Intermediate, Junior, and Senior League Baseball are youth baseball divisions of Little League Baseball that are considered more advanced and difficult than younger Little League divisions due to more advanced rules, including the ability to lead-off and steal as the pitcher breaks, along with longer base paths and greater pitching distance. Junior League also includes the use of bats with barrels rather than the transitional barrels of Little League. Junior League also allows the use of metal spikes in cleats in addition to the molded or plastic spikes used in Little League. The Big League level was discontinued in the baseball and softball divisions — after the 2016 Big League World Series.
The tournament has been held in Bangor, Maine since 2002.
Big League World Series
The Big League World Series was held from 1968 to 2016. The tournament's final host was Easley, South Carolina, from 2000 to the last-ever tournament in 2016. The tournament had previously been in Charlotte, North Carolina from 1968 to 1970 and in Fort Lauderdale, Florida from 1970 to 1998. It was also held in Arizona.
For the Little League baseball division, there are sixteen regions, whose champions are divided into two brackets. The eight U.S. regions are: New England, Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Southeast, Southwest, Northwest, and West. Since 2013, the eightinternational regions are: Asia-Pacific and Middle East, Australia, Canada, Caribbean, Europe and Africa, Japan, Latin America, and Mexico.
U.S. regions in the Intermediate, Junior, Senior, and Big League divisions
For the Intermediate, Junior, and Senior League baseball divisions, there are only five U.S. regions:
Central
East
Southeast
Southwest
West
International regions
The international regions differ in the Intermediate, Junior, Senior, and Big League divisions.
Intermediate League regions
Unlike the Little League World Series, the Intermediate League World Series has only ten regions and a host team. There are two pools: Pool A and Pool B. The Intermediate League has five international regions:
Unlike the Little League World Series — which has sixteen regions — the Junior League World Series has only eleven regions, whose champions are divided into the United States Pool and the International Pool. The Junior League has six international regions:
Mexico / Puerto Rico
Latin America
Canada
Australia
Asia-Pacific
EMEA
Senior League regions
Unlike the Little League World Series — which has sixteen regions, divided into U.S. and International brackets — the Senior League World Series has only nine regions, has a host team, and the regional champions are divided into two mixed pools that combine U.S. and international regions. Because of the mixed pools, the Senior League division does not have an international champion and a United States champion — unlike the other three baseball divisions of Little League Baseball. The Senior League has only four international regions:
Latin America
Canada
Asia-Pacific
EMEA
Big League regions
The Big League World Series was held from 1968 to 2016. During its final years, it differed from the Little League World Series in that it had only ten regions, divided into Pool A and Pool B, and had a host team, which played in the U.S. pool. The Big League had five international regions:
Mexico / Puerto Rico
Latin America
Canada
Asia-Pacific
EMEA
Playing Field
The distance between the bases was 90 feet, the same as for regulation Major League Baseball fields. The distance between the pitcher's mound and home plate was 60.6 feet, also identical to that of MLB. The minimum outfield distance in the upper divisions was 300 feet, while the maximum for Big League was 425 feet.
Game Length
A game consisted of seven innings and was official if five innings had been completed.
