Marlins

The following information will help parents and players understand how teams are formed in Alameda Little League. Unlike school, all players will repeat a division (or two) at some point during their Little League career. Movement up through divisions is not and should not be viewed as a competition. Often times parents are disappointed when their player repeats a division. However, they later see that repeating a division was perhaps the best situation for their child as their child becomes a team leader, develops confidence, and increases their playing skills. If a child is moved-up too quickly, he/she may struggle, lose confidence, and no longer enjoy playing baseball and quit.

Alameda Little League's Minor/Majors divisions are: A, AA, AAA, and Majors. The age range for these divisions is 7 to 12 and player placement on a team and in a division is based on a player's performance during evaluations, as well as a coach's familiarity with a player based on the player's previous experience in Little League. T-Ball Division ages are typically 4 to 6 and Farm Division ages are typically 5 to 8. Age ranges for all divisions overlap to account for player experience, ability, maturity, and the number of teams formed based on coach availability.

In addition to Minor/Majors Alalmeda Little League has established its Intermediate Division for 13 year old players. We also have the Challenger Division for players with disabilities. 

In our league, we have a T-Ball/Farm Player Agent and a Minor/Majors Player Agent. If you have questions about player placement, the league encourages you to contact the Player Agents. It is his/her job, along with the league's President, to facilitate the right placement for every player. That said, remember that Alameda Little League is a volunteer-run organization and our league has nearly 1,000 players. It takes an enormous amount of work and patience to sort the players into their respective divisions and teams so placement can take some time.

Alameda Little League Player Age
Your player's Little League age is their exact age as of August 31 of the coming year which is the end of the Little League World Series. For example, if they turn 11 on September 1, they are still considered to be Little League age 10 as they will be 10 throughout the season.

T-Ball/Farm Baseball Divisions
These are non-competitive divisions for players to learn the very basic skills and rules of baseball. Above all, it is about learning something new and having fun.

T-Ball is the starting point for all new and young players. Players hit the ball from a stationary tee. Outs and runs are not recorded. Farm is for players who have played at least one year of T-Ball and are at least 5 years of age. In Farm Ball, coaches will soft pitch to batters and outs are recorded, but score is not kept.

Major/Minor Baseball Divisions
The formation of these divisions is driven by the number of players in any age group and starts with the Majors division. All 12 year olds (12s) must be evaluated and play in the Majors Division. Each Major team has a roster of 12 players and can have no more than eight 12s. So, the number of 12s in the program drives the number of Majors teams. For example, if there are 64 -12s, then there are 8 teams, 80 - 12s, then there are 10 teams, etc. The remaining roster spots are filled by 11-year-old players. All 11s not drafted into Majors must play in AAA Division. All 10s not drafted into the AAA Division must play in the AA Division. All 9s not drafted into the AA Division must play in the A Division. There are exceptions, such as when a 12 year old who has never played baseball before can seek an exemption to play in the AAA Division.

Age and Division Guidelines

12 (Majors or exemption to AAA)
If your player has played in the lower divisions (and particularly AAA), he/she should play Majors. However, if the player fails to register on time and/or misses the evaluations, they may end up playing in the AAA Division or be placed on a waiting list. It is extremely important for 12 year olds to be registered prior to the deadline and, by rule, evaluated. If your 12 has never played baseball, has any limitations, or you feel there is a safety issue, then contact the Player Agent and seek an exemption for them to play in the AAA Division. 12s in AAA are not allowed to pitch.

11 (Majors or AAA)
If your player played AAA as a 10 year old, then as an 11 year old, he/she could be drafted into the Majors Division. As noted above, there will be limited spots for 11s in Majors.

10 (AAA or AA)
10s are not eligible for Majors. If your player played AA as a 9 year old, then as a 10 year old, they could be drafted into AAA. If your player played in the A Division as a 9 year old, there is a remote chance that they may be drafted to AAA as a 10. Our experience is that players who skip a division often have significant struggles adjusting to increased demands. Skipping divisions is not advisable. Again, it is very common to repeat a division. If you have a concern about either possibility, speak to the Player Agent before the draft.

9 (AAA, AA or A)
If your player played AA as an 8 year old, then as a 9 year old, there is a possibility they could be drafted into AAA. If your player played in the A Division as an 8, then as a 9, they could be drafted into AA.

8 (AA, A or Farm)
If your player played in the A Division as a 7 year old, then as an 8, they could be drafted into AA. If not, they repeat A. If your player played Farm as a 7 year old, then as an 8, they could be drafted into A. If not, they repeat Farm. If you have an 8 who has never played baseball before, they may be more comfortable learning the game in the Farm Division, however, they should still be evaluated and considered for the A draft (or possibly AA draft).

7 (A or Farm)
If your player was in Farm as a 6, then as a 7, they could possibly be drafted into A. In order for this to occur, your 7 year old must be evaluated. If the player is not evaluated, they will repeat the Farm Division. If you plan on playing Farm only, then there is no need to have your player evaluated for the A draft.

6 (Farm/T-Ball)
6 year olds should generally play in Farm. They are not eligible to be drafted into the A division. If they never played baseball, you could consider the T-Ball division, however they are not precluded from starting in Farm at age 6.

5 (Farm/T-Ball)
A 5 year old who played T-Ball at 4 years of age can either play T-Ball or Farm. If they did not previously play T-Ball, then a 5 must play T-Ball.

4 (T-Ball)
T-Ball only. No exceptions.

4 - 18 (Challenger Division)
A player with mental or physical challenges may participate in the league's Challenger Division. All ages may play.