Divisions Summary

South Bay PONY Baseball Divisions (for Spring 2024)

Players are placed into the appropriate Division based upon their age on April 30th of the Spring Season. This rule is in accordance with PONY National guidelines and in line with the top youth baseball programs in the country. PONY Divisions are intentionally designed as narrow one to two year windows to allow youth to complete and develop with other children their own age.

Note: On October 9th, 2022 the PONY International Board of Directors updated the Age Determination Date, moving it from August 31st to April 30th, effective for the Spring 2023 season. For the upcoming season, South Bay PONY is allowing players born from May 1 to August 31 to request to "play up" one level, so they can remain with the age group in which they have been a playing. To request to play up, please email [email protected].

Divisions	Ages	Born After	Born Before	Pitching Style	Games per Week	Practices per Week	Playoffs	All Stars
Shetland American	4-5	May 1, 2018	April 30, 2020	Tee-Ball & Coach Pitch	1	1	No	No
Shetland National	5-6	May 1, 2017	April 30, 2019	Blue Flame Machine	1	1	No	Yes
Pinto American	7	May 1, 2016	April 30, 2017	Jugs Machine	1-2	1	Yes	Yes
Pinto National	8	May 1, 2015	April 30, 2016	Kid Pitch 40’	1-2	1	Yes	Yes
Mustang American & National	9-10	May 1, 2013	April 30, 2015	Kid Pitch 46’	1-2	1	Yes	Yes
Bronco	11-12	May 1, 2011	April 30, 2013	Kid Pitch 50’	1-2	1	Yes	Yes
Pony 13	13	May 1, 2010	April 30, 2011	Kid Pitch 54’	1-2	1	Yes	Yes
Pony 14	14	May 1, 2009	April 30, 2010	Kid Pitch 60’6”	1-2	1	Yes	Yes

For our Shetland American, please note that PONY Baseball is not a drop-off preschool activity camp. A parent or guardian must be present at every Shetland practice and game.

The Shetland American division is great fun, but the kids need to be ready to play and the parents need to be involved. This is a Team Sport, it is not daycare or some drop-off activity. It typically takes 4-6 coaches/parents to effectively run a Shetland American practice or game. We'll show you how to do it. You don't need experience. But we need the kids to be ready and the parents to be involved.

If you have any questions about your child playing please contact us at [email protected].

More details about each Division are listed below.

There is also additional information about the Spring Season on the Spring Season Summary Page.

Divisions

SHETLAND AMERICAN (4-5 YEARS OLD)

SHETLAND AMERICAN is an instructional level to teach four and five-year-old players the fundamentals of baseball by the simplest method possible - letting them play the game. It is intended for all four-year-olds and five-year-olds who have not played previously.

Emphasis is on instruction and fun, not competition. Shetland Coaches are allowed on the field to offer instruction during the game (2 defensive coaches). Every player will be given the opportunity to try different positions and every player plays the entire game in the field. On offense, every player gets an at bat every inning and there are no outs.

Players can either hit from a Tee or Coach Pitch, depending on their comfort level. The goal is to advance everyone to Coach Pitch by the end of the season. We use a 50-foot diamond and do not keep score. We focus on the excitement of the game and fundamentals of teamwork and sportsmanship.

The Shetland American division is great fun, but the kids need to be ready to play and the parents need to be involved. This is a Team Sport, and not a drop-off activity or daycare. It typically takes 4-6 coaches/parents to effectively run a Shetland American practice or game. And parents should be practicing baseball skills at home.

Shetland American Players are allowed to request Coaches and Teammates. We cannot guarantee requests, but we will do our best to honor as many requests as possible. Encourage your friends to come play with you and see how much fun baseball can be!

SHETLAND NATIONAL (5-6 YEARS OLD)

SHETLAND NATIONAL is an instructional level to teach five and six-year-old players the fundamentals of baseball by the simplest method possible - letting them play the game. It is intended for all six-year-olds and for five-year-olds who have previously played baseball..

Emphasis is on instruction and fun, not competition. Every player is given the opportunity to try different positions and every player plays the entire game. Every player is in the batting order, but Shetland National limits innings to 3 outs (or 5 runs). Coaches use the Blue Flame Pitching Machine during games. The field is a 50-foot diamond.

For the five-year-olds who are considering playing Shetland National, it is important to point out that there is no hitting off a tee at this level. The season starts with Blue Flame and Coach Pitch, and by the end of the season we only use the Blue Flame pitching machine. If young players are not ready for the Blue Flame, they will strike out. Kids learn quickly, but both parents and players should be ready for the rapid progression.

If a five-year-old is still learning the basics, he or she should be in Shetland American, even if friends are playing in Shetland National.

Shetland National Players are allowed to request Coaches and Teammates. We cannot guarantee requests, but we will do our best to honor as many requests as possible. Encourage your friends to come play with you and see how much fun baseball can be!

