World Championship Junior Over-The-Line® is a 3 player softball type game played on sand. The play area is marked out using rope which is staked into the ground in a triangle pattern. Each team pitches to its own players. You must hit a softball type ball Over-The-Line to effect a hit. After 3 hits you have a run. There is no running of bases.
The natural progression of any sport is to develop a strong youth base. This assures that a sport will continue. In the last ten years we have seen tremendous growth in junior OTL participation. The kids were asking to become more involved. As a result, in the last several years there are now 5 to 6 events each year (prior to that time there was only 1 or 2 events held each year). Each event stands alone. In that manner the players can take part in the whole series or just one tournament. The number of teams now entered in recent tournaments has grown to nearly 200 teams.
Junior OTL is the same game, just modified slightly. For example: In the peewee division, co-ed play is allowed, the lines are shortened to 30 feet, and players hit the ball off a tee. This gives the kids a chance to become familiar with the game and learn to hit and catch a ball on a smaller field. In both boys and girls 9-11 division the front line of the field is shortened to 45 feet. The older kids play on full size fields. The use of gloves is allowed to be used, except in the boys 18-20 divisions. All events have the format of a 4 to 5 team round robin play on an assigned court. The teams are “seeded” into a single elimination bracket to play off for trophies.
The most important element of the junior OTL is the friendships that are created in playing the game. The kids are encouraged to score their own game, which teaches good sportsmanship and responsibility. The parents are encouraged to come out and watch the kids having fun playing OTL.
If your child has never played this game, we would encourage you to become involved in this very uplifting program.
See “Game Rules” for more info.