules are made by a committee led by Major League Baseball, but they are also used by the minor leagues, and also by many amateur leagues with slight modifications. The Official Rules’ references to specific fines and penalties for certain violations, all of which apply only to Major League Baseball, are disregarded here.

By convention, the Little League rule is noted as “LL”, and the Official Baseball Rule as “OBR”. Please note that these rules apply strictly to the Major and Minor League levels of Little League Baseball. Higher levels use rules more consistent with the Official Rules.

The actual rules of Little League Baseball are copyrighted by Little League Baseball, Inc. Please note that these pages were last updated in 2015; both the Little League rules and the Official Rules have changed since. Please refer to the latest rules and regulations published by Little League Baseball for updated information on Little League playing rules.

Rule 1.04 - The Playing Field

• Distance Between Bases
  • LL - 60 feet
  • OBR - 90 feet
• Distance from Front of Pitcher’s Rubber to Tip of Home Plate
  • LL - 46 feet
  • OBR - 60 feet, 6 inches
• Distance from Front of Pitcher’s Rubber to Outfield Grass
  • LL - 50 feet (recommended)
  • OBR - 95 feet
• Size of Pitcher’s Rubber
  • LL - 18 x 4 inches
  • OBR - 24 x 6 inches
• Size of Bases
  • LL - 14 x 14 inches (15 x 15 bases are permitted; double first base is permitted)
  • OBR - 15 x 15 inches

Rule 1.08 - Benches

• On-Deck Area
  • LL - Not permitted
  • OBR - Usually located just outside dugout

Rule 1.10 - The Bat

• Maximum Length
  • LL - 33 inches
  • OBR - 42 inches
• Maximum Barrel Width
  • LL - 2¼ inches
  • OBR - 2⅝ inches
• Non-Wood Bats
  • LL - Permitted (material must meet LLB specifications)
  • OBR - Not permitted

Rule 1.11 - The Uniform

• Jewelry or Other Metallic Items
  • LL - Not permitted except for medical alert tags
  • OBR - Not permitted for pitcher

Rule 2.00 - Definitions

• Strike Zone: Top of Zone
  • LL - Armpits
  • OBR - Halfway between shoulder and belt

Rule 3.03 - Substitutions

• Re-entry Rule
  • LL - A starter may re-enter once, at any point in the batting order, provided the re-entrant’s substitute has played six consecutive outs and batted at least once
  • LL Tournament - Any player may re-enter in original spot in the batting order, provided player substituted for has met applicable mandatory play requirement
  • OBR - No re-entries permitted; a player removed from the line-up may not re-enter
• Courtesy Runner
  • LL - A “special runner” (a player not currently in the lineup) may replace a runner without being considered a substitute; use does not satisfy mandatory play requirement of Regulation IV (i) (see Rule 7.14)
  • OBR - No rule

Rule 3.17 - Bench Personnel

• Bench Restrictions
  • LL - Only manager, 2 coaches, and uniformed players are permitted on bench. Bat boys, etc., are not allowed.
  • OBR - Trainers, bat boys, and any listed coaches are permitted in dugout.

Rule 4.05 - Base Coaches

• Who May Be a Base Coach
  • LL - Uniformed players; adult base coaches permitted provided one adult remains in dugout
  • OBR - Non-roster players permitted, but must be in uniform.

Rule 4.10 - Ending a Game

• 4.10 (a) - Duration of Game
  • LL - 6 innings
  • OBR - 9 innings
• Note: All references to the 9th inning in the OBR are changed to the 6th inning in LL.
• 4.10 (c) - Regulation Game
  • LL - 4 innings (3½ if home team leads)
  • OBR - 5 innings (4½ if home team leads)
• 4.10 (e) - Games Called Prior to Regulation
  • LL - Suspended game if at least 1 inning completed, otherwise “no game”
  • OBR - “No game”
• 4.10 (e) - Mercy Rule (LL)
  • LL - If one team has a lead of 10 runs or more after the game becomes a regulation game, the game is over (local league may opt out; mandatory in Tournament play)
  • OBR - No rule

