Los Angeles officials are seeking to repeal a decades-old law that prohibits children from playing ballgames such as baseball, basketball, and soccer on streets and sidewalks. The ordinance, enacted in 1936 amid concerns about child pedestrian safety in an era before widespread television and video games, makes it a misdemeanor to play ball in public rights of way, carrying penalties of up to $1,000 in fines and six months in jail.

City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, who represents the southwest San Fernando Valley, introduced a motion last August to begin the process of removing the law from the city code. Blumenfield described the prohibition as “uncommonly silly” and highlighted how it criminalizes seemingly benign activities like a parent playing catch with their child on a sidewalk or neighborhood kids kicking a soccer ball on a quiet street.

The motion received unanimous support from the City Council in January, with the sole absence of Blumenfield himself, as well as endorsement from the Los Feliz Neighborhood Council. The city attorney’s office is currently tasked with drafting new legal language to repeal the statute.

The 1936 ordinance was originally intended to protect children from injury due to increasing traffic, with officials at the time urging parents to keep children from playing in or near streets. It also bans throwing missiles such as stones or pellets on streets and sidewalks and restricts ballgames to designated courts or fields in public parks.

Kristine Cajulis, a communications deputy for Blumenfield, noted that although enforcement under this law has been rare, there have been instances, such as in 2006 when a former City Council field deputy reported neighbors in Sherman Oaks for setting up basketball hoops near curbs. The homeowner, Nate Brogin, fought the city over the fine but eventually removed the hoops. Brogin called the law “backwards” and expressed relief at the current efforts to overturn it. He continues to support children playing in the street in his neighborhood, where traffic is light and drivers generally yield to children playing.

Advocates for street safety and public engagement responded positively to Blumenfield’s motion, emphasizing that true safety depends on drivers’ attentiveness rather than strict bans on play. Michael Schneider, founder of the group Streets For All, noted that changing street culture involves more than repeal of a law; it requires drivers respecting the presence of pedestrians and children.

Neighbors and community members echoed these sentiments. Olsen Ebright of the Los Feliz Neighborhood Council said that the benefits of safe, supervised outdoor play outweigh risks such as property damage from errant balls. Blumenfield’s proposal reflects growing recognition of the need to encourage children’s physical activity and socialization in public spaces, especially as modern technologies have contributed to a substantial decline in outdoor playtime compared to previous generations.