We’re excited to get your child out on the field! Below you will find generally frequently asked questions about Baseball and divisions specific questions.
Baseball Divison Overviews:
Tee Ball is a LOT OF FUN!! It’s designed to be instructional and non-competitive for players of all abilities.
Little League Int’l prevents us from allowing players younger than birth dates 8/31/2019 :(.
When are games and practices? Tee ball meets once per week for two hours on Saturdays (and possibly 1 team will play Sundays if demand allows). Coaches will provide some skill instruction and practice for 20 minutes before the game. The season starts the 3rd week of March and ends in early June. Fall Ball runs early September to mid-October.
Where are games and practices? Tee ball will be played outdoors at South Ardmore Park (and maybe other nearby fields). A detailed schedule will be available on your team’s site at LMLL.org, and will be emailed by your player’s coach before the season starts.
What do you do in practices? Coaches introduce players to baseball fundamentals, including proper throwing mechanics, hitting fundamentals, basic fielding skills, the names and locations of field positions, and base running. We emphasize having fun together as a team, learning positive sportsmanship, and developing players’ confidence in their athletic abilities.
How do tee ball games work?
What do we need to bring each Saturday? Players need: (1) a baseball glove, (2) water bottle, (3) team jersey issued by the league, and (4) team baseball cap. The team jersey and baseball hat are distributed at the first team meeting. Players should wear clothes for running (shorts in hot weather are fine). Players should wear sneakers or cleats (optional); no Crocs or sandals. Bats and helmets are supplied, but also players are encouraged (but not required at all) to bring their own.
Baseball Rookies is a LOT OF FUN!! It’s designed to be instructional and non-competitive for players of all abilities.
Want to play Softball Rookies or SB Minors instead, dedicated just to the girls? Or play UP to Baseball Minors or DOWN to Baseball Tee Ball? You should be able to simply select that division and register your child.
When are games and practices? Baseball Rookies meet once per week for two hours on Saturdays (and possibly 1 team will play Sundays if demand allows). Coaches will provide some skill instruction and practice for 20 minutes before the game. The season starts the third week or March and ends in early June. Fall Ball runs early September to mid-October.
Where are games and practices? Baseball Rookies will be played outdoors at South Ardmore Park (and maybe other nearby fields). A detailed schedule will be available on your team’s site at LMLL.org, and will be emailed by your player’s coach before the season starts.
How do Baseball Rookies games work?
The Baseball Minors Division is an instructional, non-competitive baseball season for players of all abilities. Any player can play up to the A Division or down to Rookies, there is a 6 month band so just register directly on the website.
When are games and practices? Teams have one game per week on Saturdays and a few weeknight games during the season (max 1 weeknight game per week). Times may vary from week to week. There are practices (at most one team practice per week) usually a weekday evening from 5:45-7:30pm. The season starts in late March and runs until early June. Fall Ball runs early September to mid-October.
Where are games and practices? Minors Division games and practices are held at several fields in Lower Merion Township. A detailed schedule will be available on your team’s site at LMLL.org, and will be emailed by your player’s coach before the season starts.
What do you do in practices? Coaches develop and reinforce the major baseball fundamentals, and begin teaching team plays. Fundamental include: proper throwing mechanics, batting stance and hitting fundamentals, fielding skills, above-the-waist catching, and base running. We emphasize having fun together as a team, learning positive sportsmanship, and developing players’ confidence in their athletic abilities.
How do games work?
What do we need to bring? Players need: (1) a baseball glove, (2) water bottle, (3) team shirt, and (4) team baseball cap. The team shirt and cap are distributed at the first team meeting. Players should have baseball pants (sweatpants are acceptable in a pinch). Do not wear shorts – players in this division are taught to slide into the base on close plays. We recommend players wear baseball cleats, but sneakers are acceptable; no Crocs or sandals. Players are welcome to bring their own baseball bats, but that is by no means necessary.
The A Baseball Division is a transition league to competitive organized baseball for players aged 7-8. Games are played on 60’ Little League diamonds, with a mixture of kid-pitch and coach-pitch. Players of all abilities are absolutely welcome.
Softball Rookies and Softball Minors are available for girls as well as an option. Any player can play down in the Baseball Minors division, or up to the Baseball AA division. Simply directly register for the division you prefer, there are 6 month bands around the birth dates in each registration engine.
When are games and practices? Teams have one game per week, usually on Saturday and we may have 1 team play on Sundays (no games/practices Friday night or Saturday) depending on interest. There are weeknight games scheduled as well, but usually a maximum of 1 per week. A detailed schedule will be available on your team’s site at LMLL.org, and will be emailed by your player’s coach before the season starts.
Where are games and practices? Single-A Division games and practices are held at several fields in Lower Merion Township.
What do you do in practices? Coaches develop and reinforce the major baseball fundamentals, and teach team plays. Fundamental include: refining throwing mechanics, accuracy, and developing longer (‘crow-hop’) throws; reinforcing correct batting technique and improving hitting skills; developing individual fielding skills and team plays; teaching ‘look-ahead’ base running and decision-making about advancing. Proper pitching mechanics are introduced and developed in players who wish to pitch. We emphasize having fun together as a team, learning positive sportsmanship, and developing players’ confidence in their athletic abilities.
How does “kid and coach pitching” work in games? We begin with coach pitch and phase in kid pitching to begin to prepare players for the future. There are no walks and kids typically get 6-7 pitches.
