For clarification, Dixie Softball first published this rule change on its Facebook page and on its Website page in the summer of 2016. It was posted in the 2017 and the 2018 rule books. Leagues have had nearly three years to prepare for this change. Not one year as some are trying to promote. This change will make Dixie Softball a better program for ALL of the girls in the long run.

Several people have contacted Dixie Softball, Inc. wanting to know the actual age cutoff date for Dixie Softball beginning in 2019. They state they are being told up to three different dates. THE ACTUAL AGE CUTOFF DATE FOR GIRLS PLAYING DIXIE SOFTBALL, BEGINNING IN 2019, IS AUGUST 31. Example: If a girl is 6-years-old on or before August 31, 2019, she is eligible to play in the Dixie SweeTees division. If a girl is 8-years-old on or before August 31, 2019, she is eligible to play in the Dixie Darlings division. If a girl is 10-years-old on or before August 31, 2019, she is eligible to play in the Dixie Angels division. If a girl is 12-year-old on or before August 31, 2019, she is eligible to play in the Dixie Ponytails division. If a girl is 15-years-old on or before August 31, 2019, she is eligible to play in the Dixie Belles division. If a girl is 19-years-old on or before August 31, 2019, she is eligible to play in the Dixie Debs division. It is hoped that this informational post will help clear up the issue of when the date for the new age cutoff actually begins.

Beginning with the 2019 Dixie Softball season the age cutoff date will be August 31. Whatever age a girl is on or before August 31, 2019 and every August 31 thereafter will be her eligibility age for the current year. EXAMPLE: If a girl is 9-year-old on August 31, 2019, she plays as a 9-year-old. If she turns 10 on or before August 31, 2019, she plays as a 10-year-old.

The decision has been made by the Dixie Softball National Board of Directors and is final. There is no need for a mass write-in campaign or phone calls to have the new age cutoff date changed. This post is for information only in hopes that there is a better understanding of why the change was made. Yes, some girls will be affected by the change in 2019 (Dixie Softball notified the leagues of the change in 2016 so leagues could be prepared for the change) and for that Dixie Softball apologizes for making this so. Dixie Softball made a huge mistake when it changed its age cutoff date, back in 2009, to January 1. This is what allowed the overage girls to be eligible to play in an age division that the rules of that division were not written for. For the previous 40 years, Dixie Softball's age cutoff date was not January 1. What Dixie Softball did was to fix something that was not broken. The new age cutoff date will better coincide with school age cutoff dates. Girls will now, more than likely, be playing with their classmates and closest friends throughout their entire Dixie Softball play.

Dixie Softball's goal is to give the Dixie SweeTees (6 and younger division) back to the 6 and younger girls; give the Dixie Darlings (8 and younger division) back to the 8 and younger girls; give the Dixie Angels (10 and younger division) back to the 10 and younger girls; give the Dixie Ponytails (12 and younger division) back to the 12 and younger girls; give the Dixie Belles (15 and younger division) back to the 15 and younger girls; and make sure the Dixie Debs (19 and younger division) is a program for 19 and younger girls.

There was no other underlying reason for the change. The reason for the change is that Dixie Softball looked over its tournament affidavits for the past few years and found that over 90% of the girls listed on Dixie SweeTees (6 and younger) affidavits were actually 7 years old; girls listed on Dixie Darlings (8 and younger) affidavits were actually 9 years old; girls listed on Dixie Angels (10 and younger) affidavits were actually 11 years old; girls listed on Dixie Ponytails (12 and younger) affidavits were actually 13 years old; and girls listed on Dixie Belles (15 and younger) affidavits were 16 years old. The Dixie Debs (18 and younger) had 60% of its girls being 19 years old. The Dixie Debs age has now been moved up to 19. In other words, the girls will receive an extra year of Dixie Softball play.

Beginning with the 2019 season, all of the 7-year-olds that were playing Dixie SweeTees will now be playing in the Dixie Darlings, where they should have been playing all along; all of the 9-year-olds that were playing Dixie Darlings will now be playing in the Dixie Angels ,where they should have been playing all along; all of the 11-year-olds that were playing Dixie Angels will now be playing in the Dixie Ponytails, where they should have been playing all along; all of the 13-year-olds that were playing Dixie Ponytails will now be playing in the Dixie Belles, where they should have been playing all along; and the Dixie Debs will be a true 19 and younger program.

One thing that is hoped for is that perhaps once again the selection of "all-star" teams become a big event during the current playing season. Dixie Softball had found that in a great number of leagues "all-star" teams were being selected (i.e., “travel” team or so called “elite” teams) before leagues began their actual season play. This discouraged the girls who actually played in the league during regular season play. Why play your best if you know you are not going to be considered for the Dixie Softball tournament team? The older girls usually were playing on "travel" and so called "elite" teams and were, as Dixie Softball records were showing, the girls that made their Dixie Softball tournament teams. Sadly, in a lot of cases the girls that were not on the "travel" or so called "elite" teams did not stand a chance to make the Dixie Softball tournament team and were overlooked. Too many cases were brought to Dixie Softball's attention where girls on the "travel" or so called "elite" teams would not play in the proper number of Dixie Softball games during regular season play or not play any Dixie Softball games at all and still those girls made the Dixie Softball tournament team and not the ones who were truly eligible to make the Dixie Softball tournament team. League presidents that allowed this to happen should hang their head in shame because girls that were NOT eligible to make the Dixie Softball tournament team GOT TO play illegally. The president signs the tournament affidavit. The eligible girls deserved better.

In other words, girls, in too many cases who were not on the "travel" or so called "elite" teams who made every regular season team practice and played in every game their regular season team played, were being pushed aside when it came time to be selected for the “all-stars” and get to play on the Dixie Softball tournament team. Very unfair to the girls who played their hearts out in Dixie Softball play all season. This totally is NOT what Dixie Softball is about and was a main push in changing Dixie Softball's age cutoff date back to basically what it was at the beginning of Dixie Softball in 1968, August 1. Hopefully, selection of league “all-stars” will get back to what it used to be, rewarding the players who participated in and did well during regular Dixie Softball season play and not for those who played on their “travel” or so called “elite” team.

REMEMBER: DIXIE SOFTBALL WANTS TO GIVE ALL THE BENEFITS OF OUR LOCAL SOFTBALL PLAY BACK TO ALL THE GIRLS AND NOT JUST TO THE CHOSEN FEW…And that is why Dixie Softball decided to change its age cutoff date and for no other reason. Little League Baseball has made the same change and it is working great for them. They had made the same mistake that Dixie Softball did by changing the original age cutoff date too extreme. We both are now back to where youth baseball and softball age cutoff was from back in the 1940’s. Have a great 2019 season…..