08/12/2026
The PONY League World Series fully recognizes the commitment our participating families have made to be in Washington, PA to give their players the opportunity to compete on this world stage. We do not take their commitment lightly.
Unfortunately, we are at the mercy of the weather. Our volunteers have made every possible effort to keep the tournament moving as they work countless hours to repair and prepare the field for play. Some volunteer shifts have been on site continuously for the past 48 hours, but the repeated rainfall has made it impossible to keep the field playable and safe for players.
While we have carefully considered every alternative avenue possible to continue the tournament elsewhere, the nearby turf fields do not meet the PONY specifications required for World Series tournament play. Any available natural grass fields have also been impacted by the significant rainfall, many of which have been unused since local recreation seasons ended in July.
With the World Series scheduled to conclude tonight and teams scheduled to depart tomorrow, we also did not believe it was reasonable to ask families to absorb the significant additional costs associated with changing flights, extending hotel stays and altering other travel arrangements, particularly with additional rain in the forecast.
In nearly 75 years of the PONY League World Series, we have never faced circumstances that prevented us from completing the tournament as scheduled. We recognize how difficult this is for everyone, especially the players who have worked and competed all summer for the opportunity to be here.
We wish circumstances were different. Unfortunately, the continued rainfall has severely limited our safe and reasonable options, rendered the field unplayable and has forced us to make decisions no one wanted to make. We sincerely thank our players, families, coaches, volunteers and fans for their patience, understanding, and commitment throughout an extraordinarily difficult week.
