FAQ

General Little League Information

About the Little League Season

How are teams formed?

Information for Managers, Coaches, and Umpires

Financial



General Little League Information

What levels of play are provided in Little League?

Central Altadena Little League includes T-Ball, Bantam, Minors, Majors, Juniors,Seniors, and Big League Divisions for ages 5 to 14 18 , and is divided into the following levels of play:

  • T-Ball: This is instructional baseball and game scores are not recorded. For specific information regarding the T-Ball Program, contact the Player Agent. Players in this division are typically league age 5 and 6, although CALL allows players of this skill level up to age 7. At this level the ball is hit from a tee.
  • Bantam/Farm League: Players in this division are typically league age 7 and 8. At this level, the ball is pitched by a coach.
  • Minors Program: This is the first division that teams play competitively with players pitching, umpires, game scoring, team standings and playoffs. Typically, player ages range from 8 to 11 years old.
  • Majors Program: Players in this division are league age 11 and 12 although 10 year olds with exceptional skills may also play in the Majors division. All players are selected for teams based on player evaluations by team managers in a player draft and the Player Agent. Majors is the highest level of play for Little League.
  • Juniors: Players at the Juniors division must be league age 13 and 14. Players are selected by team managers based on a tryout. The Juniors play on an 80' diamond . For specific information regarding this program, please contact the Player Agent.

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How old does my child have to be in order to be eligible to play Little League?

Are there any volunteer opportunities?

There are plenty of volunteer opportunities you can do for both your team and for the league. At the team level, you can volunteer to coach, assistant coach, team parent, team photographer or scorekeeper for your team. At the league level there are also many committees that you can participate in including opening day ceremonies, field maintenance, fundraising, league publicity, picture day, team/league sponsorship, newsletter, fall ball, team parent, tournament, or assisting with the league's communications efforts. By participating in these positions, you are helping the Little League Organization to provide the best possible playing opportunities for your child! So please sign up for a League committee or a volunteer position at registration. The CALL Volunteer Participation Form can be found under the registration tab, or you can pick one up at registration. A copy of a valid driver's license will also be required with your form.

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Who should I contact to get more information about CALL or to get an answer to a specific question?

The roster of board members can be found here. Each board member can answer the questions pertinent to their area of responsibility. Alternatively, you can direct a question to CALL at (626) 236-4969 or via email at [email protected] and your question will be routed to the correct person to get an accurate answer.

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Who do I contact if I have a problem that needs to be resolved with the league?

This depends on the nature of the problem or issue, as follows:

For issues regarding your child's selection to a particular team, please contact the Player Agent. If this does not solve the issue, please contact the league president. For issues regarding your child's team, please consult with your manager first. Your next option is to consult with Coaches Coordinator. If there are questions regarding league rules and more specifically, Central Altadena rules, please read through the house rules. We will post all of the information on this website so as to avoid any misunderstanding or confusion.

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What is the league's refund policy?

We do not give refunds for T-Ball and Bantam after the uniform has been purchased. No refunds will be issued after opening ceremonies for all other divisions.

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The Little League Season

What equipment does my child need to play Little League?

At minimum, your child will need a baseball glove and boys also will need to wear an athletic supporter with a hard cup. The league will supply a team shirt and hat. Most children will also require uniform pants, belt, and (non-metal) cleats, which the league does not provide. The league provides each team with several bats, several batting helmets, and catcher's gear. Players can bring their own bats, helmets and catcher's equipment if they choose, but are not required to furnish these items themselves. We are working on establishing an "equipment recycling" program that will allow families to utilize cleats and gloves that have been outgrown and donated by other families (this will be on a first-come, first-served basis). 

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When does the season begin? How long does it last?

Little League season begins around the first of March, and lasts until about the middle of June. Teams begin to practice around the beginning of February. Some teams may qualify for postseason play that would extend until the end of June, and some players may qualify for all-star or tournament teams that would play during July. T-ball will start somewhat later than the other divisions. When are practices? Practices begin in early February and are scheduled 2-3 days per week until the start of game play in March. Teams generally practice either Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, or Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Formal practices are not generally scheduled on Friday or Sunday. The number of weekly practices is reduced in early March to accommodate game play. T-ball teams will practice less frequently.

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When are games played?

Games begin in early March and are generally scheduled 2 times per week for Minors and Majors; however, there may be weeks where 1 or 3 games are scheduled. Games may be scheduled on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, but generally not on consecutive days. In general, no games are scheduled on Friday or Sunday, although there may be occasional exceptions to this rule. Game play continues until the season ends in mid-June.

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Where are games played?

Games and practices are conducted on local fields here in Central Altadena. CALL works with the Los Angeles County Parks to secure field usage rights, and the exact fields we are assigned may vary from year to year.

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What are the differences between Little League rules and house rules?

Little League rules are those rules to which we are strictly bound to unless the CALL Board approves "House Rules". Little League rules are strictly adhered to at the Majors level of play. Each year Little League publishes updated rules that are well founded in history and are focused on every kid getting a chance to play Little League. "House Rules" are those rules adopted by the Central Altadena Little League Board to enhance the game for the players. The house rules generally apply to the lower levels. An example of house rules is a continuous batting order where all the kids attending the game bat in succession until all have batted. After all have batted the batting order reverts to the top of the batting order. House rules are posted on the CALL website and are voted on each year.

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Are there time limits on games?

Yes, there are time limits on all T-ball and on Minors games when it is necessary to clear the field for another game. Time limits are detailed in the house rules for each division. Any game can also be called due to darkness or rain (by the home plate umpire) in the interest of safety for the players.

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Are there must-play rules? Does everyone get to play regardless of ability?

