The following questions are answered below:

1. How do I know SMVLL is my league?
2. What is my players League Age?
3. What is the proper division for my player?
4. How are players selected for teams?
5. How are players selected for All Stars?
6. What are the registration fees?
   
   

SMVLL Boundary Map
Each Little League creates a boundary map of the area that it services. 

View SMVLL boundary map

League Eligibility:
1.  Home Residence - If you live within the area of the boundary map, SMVLL is your league. 

2.  School Enrollment - If you do not live within the area of the boundary map, but your player’s school is located within the area of the boundary map, you are eligible for SMVLL using a "School Enrollment Form", which verifies that the school your player attends is an SMVLL-located school.

 What if we move or change schools?
If you played in the league the year prior and had eligibility through option 1 or 2 you may be eligible to stay in the league under a waiver. Please reach out to our player agent!

Send any questions to [email protected]

League Age is used to determine the division(s) in which a player is eligible to participate. This ensures that players of similar ages, skills, and experience are playing at the same levels, making the game safer and more fun while maintaining a certain level of competition.

The League Age Determination Date for a Little League Baseball player is the actual age of a child as of August 31 of the current year. 

This League Age will be applicable for both the Fall and Spring seasons.

Please refer to the chart below to help determine your players' league age.

Tee Ball – League Age 4-5

Division Description: The primary goal of Tee Ball is to instruct children in the fundamentals of baseball and to allow them to experience the value of teamwork, have fun and make friends.  

Division Gameplay: The players will hit from a tee for the entirety of the season. No live pitching is permitted.

Division Standings: Scores and standings are not kept and there are no playoffs in this division.

Division Exceptions: League Age 6 players may play down in this division per League approval.

Coach Pitch - League Age 5-6 

Division Description: The primary goals of Coach Pitch are to instruct children in the fundamentals of baseball and to allow them to experience the value of teamwork. Player and coach requests are allowed in this division.

Division Gameplay: First half of the season the coaches will toss pitches to the batters. The second half of the season will be machine pitch.

Division Standings: Scores and standings are not kept and there are no playoffs in this division.

Division Exceptions: League Age 7 players may play down in this division per League approval.

Minor A – League Age 7-8

Division Description:  The goals of Single A are to continue to teach baseball fundamentals while introducing a faster speed pitch by machine. This is the first division where teams are formed via a draft process, so player and coach requests will not be allowed.

Division Gameplay: First half of the season will be machine pitch. The second half of the season will be kid pitch. The diamond used is a 60-foot diamond and the pitching distance is 40 feet.

Division Standings: Scores and standings are kept during the second half of the season and there will be a playoff tournament.

Division Exceptions: League Age 9 players may play down in this division per League approval.  League Age 6 players may be drafted into the division, but will not be allowed to pitch.

Minor AA – League age 8-10

Division Description:  This division will continue skill-building on baseball fundamentals from successive divisions. This division continues player pitching and allows stealing of bases (excluding home plate). Teams are formed via the draft process, so player and coach requests will not be allowed.  

Division Gameplay: Entirety of season is played with kid pitch. The diamond used is a 60-foot diamond and the pitching distance is 46 feet.

Division Standings: Scores and standings are kept during the season and there will be a playoff tournament.

Division Exceptions:  

Minor AAA – League age 9-11

Division Description:  This division will continue skill-building on baseball fundamentals from successive divisions. This is a higher competitive division, where managers' offensive and defensive decisions will be based on player performance on the field. Teams are formed via the draft process, so player and coach requests will not be allowed.  

Division Gameplay: Gameplay follows standard baseball rules. The diamond used is a 60-foot diamond and the pitching distance is 46 feet.

Division Standings: Scores and standings are kept during the season and there will be a playoff tournament. The top two teams from the division will also play in the district Tournament of Champions (TOC)

Division Exceptions:  League Age 12 players may play down upon District 68 approval only.

Majors – League age 11-12

Division Description:  This division will continue skill-building on baseball fundamentals from successive divisions. This is a higher competitive division, where managers' offensive and defensive decisions will be based on player performance on the field.

This division will continue skill-building on baseball fundamentals from successive divisions. This division continues player pitching and allows stealing of all bases (home plate is open). Teams are formed via the draft process, so player and coach requests will not be allowed.  

Division Gameplay: Gameplay follows standard baseball rules. The diamond used is a 60-foot diamond and the pitching distance is 46 feet.