Rules 4.11 (d) and 4.12 - Regulation Game Called

• If home team leads at end of inning, visitors tie or take lead in an uncompleted inning, home team does not reverse ...
  • LL - Game over, score reverts to end of previous inning, home team wins
  • LL Tournament - Suspended game
  • OBR - Suspended game

Rule 4.13 - Doubleheaders

• Two Games Involving Same Teams on One Day
  • LL - Limited to once in a calendar week, Sunday through Saturday, unless first game is completion of previously suspended game
  • OBR - Permitted; second game begins 20 minutes after first game ends unless time is extended by mutual agreement of clubs and umpires

Rules 4.15 - 4.18 - Forfeits

• Administering a Forfeit
  • LL - Board of Directors must rule on validity of any forfeit
  • OBR - No rule

Rule 5.10 - “Time”

• Offensive Time-Outs
  • LL - Only one offensive time-out (conference not coinciding with defensive charged visit to pitcher or pitcher’s warm-up tosses) allowed per half-inning
  • OBR - No rule

Rule 6.05 - Batter Is Out

• 6.05 (c) - Dropped Third Strike
  • LL - Batter is out on third strike, whether caught by catcher or not
  • OBR - Batter becomes a runner on third strike dropped by catcher unless first base is occupied with fewer than two out
  • Note: OBR rule is in effect for the 11- and 12-year-old tournaments, effective in 2012.

Rule 6.10 - Designated Hitter

• Additional Player in Line-Up, Batting for Pitcher
  • LL - Not permitted
  • OBR - May be adopted by a league (currently used in AL and most minor league games, not in NL)

Rule 7.03 - Home Run

• Minimum Distance for Home Run Over Fence
  • LL - 165 feet
  • OBR - 250 feet

Rule 7.08 - Runner Is Out

• 7.08 (a) (3) - Slide or Avoid
  • LL - Runner is out if no attempt made to slide or get around fielder with ball waiting to make tag
  • OBR - No rule
• 7.08 (a) (4) - Head First Slide
  • LL - Runner is out on head-first slide except when returning to previous base
  • OBR - No rule

Rule 7.13 - Leaving Base Too Soon

• Position of Runners at Time of Pitch
  • LL - Runner may not leave base before pitch reaches batter. If violation, no runner may advance farther than forced by batter’s action. Exception under Note 15.
  • OBR - No rule

Rule 7.14 - Special Pinch-Runner

• Player Not in Lineup Used as Pinch-Runner
  • LL - Permitted once per team per offensive half-inning; player run for is not subject to removal from game lineup; special runner meets no part of mandatory play rule (see Rule 3.03); a given player may only be replaced by a special runner once per game
  • OBR - No rule

Rule 7.15 - Double First Base

• Regulation Permitting Use of Double First Base
  • LL - Double first base may be used; on initial play at first base, runner must touch colored portion of base in foul territory while fielder must touch white portion in fair territory; runner uses white portion for standing on base or tagging up
  • OBR - Not authorized

Rule 8.01 - Legal Pitching Delivery

• Pitching from “the Stretch”
  • LL - Complete stop not required
  • OBR - Must come to “complete and discernable stop”; penalty, illegal pitch (with runners on base, balk, rule 8.05 (j))

Rule 8.05 - Balk

• Illegal Delivery with Runners on Base
  • LL - No balk; “Illegal Pitch” (11 of 13 conditions of OBR balk rule) is delayed dead ball, pitch is called a “ball” unless every runner including the batter advances at least one base as result of batted ball
  • OBR - Balk; delayed dead ball, all runners (but not the batter) advance one base unless every runner including the batter advances at least one base as result of batted ball

Rule 8.06 - Visits to Pitcher

• Number of Visits Allowed
  • LL - Must change pitcher on third visit of inning or fourth visit of game
  • OBR - Must change pitcher on second visit of inning

Rule 10.19 - Winning and Losing Pitcher

• Starting Pitcher Eligible for Win
  • LL - Must pitch 3 complete innings
  • OBR - Must pitch 5 complete innings (4 if game was called after 5 innings)