Yes and yes. The must-play rules become less stringent at higher levels, but all players must play in every game, regardless of ability. In general, CALL house rules require more play for each child than the standard Little League rules do.

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What is inter-league play?

Little League rules allow CALL to schedule games with adjoining leagues if this is mutually agreeable. In general CALL will pursue inter-league play opportunities when possible in the upper divisions. At lower levels, where the number of teams is greater, we will probably not actively pursue inter-league play. The extent of inter-league play may vary from year to year.

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How are teams formed?

Can my child be placed on a team with one of their friends?

Can my child be placed on a team with one of their friends?

The league will do its best to accommodate requests at the T-ball level. As the skill level increases the draft selection process does not allow this to happen. Please note the friend's name during sign up and the league will do the best it can to accommodate the request (only applies to T-ball).

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Does the Majors Division redraft each year?

Yes all divisions redraft each year.

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When are teams selected? What is the process for team selection?

Upon completion of the registration process the league will determine the number of teams to be formed within each division. This typically occurs following the tryouts in January. The draft typically occurs around the end of January.

Teams are selected, based on the criteria of their official Little League age and their individual skills. The manager and coaches evaluate the player's abilities during the tryout process. This is an objective evaluation of the child's baseball skills. Three basic skills are evaluated during the tryout: throwing, fielding, and running.  Managers will then evaluate and grade each child on basic form, ability to track the ball, player's arm strength and ability to run the bases.

Each Manager then uses the evaluation information they gathered during tryouts as part of their selection criterion during the draft process. The basic objective of tryouts is to rank all the players based upon their age and abilities so that when the teams are drafted, teams can be equally balanced.

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Can I keep my child in a lower division or bring them up a division early?

CALL encourages all parents to allow their children to play at a level of baseball that compliments their age and ability levels. At the lower division levels (e.g. T-ball, Bantam), age, experience and Official Little League rules factor into the decision of where a child can play. CALL's T-ball division is typically for children of Little League age 5 and 6. However, children who are Little League age 6 and have played 1 year of T-Ball are welcome to attend try outs if they would like to be considered for the Bantam program. A tryout process is in place to determine their ability level and a draft is in place for the purposes of distributing the talent evenly to all teams at that level.

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What division does drafting begin? Why is it needed?

The basic objective of having a player draft is for all teams at a given level to be relatively equally balanced.

Drafting begins for players who are age eligible and have the ability to play above T-ball.

There will be two tryouts. Only those players attending tryouts for the applicable divisions will be eligible to participate in that division's draft. Any player, not making a Majors team roster will automatically become eligible for the Minors. All players who are Little League age 9 and above are guaranteed a position on a Minors team as well.

In the event any Major's team during the regular seasons requires a player to be added to their roster, those children who attended a tryout or have played four games in the minor division are given the first choice to move up. 

It is to be understood that any player who is drafted initially or as the result of a player call up later in the season will be expected to accept their opportunity to join a Major's team. If a player who is drafted by a Major's team and declines, they will immediately be placed on the Minor's team.

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How many teams are in each division, and how is that determined?

The number of teams in each division may vary from year to year, as this is a function of how many children register, their ages, and their skill level.

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Is there post-season play? How are teams selected?

Invitational Tournaments for 9 to 12 year old players start the last week of June and run through the first week of August. The process of selecting the all-stars at each level varies by age level. 10, 11, 12 year olds have 5 players selected by player vote, 5 players selected by manager vote and the last 2 to 3 are picked by the all- star manager. At the 9 year old level all of the managers from the minors division collectively select 10 players, and the all -star manager picks the last 2 or 3.

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Managers, Coaches, and Umpires

What is the process for selecting managers?

The first step is for parents to volunteer. It has been our experience that not enough parents sign up to manage or coach teams and the league must contact additional parents asking them to manage. Please volunteer for this position if you can afford the time. There are numerous opportunities to attend training clinics, to learn from other managers, and to take advantage of the Little League Education Program.

The Coaches Coordinator will form a committee of three people to screen those willing to manage. The committee then makes a recommendation to the president of the league. The final step in the manager selection process is for the board of directors to approve or disapprove that manager. No person can manage without the president appointing and the board approving that manager.

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How many coaches can a team have?

Little League rules allow for a maximum of 3 managing/coaching personnel in the dugout during games. Therefore, teams may have 1 Manager plus 2 Coaches of Record, all of whom must be approved by the CALL Board of Directors. Teams may request to have an additional Coach of Record to serve as "alternate" in the event that one of the primary coaching personnel is unavailable for a given game.

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Who umpires the games? How can I become an umpire?

At the Minor, Majors, and Junior level the games are umpired by anyone interested that is older than 12 years old, including adults. The umpires are trained prior to league play and depending on years of experience and skill are assigned to the various levels. The umpires are paid a fee for this work. Fans should not be communicating (good or bad) about umpire calls. It is the responsibility of the managers on each team to communicate with the umpires if there is an issue. At the Bantam level, parents or coaches umpire the games. At the T Ball level, umpires are not needed since the coaches are on the field and fill in as umpires. Volunteers are a key in making this a successful program. If you are 12 or older and interested in being an umpire please call the President.

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Who keeps score, and how is it done?

Each team at the Major, and Junior levels is to have a scorekeeper who is familiar with keeping score. If possible (not mandated), the home and visitor scorekeepers should sit together. The home team scorebook is the official scorebook. If there are any questions by the umpire or others on the status of the game, the home scorebook is used. Score is not tracked in T-ball and a scorekeeper is not required from teams at these levels.

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Financial

Is financial assistance available?

Financial assistance is available based on need. Typically Little League International offers grants to families that have a need. If you are in need of a payment plan or interested in a grant, please see the player agent.

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