Starting with the 2023 season,PRPB will adopt the following Pony Baseball rule changes:
AGE
The PONY Baseball and Softball International Board of Directors has voted to change the age determination date for baseball to April 30 effective for the 2023 baseball season.
There will be no loss of eligibility for any participants in the 2023 season, essentially the PONY program will be four (4) months older starting in 2023. Players born in the months of May, June, July and August will have a choice whether to stay in their respective age groups or move up into an older age group with their former teammates.
Change in age date only effects players born the months of May, June, July, and August.
BAT CHANGES 2018
BATS
In conjunction with USA Baseball and its other participating national member organizations, PONY Baseball has adopted the new USA Baseball bat standards (USABat). Effective January 1, 2018, with the exception of -3 (BBCOR certified), all other minus factor bats (-5,-7,-9, etc..), must be YBBCOR certified with the USABat licensing stamp on the bat in order to be used for league and all-star play. All bats without this stamp will be illegal and not be eligible to use during league play. The new YBBCOR bats bearing the USABat licensing mark are expected to be offered in retail stores in September.
To find out more about the USABat standard click here.
Why: Safety. USA Baseball's national member organizations believe that a wood-like performance standard will best provide for the long-term integrity of the game. These bats are made to mimic wood bats, lessening the "pop" factor and thus, reducing the potential injuries from hard hit balls, especially come-backers to pitchers.
PITCH SMART PROGRAM AIMS TO REDUCE ARM INJURIES - PITCHING RULES TO CHANGE IN 2018
Pitch Smart is a joint arm care initiative between Major League Baseball and USA Baseball and aims to reduce arm injuries among amateur baseball players. This course includes topics such as risks of arm injuries, common misconceptions, and the Pitch Smart guidelines. Pony Baseball has adopted rule changes to become PitchSmart compliant beginning with the 2018 season.
The online Introduction to Pitch Smart training course, produced by USA Baseball and hosted by Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz, is available for free to coaches, players and parents at the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) training site. You can view the course by establishing an account with NFHSLearn and then ordering the free course. Click Here for more information about the course at NFHS.
Click here to go to the Pitch Smart website at mlb.com