Division Standings: Scores and standings are kept during the season and there will be a playoff tournament. The top two teams from the division will also play in the district Tournament of Champions (TOC)

Juniors - League age 12-14

Division Description:  This division will continue skill-building on baseball fundamentals from successive divisions. This is a higher competitive division, where managers' offensive and defensive decisions will be based on player performance on the field.

This division will continue skill-building on baseball fundamentals from successive divisions. This division continues player pitching and allows stealing of all bases (home plate is open). Teams are formed via the draft process, so player and coach requests will not be allowed.  

Division Gameplay: Gameplay follows standard baseball rules. The diamond used is a 90-foot diamond and the pitching distance is 60 feet.

Division Standings: Scores and standings are kept during the season and there will be a playoff tournament. The top two teams from the division will also play in the district Tournament of Champions (TOC)

Still unsure of which division, ask yourself the Confidence or Challenge question.

Often parents will be choosing between two divisions during registration. Request to be placed in the lower division If you feel your player would benefit most from a confidence-building year. Playing as an older player in a division can help build leadership, and with a different competitive level than the upper division, it can build their confidence and joy in the game of baseball. Request to be placed in the upper division if you feel your player would benefit most from the challenge of higher competitive play.

Draft or Player Request:
Players in the Tee Ball and Coach Pitch division are allowed to request to play with their friends or a preferred coach. If no requests are made, the league will attempt to group players from their schools together so they can make new friends from their school.

All players in the Major and Minor AAA, AA and A divisions will go through the Tryouts and Draft process.

Juniors will have a tryout and draft if we have more than one team, if not, players will be placed on a team with members of our league. Depending on the division, the number of kids, and skill level, we may combine to participate on a team with other leagues in the area.

Tryouts

• Tryouts are a way for managers to evaluate a player's performance prior to the teams being formed in the draft.
• The league will email all members with their assigned time for tryouts. When arriving, check in your player with a league rep.
• The league will have a secondary field with coaches to help players warm up before tryouts. Suggested to arrive 45min - 1hr early.
• Tryout evaluations will be performed by the Division Representative and all managers for the division. Potential coaches are not allowed on the field or to evaluate players from the stands.
• Tryouts will be run by the division Player Agent with the following evaluation activities.

-  Timed run from home plate to second base.

-  Players will have 3 attempts at fielding a pop fly from right field.

     Majors, AAA, and AA will field off a machine-thrown popup. A will field off a coach-thrown popup.

     Majors and AAA will throw from right field to 3rd base. AA, A will throw from right field to 2nd base

-  Players will have 3 attempts at fielding a ground ball from shortstop with a throw to first base. 

     Players will also rotate over to play first base to demonstrate skill at that position.

- Players will be evaluated on hitting performance. Each player will get 1 pitch to watch and 5 pitches to hit.

Draft

• The draft for each division is overseen by the league President, Vice President, Player Agent, and Division Representative. Majors and AAA are also observed by District 68 to ensure that teams are fairly drafted.
• The draft order will be determined randomly at the time of the draft.
• The draft will follow a snake format. (eg. the last pick in a round gets the first pick in the next round)
• The manager's children will be drafted in a predetermined round based on the player's league age.

- League Age 12 is round 3

- League Age 11 is round 4

- League age 6-10 is round 5

• The managers will use their own methods to determine the order they want to prioritize players in the draft to build their team. This may include player performance during the draft, previous experience coaching a player or watching players play, knowledge of the positions players play to build a complete team, etc. They may also use information from registration on families' willingness to volunteer as a coach, umpire, team parent, or scorekeeper so they can ensure these very important volunteer needs are covered.

Spring Season

Notes:

• Early Bird Registration Discount: No early bird discount for Fall season.
• Late Fee: Any registration coming in after August 15 is subject to a $50 late registration fee, and the player may be placed on the wait list for Fall season.

What is included in my registration fees:

• Player's uniform (hat, jersey, pants, belt, and socks)
• Fields (for practices and games)
• Equipment (Coaches equipment for training and safety, and equipment for field maintenance)
• Little League District fees  

Fall Season

• Late Fee: Any registration coming in after September 1 is subject to a $50 late registration fee, and the player may be placed on the wait list for Fall season. 

What is included in my registration fees:

• Player's uniform (hat, shirt)
• Fields (for practices and games)
• Equipment (Coaches equipment for training and safety, and equipment for field maintenance)
• Little League District fees