OTL. If you’re a San Diegan, then you know those three little letters stand for Over The Line, a ball + bat sport invented on South Mission Beach in the 1950s.
The Over The Line World Championships return to Fiesta Island at Mission Bay Park for the 72nd time this month — Saturday, July 12-Sunday, July 13 and Saturday, July 19-Sunday, July 20. We’ve got tourney details, a mini dive into the sport’s local history, and details on how the heck you actually play OTL. Go team.
The first OTL tournament was held in 1954. | Photo via Duane Bazzel + OMBAC
Play ball
The tournament, as always, is hosted by the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club (OMBAC). Play starts each day at 7:30 a.m. + ends by sunset. Brush up on what you can and can’t bring with you.
Fiesta Island gets crowded and while there is some free parking, you could also splurge for paid VIP parking for $23+. You could also opt to use a rideshare service — there’s a designated drop-off + pickup zone near the playing area.
OTL typically draws hundreds of registered teams to play in front of thousands of spectators because as OMBAC marketing chair Tom Doyle once told SDtoday, the event is “both a spectacle and a sport” in all the best ways. There’s still time to register your team.
Each July, the OTL Championships return to Fiesta Island. | Photo via Duane Bazzel + OMBAC
OTL’s roots
As the story goes, Over The Line was created more than seven decades ago by a group of OMBAC locals who had gotten together on South Mission Beach to play volleyball. As they waited for a coveted net, they came up with the idea for “OTL,” which evolved into its very own batty sport. According to OMBAC, the first OTL tournament was held in 1954.
Today, it’s a San Diego summertime tradition. Teams are known for their quirky names, and spectators enjoy attending the free event for the good vibes.
OTL’s roots are right in South Mission Beach. | Photo via Duane Bazzel + OMBAC
The rules
OK, so OTL includes intricacies, but the basic rules are clear: Games last three or four innings, no one runs bases, and the main goal is to hit the ball “over the line” about 55 ft in front of the batter.
Doyle says it’s all about making the catch or hit at the right moment and anyone can play — you don’t need to be an athlete, baseball or softball player.
“It’s as much fun or as complicated as you want it to be,” Doyle explained. “It’s easy to play, but hard to be amazing at it.”
It’s OTL time, San Diego. | Photo via Duane Bazzel + @ombacsd
We’re wishing all of the 2025 teams the best of luck out there on the sand — play ball.
