You can play baseball in Europe. Here is how.

You do not have to be a star. You have to be in the pool.

European clubs fill a few import spots every year, and they call the players they already know. Here is the path from nobody to that list.

Know the rulesEach league limits how many imports a team can sign, and whether an EU passport changes the count depends on the league. This is the part nobody explains.

Get on a listJoin the CageList player pool. Clubs and managers can find your profile. Players pay nothing.

Take the callRead the visa and work rules for that country before you say yes to a club.

Honkbal Hoofdklasse: Rule announced Dec 2009 for 2010 season: up to 3 foreign (non-Dutch passport, EU included) players per team; only one may start as pitcher in a 3-game series, foreign catchers max 2 of 3 games; players with 5 years in NL no longer count as foreign. Current rule not verified.

From our league directory, taken from a published report of the rule. Rules change, so confirm the current one with the league before you sign. Source

Join the player pool

One pitcher's year in Europe

I left Bridgeport and flew to Czechia

Mid-season in 2012 I went straight from the Atlantic League to the Czech Republic. I led the league in ERA over about five games, so take that for what it is worth. The pay was a lot for the country, and the club gave me a place to live.

1,000 eurosa month in the Czech Republic, plus a free place to live

$400a month in Australia, plus housing and a job (Winter 2009)

Every stop and what it paid

Where the baseball is

Organizations we have verified in each country, from the national federation down to local divisions. More rows means more clubs to call.

Source: the CageList world directory. 40 European countries, 854 organizations, each checked against a published source.

Every country

Each card opens that country's page with its leagues, levels and season.

Italy186 organizationsSerie A Germany150 organizations1. Baseball-Bundesliga Nord Spain84 organizationsLiga Nacional de Beisbol Division Netherlands74 organizationsHonkbal Hoofdklasse United Kingdom64 organizationsNational Baseball League France54 organizationsRouen Huskies Czechia45 organizationsCzech Baseball Extraliga Austria42 organizationsBaseball Bundesliga Belgium36 organizationsBaseball D1 Sweden16 organizationsElitserien baseball Switzerland14 organizationsNLA Ireland12 organizationsIrish Baseball League Division 1 Finland9 organizationsSuperbaseball Lithuania7 organizationsLithuanian club Poland7 organizationsEkstraliga Baseball Ukraine

The game is bigger than one country.

Browse every country

Run a club or league in Europe? Post an opening for free.