The Little League International Board of Directors, after an online vote conducted by volunteer District Administrators in the annual Spring Meeting at the Little League Western Region Headquarters in San Bernardino, Calif., approved a measure to create a new division of Little League Baseball this past week.
The new division, targeted at players league-age 11-13, will feature a pitching distance of 50 feet and base paths of 70 feet for the 2013 season that will also include postseason tournament opportunities, including a World Series.
The recent addition is viewed as a bridge between the current "Little League" size field of a 46-foot pitching distance and 60-foot base paths, and a standard baseball diamond with 60.5-foot pitching and 90-foot base paths.
The 50/70 infield dimensions have grown in popularity in recent years and in other youth leagues, such as Cal Ripken.
The new division is the first in Little League since 1999, when Junior League Softball was added to the list of 12 current programs that make up the Little League International Tournament.
Rules and regulations for both the regular season and tournament play are being prepared by Little League International for release in the coming months. Along with rules and regulations, a site for the first World Series is being planned.
The new division received just enough votes to be accepted, as 231 District Administrators, or 67.54 percent, voted in favor of the division that needed at least 66.7 percent of the total vote to be automatically acted upon by the International Board of Directors.
The Board then ratified the measure unanimously on Saturday, along with all other measures receiving the minimum vote.
