SHETLAND 6U is an instructional league to teach 5 and 6-year-old players the fundamentals of baseball  by the simplest method possible - letting them play the game. If this purpose is kept paramount, SHETLAND 6U can be a valuable addition to the more formally organized leagues for older players. Emphasis must be on instruction, not on the league championship. 

SHETLAND 6U coaches and parent volunteers are allowed on the field to offer instruction during the game. The rules require that players be given the opportunity to try different positions, and that all of them get to play in every game. 

Players in this age range have a short attention span in any single activity and games must move rapidly. Only the basic fundamentals of the game should be brought out. It is not uncommon for players of this age, initially, to be unfamiliar with which is first base, which is third base, and which field is left and which is right. Lack of knowledge indicates merely that the player has not yet been introduced to the game and has no relationship to the player's potential athletic ability. 

SHETLAND 6U provides an excellent opportunity to teach basic catching, throwing, batting and fielding, and a love of the game of baseball without making the experience a course of intensified instruction. The best approach is to let the teams play with little thought to victory or defeat, but merely for the joy of participation while, at the same time, learning the fundamentals of teamwork, group discipline and sportsmanship.

Basic information:

Base length - 50 feet

Baseball bats for 2019 must state t-ball only. No coach pitch or regular baseball bats will be allowed to be used. The league will place a sticker on each bat for approval during the first week of practices. A complete list of approved t-ball bats can be found here. The league does supply each team with a bat and a few helmets, its recommended each player have their own helmet.

Safety balls are used instead of the normal baseballs.

Questions about Shetland 6U can be directed to the Commissioner of Baseball, Randy Loganbill: [email protected]