NEWS

Tips

• Buying the Right Bat!
• Buying the First Glove!
• Pitch Count Guide for Your Pitcher

Newsletters

Board Meeting Minutes now available via link near the bottom of the Board member page

Age Determination Date and Swing Player

BULLPEN, Vol. XLVIII, No. 2 MARCH 2005

Official Publication of Babe Ruth League

http://www.baberuthleague.org/images/March2005web.pdf

USA Baseball, the governing body for amateur baseball, approved a motion to adopt an April 30 age determination datefor youth baseball in the United States. The change will be effective for the 2006 season.

Over the past three years, Babe Ruth League, Inc., in conjunction with USA Baseball and its affiliated members, has been researching and studying the age determination date for youth baseball. 

A major issue facing our sport today is the loss of youth athletic participation and the seeming decline in player participation after the 10 and 12-year-old age brackets. The result of the research and study conducted by USA Baseball and its affiliated members positively shows that an initial step in reversing this trend would be to change the age determination date from August 1 to April 30. 

As such, our sport would benefit by keeping more players in programs longer; players being better prepared for the transition to conventional-sized fields; and there being no diminished eligibility for players. Per the policy of Babe Ruth League, Inc., before proceeding to make any rule change, we surveyed and requested input from each of our League Presidents and Commissioners for approval of changing the age determination date to April 30. We received a favorable response for moving it. 

Babe Ruth League pays careful attention to survey results and every comment written on the surveys. It is for that reason it is so important for every leaguepresident to return any survey they receive from Babe Ruth League, Inc. The collective voice of the leagues in Cal Ripken Baseball, Babe Ruth Baseball, and Babe Ruth Softball is what drives the direction of the program. (Note: The Babe Ruth Softball program age determination date has not been changed and will remain December 31). 

In conjunction with the age determination date change, also effective beginning 2006, Babe Ruth League, Inc. has adopted a new local league option: the 12-Year-Old Swing Player Option for those 12- year-old players who are more skilled and experienced. 

The Cal Ripken League President may elect to permit a 12-year-old player to play in a 13-15 league. In fact, such a player could play in both the Cal Ripken and 13-15 league at the same time with the Cal Ripken League President’s concurrence. 

For the 2006 tournament season and beyond, the Cal Ripken League President will decide on which tournament team the 12-year-old player participates. The player must meet all eligibility requirements for the respective division in which he participates. A player can only participate on one tournament team in any given year. Babe Ruth League, Inc. is the only youth program to adopt the 12-Year-Old Swing Player Option as no other USA Baseball affiliated member currently offers this alternative. 

This option addresses numerous concerns. If the league president approves, it allows the physically advanced players the opportunity to move to the next age level. It allows the skills-advanced player to move to the next age level. It allows the players whose age falls close to the determination date to continue to play with his peers in his school grade. 

By adding the 12-Year-Old Swing Player Option to the change in the age determination date, leagues have maximum flexibility to group their participants together to best meet the players’ needs and the league’s needs. 

Ultimately these decisions are in the hands of the Cal Ripken League President. It is s/he who controls the composition of the Cal Ripken league. In the event there is a different Cal Ripken Baseball president and Babe Ruth Baseball president, the two must coordinate, but the Cal Ripken Baseball president shall make the final decision on whether a player may exercise the Swing-Player Option. 

Please remember this will go into effect for 2006. For the 2005 Cal Ripken Baseball and Babe Ruth Baseball local league and tournament seasons, the age determination date will remain as August 1.

Babe Ruth League, Inc. thanks USA Baseball for their recognition and subsequent action to deal with the issues facing youth baseball today. No one really knows when a player will reach their full potential in the game of baseball. 

As a group, the national amateur baseball organizations feel the April 30 date will allow most players on a team to spend the majority of the regular season at the same chronological age as their league age and will provide a longer opportunity for a player to stay in the game. Babe Ruth adds to that a provision offering an option to move up to the next age division for the most advanced players. 

As always, we appreciate the suggestions and recommendations submitted from our membership. Our goal has always been, and will continue to be, to keep as many players as possible in the great game of baseball and make it a fun and memorable experience for all.