What do we need to bring? Players need: (1) a baseball glove, (2) water bottle, (3) team baseball cap, (4) a Youth Size Protection Cup, and for games (5) his/her team uniform (shirt, baseball pants, socks). Uniforms and caps are distributed at the first team meeting. We recommend players wear baseball cleats, but sneakers are acceptable. Players cannot wear shorts, as they are taught to slide into the base on close plays. We encourage players to bring their own favorite baseball bat, batting gloves, and batting helmet (but these are not required).
The AA, AAA, and AAAA Divisions are competitive organized baseball leagues for players age 9-11. Kids pitch all games, subject to age-based pitch count regulations for player development. There are pre-season player evaluations, and teams are assigned using a draft system within each division.
Any player can play UP or DOWN one division. However, you need Commissioner approval to move divisions out of your age range.
How are players assigned to teams? Upper division players (ages 9 and up) are assigned to teams based on a coaches’ draft system in mid-March. The draft system is design to yield teams of similar overall ability within each age division. For this reason, we generally do not accept teammate requests for the draft-based age divisions (AA, AAA, and AAAA). For Fall Ball, we do not do a draft and try to keep Spring teams together.
When are pre-season player evaluations? Evaluations for AA through Intermediate divisions are held the first or second weekend each March. Exact dates, times, and locations are set and posted to the LMLL web site home page in February. In the evaluations, each player executes a set of standard baseball drills designed to reveal the player’s general ability in the three main areas of hitting, pitching, and fielding. Additional details may be posted on the league web site before evaluations are held. We do not do evaluations for Fall Ball.
When does the season start and end? First practices are typically scheduled for the second half of March. Preliminary schedules are posted for games and practices on the lmll site. There is a 7-week regular season, and then two weeks of playoff games. The season ends the last week of the (LMSD) school year in mid-June.
When are games and practices? Teams generally have 2 games per week. In addition, each team will usually have one practice each week. Weekday games and practices are held in the evening from (approximately) 5:45-7:30pm; weekend game times vary from week to week.
Where are games and practices? Games and practices are held at regulation (60’ diamond) ball fields throughout Lower Merion Township; locations vary with each game, and will be finalized with team schedules in March. A detailed schedule will also be emailed by your player’s team coach before the season starts in April, or September for Fall Ball.
What do we need to bring? Players need: (1) a baseball glove, (2) water bottle, (3) team baseball cap, and for games (4) his/her team uniform (shirt, baseball pants, socks). Uniforms and caps are distributed at the first team meeting. We recommend players wear baseball cleats. Players cannot wear shorts, as they are taught to slide into the base on close plays. We encourage players to bring their own favorite baseball bat, batting gloves, and batting helmet (but these are not required).
What are the main differences between the AAAA division and the Intermediate division?
Why move to the bigger field? The first reason is safety. When players reach 7th grade “school ball”, or play in Little League Juniors (the division following Majors), the players must currently make a transition from playing on 46/60 fields to playing on a full, pro-sized 60/90 field. The throw from 1st to 3rd, or home to 2nd across the 46/60 diamond is 84 feet. The same throws across the 60/90 diamond increase to 127 feet. Due to a noticeable rise in youth baseball related arm injuries, LMLL believes that providing a transition level between AAAA baseball and Juniors baseball is appropriate, and in our players best interests. The larger 50/70 field size also provides more reaction time for the fielders.
In addition to the safety concerns, the move to 50/70 provides for a more realistic baseball experience in which leading, stealing, and pick offs become an exciting and fun part of the game.
Who is eligible to participate in the Intermediate (50/70) Baseball Division? Per the guidelines set forth by Little League International (LLI), the Intermediate Division (50/70) is for ages 12-13, however local leagues may establish the age structure; e.g. 11/12, 12/13 or 12 year olds.
Are there any bat regulations for the Intermediate division? Junior Baseball bat Rule 1.10 will apply to the Intermediate (50/70) Baseball Division.
The maximum diameter of bats in the Intermediate Division cannot exceed 2 5/8 inches, or can they be more than 34 inches in length. Bats certified by USA Baseball, BB-Cor -3, and wood bats are all allowed, all others not allowed.
Composite-barreled baseball bats regardless of barrel size, must meet BBCOR (Batted Ball Co-Efficient of Restitution) standards, and must be labeled accordingly. Please note, all composite-barreled baseball bats that meet the BBCOR standard have a “drop weight” of no more than “minus-3” ounces.
Bats that do not have composite materials in the barrel (metal/alloy, or wood) and meet all other applicable standards (composite handle, barrel size 2 ¼” – 2 5/8”) can have a drop weight greater than 3 ounces.
What are the pitching rules for the Intermediate division? Little League International pitch/mandatory rest rules remain in effect. Pitchers league age 14 and under must adhere to the following rest requirements:
How does this impact “Districts”? Each year, the top 12-14 players from the Majors division are selected through a formal nomination and voting process to represent the league in tournament play against other leagues in our district. The winner of the district has the ability to advance to Sectionals, then Regionals, and ultimately play for a chance at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. Since the field dimensions and rules of play are not the same as the Majors division, the Intermediate division tournament is managed separately. An Intermediate division team will be created per LLI provisions to represent LMLL, and will play into their own tournament with a chance to progress to the World Series in Livermore, California.
What is the length of a regulation game in the Intermediate division?Games are 7 innings long. The game is regulation after 5 innings or 4 ½ if the home team is ahead.
