The PONY League was formed in 1951 as a next step for 13- and 14-year-old boys who were too old to play Little League baseball. An acronym for Protect Our Nation's Youth, PONY League baseball and softball has expanded to include playing levels for boys age 5 to 18 and girls age 7 to 18. Softball was introduced in 1976, according to a league history at the Redlands Baseball/Softball for Youth, to provide girls an opportunity to play a sport with other girls.
The Playing Field
Field dimensions vary in PONY League softball according to players' ages and whether they are playing slowpitch or fastpitch. For instance, girls 14 to 18 playing slowpitch compete on fields with 65 feet long basepaths, outfield fences 175 to 200 feet from home plate and 50 feet between home plate and the pitcher's mound. In fastpitch, the basepaths are shortened to 60 feet, the distance between the pitcher and home is 43 feet.
Team Makeup Rules
A player's age on December 31 of the preceding year determines which league she may play in. The youngest level of PONY Softball is the Shetland League, open to players age 4 to 6. Pinto League is open to players 8 and under; Mustang League to players 10 and under; Bronco League to players 12 and under; Pony League to players 14 and under; Colt League to players 16 and under; and Palomino League to players 18 and under. A team may have up to four coaches, including one manager. PONY Softball recommends, but does not mandate, that one of the coaches be a woman.
Players and Positions
Fastpitch teams use a traditional nine-person baseball lineup, with a pitcher, catcher, four infielders and three outfielders. Slowpitch adds a short fielder that plays between the second basemen and shortstop on the outfield grass. If a player is ejected from a fastpitch game and her team has only eight eligible players, the game may continue. Her team is assessed an out each time the batting rotation comes to her spot in the order and is skipped. Slowpitch games can start with only eight of 10 players present, with outs recorded each time one of the missing players is scheduled to bat.
Equipment
PONY Softball certifies balls for use in its games, but not bats. Game balls must carry the PONY Softball certification mark and be made of cork and rubber, polyurethane or kapok with a natural or synthetic leather outer hide. For Bronco, Pony, Colt and Palomino fastpitch leagues, players use a 12-inch ball weighing between 6 1/4 and 7 ounces. For Shetland, Pinto and Mustang leagues, the ball is 11 inches and weighs between 5 7/8 and 6/18 ounces. At either level, the balls may be white or optic yellow.
Mercy Rule
PONY Softball incorporates a mercy rule, referred to as a "Run Rule" in rule five, section four. If any team leads by a margin of 12 runs after three innings, 10 runs after four innings or eight runs after the middle of the fourth inning, the game may be called and the win awarded to the team with the most runs.
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