PINTO AMERICAN (7 YEARS OLD)

PINTO AMERICAN is an instructional level to teach seven-year-old players the fundamentals of baseball. Emphasis is on instruction and fun, but the teams are becoming more competitive. Every player will be given the opportunity to try different positions and every player is in the batting order. Innings are limited to 3 outs (or 5 runs). This level uses the jugs pitching machine and a 60-foot diamond. This is the first level where we keep score. We also have an end of season tournament, where teams compete to win.

Starting at Pinto American, we require all players to participate in the pre-season player evaluations. We want all of the kids to have fun and develop as players. While we recognize that kids this age want to play with their friends and have fun, however it is not fun to have stacked teams and numerous blowouts. At the end of the season, it is a lot more fun, and better for everyone's development, to have a division with balanced teams and competitive games. And we know that your kids will make some incredible new friends on the diamond this season.

PINTO NATIONAL (8 YEARS OLD)

PINTO NATIONAL is a competitive instructional level teaching eight-year-old players the fundamentals of baseball.

Emphasis is on instruction and fun, however we continue to increase the competition. Every player plays every game and cannot sit out more than 2 consecutive defensive innings. Every player is in the batting order. However players are expected to possess basic baseball skills. Players are expected to practice at home, in addition to league activities. We welcome children who are new to baseball, but they should expect to work extra hard to catch up with those children who have been playing for over 4 years.

Kids begin pitching at this level on a 60-foot diamond, with a 40-foot pitching distance. Innings are limited to 3 outs or 5 runs (except the last inning).

We require all Pinto National players to participate in pre-season player evaluations. We want all of the kids to have fun and develop as players. While we recognize that kids this age want to play with their friends and have fun, it is not fun to have stacked teams and numerous blowouts. At the end of the season, it is a lot more fun, and better for everyone's development, to have a division with balanced teams and competitive games. And we know that your kids will make some incredible new friends on the diamond this season.

MUSTANG AMERICAN (9-10 YEARS OLD)

MUSTANG AMERICAN is a developmental level, teaching nine and ten-year-old players all aspects of real baseball. Beginning with Mustang league, the players are playing real baseball in accordance with the rules of Major League Baseball, with a few specific PONY rules where appropriate for this age group. Kids are taught to lead, steal, pick-off, back pick, and other high-level baseball skills. This is a kid pitch division with a 60-foot diamond (46 feet to pitchers mound).

By the time kids reach Mustang, most of them have been playing baseball for several years. We expect that they can safely and comfortably catch & throw catch from distance, and hit a pitched ball. We expect a child to be able to protect themselves from a hard hit ball. A child who is new to the sport should expect to work very hard to catch up, to be able to contribute to the team.

All Mustang Players are required to complete a pre-season Player Evaluation to help us place kids on teams. Our goal is to create balanced teams that will have competitive games. We find that it is a lot more fun for everyone, and much better for each player's development, if we create balanced teams.

MUSTANG NATIONAL (9-10 YEARS OLD)

MUSTANG NATIONAL is a competitive level, where advanced nine and ten-year-old players compete in high-level baseball. Participants are playing real baseball in accordance with the rules of Major League Baseball, with only a few specific PONY modifications. Kids are taught to lead, steal, pick-off, back pick, and other competitive level skills. This is a kid pitch division with a 60-foot diamond (46 feet to pitchers mound).

By the time kids reach Mustang, most of them have been playing baseball for several years. We expect that Mustang National participants can safely and comfortably catch & throw a ball from distance, and hit a pitched ball. A child who is new to baseball will likely be encouraged to play in Mustang American, for their own personal development and enjoyment.

BRONCO (11-12 YEARS OLD)

BRONCO is an competitive level, teaching eleven and twelve-year-old players all aspects of competitive baseball. We strive to make Bronco baseball "travel ball" quality at "rec ball" prices. The players are playing real baseball in accordance with the rules of Major League Baseball, with very few PONY rules, where appropriate for this age group. This is a kid pitch division with a 70-foot diamond (50 feet to pitchers mound).

Most Bronco players have been playing competitive baseball for many years. We expect that they can safely and comfortably catch & throw catch with velocity and accuracy. We do not recommend Bronco baseball for children who are new to the sport.

All Bronco Players are required to complete a pre-season Player Evaluation to help us place kids on teams. Our goal is to create balanced teams that will have competitive games. We find that it is a lot more fun for everyone, and much better for each player's development, if we create balanced teams.

PONY (13-14 YEARS OLD)

Pony is considered a High School Prep Division with thirteen and fourteen year old players competing with 80’ bases and pitchers throwing from 54'.

Pony Division is the penultimate step in the PONY program progression from TBall size fields to full size 90' diamonds.

Pony players play one of the most fascinating games in all of youth baseball. Well beyond the beginners stage, they have mastered all but the finest points of technique and strategy and can play the game with a skill comparable to that of older players. There is an expectation that Pony division players have been playing competitive baseball for many years. Given the size of the players and the speed of the game, is not safe for brand new players to jump in Pony division baseball.