Baseball Rules by Level
Every level of baseball has slightly different rules. These guides explain the key differences at each stage.
Tee Ball (Ages 4–6) No pitching, everyone bats, everyone plays. The simplest version of baseball. Little League (Ages 6–12) Coach pitch, kid pitch, mandatory play, pitch counts, and field dimensions. Middle School (Ages 11–14) Bigger field, new distances, lead-offs, dropped third strike, balks. High School (NFHS) Full-size field, metal bats (BBCOR), infield fly, complete NFHS rules. College (NCAA) BBCOR bats, replay review, conference rules, and the path to the CWS. MLB (Professional) Pitch clock, shift restrictions, DH, and the current MLB rule set.