Tee-ball (also teeball, tee ball or t-ball) is a team sport based on and simplifying baseball and softball. It is intended as an introduction for children aged 4 to 8 to develop ball-game skills and have fun. The principal difference between tee-ball and its adult counterparts is that the child usually hits the ball off of a stationary tee; the ball is generally not pitched. Thus, tee-ball allows a young child to learn the skills of batting, catching, running the bases, and throwing, while making it both easier to hit the ball and less likely for batters to be injured since they do not need to dodge wayward pitches (the ball is also softer). Despite the implication of some of the spellings of the game's name, the tee used in tee-ball is not T-shaped, but simply an upright, flexible shaft on a movable base. The capitalized, spaced-apart name "Tee Ball" is a registered trademark in the US, by a church-affiliated Florida league, as is the abbreviated "T-Ball" (stylized "T•BALL" in logos), by a national, non-profit, secular league.