Frequently Asked Questions:
The answers to many of your questions can be found within our official league documents, which are posted on our League Documents page. The answers provided here are for your convenience and you are encouraged to review the relevant league documents (Bylaws, Constitution, and Safety Manual) for official league rules. Additional information regarding rules and regulations can be found on the Little League Rules & Regulations website.
What ages are eligible for Little League and how is the age determined? Middleboro Little League is for players ages 5 through 12; except our Challenger Division, which allows ages up to 22 (if still enrolled in high school). Little League age is based on the child's age as of August 31st (April 30th for players born in 2005 or earlier). You can determine your child's age by clicking here.
?What are the important dates to be aware of with the Middleboro Little League schedule? Planning for our season begins in early September when our player registration opens, and player evaluations for league ages 8 and up are held in mid-September. Immediately following the evaluations, we conduct our Major League draft to select those teams. Our registration remains open, but fees increase beginning February 1st, when late fees are imposed. We then begin forming teams as early as mid-February, but this process can be delayed by late registrations. (The following question identifies our regular season schedule.) We also have summer all-star baseball that runs through July and into August. We then have fall baseball that begins right after Labor Day and runs every Saturday as long as the weather allows (typically early November). Other key times include our election of officers, held at our October monthly meeting. Please attend our monthly meetings, which are the first Tuesday of every month at the Elks Hall, to learn more.
?When does the regular season start and end? The season typically starts on the second Saturday of April with practices starting a few weeks before that, depending on the weather. Major League teams may have practices starting earlier. The regular season runs until about the second or third weekend in June. Playoffs for Major and Minor Leagues begin immediately following the regular season. All-Stars begin play following the conclusion of the playoffs and continue into early August.
How can I view the standings? Standings are only maintained for Majors, AAA, and Junior Minors. The standings can be viewed by clicking on the Teams tab, then selecting just "MLL Majors", "MLL Minors-AAA", or "MLL Junior Minors-AA" for the division. If you want to see standings for the entire league, do not select any division or team (leave it on "Select"). You can then scroll over the Team tab again and click on standings. Statistics can be viewed in this same manner.
What are the pitch count rules and does catching affect eligibility to pitch? The pitch count rules are dictated by Little League. The specific rules can be found by clicking here, but these rules have been updated slightly. In summary, 8 year-olds can throw no more than 50 pitches, 9 and 10 year-olds can throw no more than 75 pitches, and 11 and 12 year-olds can throw no more than 85 pitches per day. The number of days rest is prescribed in the Little League rule book and depends on the number of pitches thrown. The rules update is as follows:
EXCEPTION: If a pitcher reaches a day(s) of rest threshold while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to pitch until any one of the following conditions occurs: 1. That batter reaches base; 2. That batter is retired; 3. The third out is made to complete the half-inning. The pitcher will only be required to observe the calendar day(s) of rest for the threshold he/she reached during that at-bat, provided that pitcher is removed before delivering a pitch to another batter.
MLL managers can enter the pitch counts on this website and the next available pitching date will be calculated for them. A pitcher who delivers 41 or more pitches in a game cannot play the position of catcher for the remainder of that day. Any player who has played the position of catcher in any part of four (4) or more innings in a game, is not eligible to pitch on that calendar day.
How often are games and practices?: The frequency of games and practices vary with each level. For Tee Ball and Instructional, there will be one game during the week at 6:00 pm and a game each Saturday typically starting between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm. There may be practices on Sundays during the season, depending on field availability and weather.
For Farm and Junior Minor-AA, there are also two games per week with one on a weekday evening, at 5:30 pm, and a second game on Saturday. However, the game times may vary as there are some games played on the main Field of Dreams Complex. Those games may fall on Sunday or be later in the evening.
For Minors-AAA and Majors, there are 2-3 games per week with 1-2 weekday games and one Saturday game. The times of these games vary more greatly as games are played under the lights as the weather gets warmer. Check out the individual team schedules to get more detailed information.
What equipment do players need? Player only need to bring a glove. Players league age 8 and above may wear cleats, but they are not required. The league will provide a bat for each team along with helmets. All helmets must have cages (face masks) except for the Tee Ball division. Helmets may not be modified in any way (such as painting). Uniforms are also provided and consist of a tee shirt and hat for Tee Ball, Instructional, Farm, Junior Minors AA and Challenger Divisions. Shirts, pants, and hats are provided for Majors and AAA.
Where are the fields? The fields are all shown under facilities on this website. Click here to go to that page. You can then click on the individual fields for location information.
What are the different divisions and what ages do they include? The various divisions of Middleboro Little League and the ages are described on the League Structure page. Click here to go to that page.
What if I think my child should be at a different league level? Players up to league age 7 are assigned strictly based on date of birth and there are no exceptions. Player abilities vary greatly at all ages and our coaches will work with each individual player to assure that they are placed properly on the field to minimize the chance of injury, while optimizing their exposure to the game. More advanced players will be offered the opportunity to play in more prominent positions (pitcher, catcher, shortstop, first base) to advance their skills. The progress made over the course of each season can be remarkable for many players. Players that will be league age 8 through 12 should participate in the player evaluations that are held in the fall. These players can then be placed in the appropriate league level for the following season (Farm/Jr. Minors, AAA, or Majors). Players that will be league age 10 through 12 for the following season are eligible for the Major League level. Players age 12 are guaranteed to be placed on a Major League roster in accordance with Little League rules, unless they request to remain in Minors and complete a waiver form. (Please note: players must participate in evaluations to be considered for placement on a major league team.) Players age 10-12 not placed on a Major league team will be placed in AAA. Players age 8 & 9 will be assigned to the Jr. Minors or Farm level based on ability as demonstrated at the player evaluations. 8 & 9 Year old players that do not participate in the player evlautions will be placed in the Farm Division.
What if I can't log-in to the website or it says my email address is not found? Email the league Player Agent at
with your email address, name, and you child(ren)'s name(s). All players that participated in the 2011 season or later are in our online system and should NOT create a new account.
What are the registration costs? The registration fees are listed for each division on the Registration page. Click here to go to that page.
Why is there a late fee? The late fee has been added to encourage people to register on time. Late registrations make forming teams and ensuring that we have the correct number of teams and sponsors very difficult. To allow us to organize the leagues in a timely manner, we ask that everyone complete the registration process as soon as possible and pay all fees by the established due date.
What if I can't afford the registration fees? Middleboro Little League will work to accommodate every child that wants to play, regardless of the ability to pay. If you are not able to pay the registration fee or need additional time to make the payment, please contact our league player agent or league president at
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