Official updates to the Little League regulations, playing rules and operating policies for the 2025 season were announced on Wednesday morning. These changes were reviewed by the Rules Committee and Tournament Committee.

Those changes by Little League are as follows:

• There was an update to tournament tie game rule. This directly impacts Tournament Rule 14, and this change eliminates playing the seventh inning (Intermediate/Junior/Senior League: eighth inning) as normal for all tournament games that are tied after regulation. Now, the tiebreaker will begin immediately in the seventh inning (eighth for Intermediate/Junior/Senior League) by placing the player who is scheduled to bat last in that respective half inning on second base to begin each extra inning.

• Beginning with the 2025 season, the Mandatory Play requirement does not apply to the Senior League baseball or Senior League Softball divisions of play.

• As technology on and off the field continues to evolve, Little League has adjusted its Rule 3.17 in both baseball and softball to add an exception that permits a coach or manager to use one-way communication to the catcher while the team is on defense for the purpose of calling pitches.

However, a manager or coach is prohibited from using the device to communicate with any other team member while on defense or any team member (including a manager or coach) while on offense, and a manager or coach shall not use the device outside the dugout/bench area.

• An update was made for pregame equipment inspections. With adjustments made to both Rule 3.01 and Tournament Rule 3, the requirement for umpires to check equipment prior to the start of the game has been removed, placing responsibility for legal and proper equipment on the manager.

Along with the changes to team rules and regulations as outlined above, additional adjustments and clarifications have been made for individual player apparel and equipment, including:

— Bat modifications/alternations: clarifies that products, such as but not limited to choke-knobs, choke-up assists or thumb protectors are considered alterations to the bat and are not permitted.

— Pitcher’s undershirt (softball only): clarifies that any part of the pitcher’s undershirt or T-shirt exposed to view cannot be the same color of the ball being used in the game.

— Neoprene sleeves (baseball only): permits neoprene sleeves to be worn without being covered by an undershirt, provided the neoprene sleeve is a solid color and not white ro gray.

— Jewelry: removes Rule 1.11(j) to remove the requirement that jewelry, other than medical alert, should be removed, permitting jewelry to be worn.

— Items worn on hands/wrists: clarifies that a pitcher may wear items on the glove hand, wrist or arm (non-pitching arm) of a solid single color, provided it is not the same color as the ball being used in the game.

— Helmet stickers: permits the use of helmet stickers or decals, provided that such usage is not excessive, is not offensive, and does not make inappropriate references such as that to drugs or alcohol.

— Approved substances on pitching hand/fingers (softball only: clarifies non-approved substances on the pitching hand or fingers versus the use of approved substances under the judgement of the umpire.

Additional language changes to provide more consistency and clarifications throughout Little League’s Official Regulations, Playing Rules and Operating Policies have also been made as noted in the full significant changes document found both at LittleLeague.org/Rules and in the rulebook app.