Little League mandatory play rule

Mandatory play is one of the oldest rules in Little League, and the one parents ask about most. In the regular season, every player on the roster who is there when the game starts must play at least six defensive outs, two innings' worth, and must bat at least once. A manager can't keep a player on the bench for a whole game.

Six outs means six outs recorded while the player is on the field, not innings started. A player who goes in at the top of the fifth and sees only two outs before the game ends has not met the rule. That is why most managers get every player's defense in by the fourth inning, and why a game shortened by weather or the run rule catches out a manager who planned late substitutions.

Batting once is the easier half. A player who enters for defense must still get an at-bat, so a manager who brings a player in late has to check where they fall in the order. Leagues that use a continuous batting order meet this half automatically, since every player present bats in turn.

Tournament play is different. Since 2023, all-star and tournament teams through Junior League use a continuous batting order instead of the six-out rule, and Senior League has no mandatory play at all. A local league can also set stricter regular season rules, such as more innings in the field, so read your league's own rules alongside the rulebook.

The rule is easiest to keep on paper. A defensive grid with a column per inning shows who has played what before the game starts, and the scorekeeper can tick off each player's outs as they happen.

How it plays out in a game

• A player plays right field in the second and third innings: six outs, the rule is met.
• A player goes in for the sixth inning of a six-inning game and the home team wins in the top half: only three outs, the rule is not met.
• A player plays two innings in the field but the game ends before their turn at bat: the rule is not met, so bring them in earlier or move them up.
• A player arrives in the third inning, after the game started: the rule does not apply to them that game.

Put it on a card: Defensive lineups.

Set up for this rule

The free defensive lineup generator lays out each inning's positions in a grid, so you can see before the first pitch that every player gets their six outs in the field.

Frequently Asked Questions

More in the glossary

• Little League continuous batting order
• Little League bat rules
• Little League league age
• All glossary pages