Pee Wee league softball gives young children the opportunity to experience the thrills of competitive game play in a safe, controlled environment. Young players ages 5 through 7 bat, field, run and catch like their counterparts in older leagues. Adults get to coach, parents get to watch, and the children learn valuable life skills such as teamwork, camaraderie and fair play.
One of Pee Wee league softball's goals is to give children the chance to learn about baseball and have fun doing it. Coaches and managers teach young players basic game rules as the children practice and play against real opponents. One difference between a regular Little League and a Pee Wee league is the final score. No one keeps score in Pee Wee league softball. Specific rules vary between leagues, but they all follow general principles aimed at helping children to play the game safely.
Pitching and Batting
Pitching and batting are two of the most important physical elements in softball. Young children, still developing hand and eye coordination, cannot perform as well at these tasks as older players. As a result, kinder and gentler rules govern pitching and hitting. Pitchers are usually the team's coach, who may pitch all or part of a game depending on the league. Batters may also get more than three chances to hit the ball; For example, the McDonough County Girls Softball Pee Wee league allows players seven chances to hit the ball whereas the Antonia Baseball and Softball Association only allows five. After the maximum pitch count, coaches have the option to let players use a batting tee to hit the ball.
Playing Field
Since Pee Wee softball players are children, various leagues also modify rules governing the dimensions of the playing field. The Antonia Baseball and Softball Association, for example, sets the distance between bases at 45 feet. This is 15 feet less than the standard 60 feet used in standard little league play. The Antonia league also allows three adults from the fielding team to help the coach out on the field. Adults, however, cannot assist any player on the field or offer advice. Players typically wear traditional baseball shoes, a helmet and a glove.
Running and Fielding
Once a player hits the ball, players on base can advance as far as possible to the next bases. Pee Wee rules often disallow base stealing and bunting. Another difference between regular little league and Pee Wee league play is the importance the ball has on a player's ability to move around the field. If a hit ball winds up in the outfield, runners must stop at the nearest base. Leagues often encourage rotating players between the infield and outfield to help them develop skills in all fielding positions.
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