ENLL Divisions - League Athletics
ENLL Divisions This document explains how ENLL players are placed into divisions. LEAGUE AGE CHART In 2015, Little League International approved an official change to the Little League Age Chart. This change will affect some players in our league, but all parents should use the Little League Age Chart (shown below for the 2017 season) to double-check your child’s league age.
ENLL DIVISIONS T-Ball The T-Ball division introduces youngsters to the game of baseball. The T-Ball division includes league-age-5 year olds as well as less experienced league-age-6 year olds. If a child plays T-Ball as a league-age-5 year old, then he can either play another year of T-Ball or move up to Rookie as a league-age-6 year old. This decision is up to the player’s parents, and should depend on the interest, baseball skills, and maturity of the player. Rookie The Rookie division is a bridge between T-Ball and the “regular rules” baseball that is played in AA. The Rookie division includes league-age-6, 7, and 8 year olds. Experienced league-age-8 year olds can choose to play in AA. The Rookie division may be sub-divided, if registration numbers allow for enough teams, into “National” and
“American” sub-divisions in order to group the younger, less-experienced players into one group of teams and older, more-experienced players into a second group of teams. Rookie games are played with a machine pitching. “American” Rookie typically uses “bat around” innings (like T-Ball) in which all batters bat once during an inning. “National” Rookie typically changes to “3 outs” innings by the midpoint of the season (or earlier) to prepare players for AA. AA The AA division is “regular rules” baseball (with some slight modifications), which includes having players doing all of the pitching. This division includes most league-age-9 year olds, plus some experienced league-age-8 year olds who want to play AA. Some league-age 10 year old players may be placed in AA. AAA The AAA division includes league-age-10 players, plus the league-age-11 players who are not drafted onto a Majors team. Additionally, experienced league-age-9 year olds can choose to try out for AAA. If a league-age-9 year old player tries out for AAA but is not drafted onto an AAA team, then that player will be drafted onto an AA team instead. Only league-age-9 year old players who register for AAA and participate in player evaluations in January will be eligible for the AAA draft. Most league-age-9 year olds play in AA, but a handful of the most experienced and skilled players typically play AAA each year. Majors The Majors division includes all league-age-12 players, plus some league-age-11 players. All league-age-11 players are considered eligible for Majors and may be drafted onto a Majors team. Many of the league-age-11 players will be drafted onto a Majors team, and the others will be drafted onto an AAA team (the percentage will vary from year to year depending upon registration numbers). Occasionally, and with approval from the ENLL President, an advanced and mature league-age-10 year old will be declared eligible for Majors. Juniors The Juniors division serves all players league-age-13 and 14. The Juniors division is a step up from Majors as it is played on a regulation baseball diamond with 90’ basepaths and 60’6” pitching distance. The Juniors division currently spans several local little leagues; in other words, the division is composed of one or more teams from each of several little leagues including ENLL.
PLAYER EVALUATIONS Player evaluations take place in early January. Evaluations are a way for managers to assess the skills of individual players prior to the drafting of teams. All players registered for Juniors, Majors, AAA and AA must attend an evaluation session. There are no player evaluations for the Rookie and T-Ball divisions. Regardless of how a player performs during evaluations, all players are drafted onto a team in accordance with the age and division guidelines described in this document. This is Little League – everyone plays!
SUMMARY BY AGE The table below shows a summary of available divisions by league age. League Age 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5
Division(s) Juniors Juniors Majors Majors or AAA (all are eligible for the Majors draft) AAA or AA (all are eligible for the AAA draft) AAA or AA (a player must register and try out to be eligible for the AAA draft) AA or Rookie Rookie Rookie or T-Ball T-Ball
Last Updated: September 2016
ENLL DIVISIONS T-Ball The T-Ball division introduces youngsters to the game of baseball. The T-Ball division includes league-age-5 year olds as well as less experienced league-age-6 year olds. If a child plays T-Ball as a league-age-5 year old, then he can either play another year of T-Ball or move up to Rookie as a league-age-6 year old. This decision is up to the player’s parents, and should depend on the interest, baseball skills, and maturity of the player. Rookie The Rookie division is a bridge between T-Ball and the “regular rules” baseball that is played in AA. The Rookie division includes league-age-6, 7, and 8 year olds. Experienced league-age-8 year olds can choose to play in AA. The Rookie division may be sub-divided, if registration numbers allow for enough teams, into “National” and
“American” sub-divisions in order to group the younger, less-experienced players into one group of teams and older, more-experienced players into a second group of teams. Rookie games are played with a machine pitching. “American” Rookie typically uses “bat around” innings (like T-Ball) in which all batters bat once during an inning. “National” Rookie typically changes to “3 outs” innings by the midpoint of the season (or earlier) to prepare players for AA. AA The AA division is “regular rules” baseball (with some slight modifications), which includes having players doing all of the pitching. This division includes most league-age-9 year olds, plus some experienced league-age-8 year olds who want to play AA. Some league-age 10 year old players may be placed in AA. AAA The AAA division includes league-age-10 players, plus the league-age-11 players who are not drafted onto a Majors team. Additionally, experienced league-age-9 year olds can choose to try out for AAA. If a league-age-9 year old player tries out for AAA but is not drafted onto an AAA team, then that player will be drafted onto an AA team instead. Only league-age-9 year old players who register for AAA and participate in player evaluations in January will be eligible for the AAA draft. Most league-age-9 year olds play in AA, but a handful of the most experienced and skilled players typically play AAA each year. Majors The Majors division includes all league-age-12 players, plus some league-age-11 players. All league-age-11 players are considered eligible for Majors and may be drafted onto a Majors team. Many of the league-age-11 players will be drafted onto a Majors team, and the others will be drafted onto an AAA team (the percentage will vary from year to year depending upon registration numbers). Occasionally, and with approval from the ENLL President, an advanced and mature league-age-10 year old will be declared eligible for Majors. Juniors The Juniors division serves all players league-age-13 and 14. The Juniors division is a step up from Majors as it is played on a regulation baseball diamond with 90’ basepaths and 60’6” pitching distance. The Juniors division currently spans several local little leagues; in other words, the division is composed of one or more teams from each of several little leagues including ENLL.
PLAYER EVALUATIONS Player evaluations take place in early January. Evaluations are a way for managers to assess the skills of individual players prior to the drafting of teams. All players registered for Juniors, Majors, AAA and AA must attend an evaluation session. There are no player evaluations for the Rookie and T-Ball divisions. Regardless of how a player performs during evaluations, all players are drafted onto a team in accordance with the age and division guidelines described in this document. This is Little League – everyone plays!
SUMMARY BY AGE The table below shows a summary of available divisions by league age. League Age 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5
Division(s) Juniors Juniors Majors Majors or AAA (all are eligible for the Majors draft) AAA or AA (all are eligible for the AAA draft) AAA or AA (a player must register and try out to be eligible for the AAA draft) AA or Rookie Rookie Rookie or T-Ball T-Ball
Last Updated: September 2016
