PONY International Board of Directors made the decision to change the date for determining player eligibility from August 31 to April 30 for the 2023 baseball season. The rule change will take effect immediately. This decision was reached after input from leagues, parents, coaches, and other sources important in the decision-making process.
“This has been an ongoing topic of discussion and debated since we changed the date back to August several years ago,” stated PONY President Abraham Key. “By changing the date, we will now align with a large majority of youth baseball organizations. Many PONY member organizations did not make the change years ago and this will help us realign our membership and ensure them additional opportunities in the PONY organization.”
There will be no loss of eligibility for any participants in the 2023 season, essentially the PONY program will be four (4) months older starting in 2023. Players born in the months of May, June, July and August will have a choice whether to stay in their respective age groups or move up into an older age group with their former teammates.