During the 2016 PONY International Board of Directors meeting, a decision was reached to change the date for determining player eligibility from April 30 to August 31. The rule change will take effect at the start of the 2018 PONY Baseball season. This decision was reached after careful consideration of input from leagues, parents, coaches and other sources important in the decision-making process. By making our program younger, all players will be competing on a level playing field. This change will ensure all PONY participants will play in their true age group.