Division Information - Spring Seasons
Scripps Ranch Little League (SRLL) is for children from league age 4-14 and has 7 separate divisions including a Challenger Division for children league age 4-18 with physical and mental disabilities.
Divisions Available & League Age
Per Little League guidelines, the “age” is that age of your child on 8/31 of the year of play. E.g. The league age for the Spring 2024 season will be based on the age of your child on 8/31/24. During registration, only the applicable programs will be available based on your child’s age. Calculate your child’s age and learn more here: https://www.littleleague.org/play-little-league/determine-league-age/
Field Sizes
Children league age 4-12 in T-Ball, Rookies, MAPS, Lower & Upper Minors and Majors will play on a baseball field with 46 foot pitching distance and 60 foot base paths.
Children league age 12-13 in the Intermediate Division will play on a baseball field with 50 foot pitching distances and 70 foot base paths.
Children league age 13-14 in the Juniors Division will play on a field with 60 foot pitching distances and 90 foot base paths.
Mandatory Assessments
Mandatory assessments will be scheduled prior to the beginning of the season for all players league age 7 and older (MAPS and Above). T-ball and Rookie divisions do NOT participate in Assessments. 6yr. old’s who want to play MAPS may request to be evaluated. Failure to attend assessments will result in your player not being draft eligible for the season. Managers for each division will draft players based on age and ability.
Assessments take place on a Saturday early in the year, typically 2-3rd week of January. Specific details will be posted and sent out to the league once they are finalized.
Equipment Needed
Your player should be dressed in baseball attire and ready to play. Your player will need a glove, hat, cleats, a helmet, protective cup, and a bat [USA approved bats (MAPS through Intermediate) or BBCOR (Intermediate only)].
How It Works
Players are assessed in groups of roughly a dozen at a time. Each group's assessment lasts for about 15 to 20 minutes. Players will be asked to field two fly balls and make throws from the outfield, field two ground balls at shortstop and throw to first, hit five pitches off a pitching machine, run the bases... and have fun!
Either way, we will keep you updated as the details become more finalized. If you have any questions about assessments, please send an email to [email protected]
Assessing "Up" a Division (Overlapping Divisions)
There are many divisions that overlap age groups. For example, Age 10 can play Upper Minors or Majors. Age 7 can play Rookies or MAPS. A child’s skill, not age, is the ultimate factor in deciding which division the child is selected to and you have the choice in which division you register for. With that said, your child should register for the higher/older division that he/she wants to asses for. For example, if your 10 year-old child wishes to assess for Majors (vs Upper Minors) then you would register him/her for Majors. If you do not make it, you'll simply be placed in the next lower division.
If on the other hand, you assess for a higher division and then decide as a result of partaking in the assessments to move down, you must notify us prior to the start of the Drafts / Team Assignments. Once we assign teams, it is not possible to be shifting players around, especially to a different division.
T-Ball - Ages 4-6
4-year-olds and 5-year-olds are eligible to play in the T-Ball division only. Beginner 6-year-olds should also register for T-Ball. In the T-Ball division, a (somewhat softer) Reduced Injury Factor ("RIF") ball is used. Pitching is not permitted in T-Ball. Instead, the ball is batted from a tee. T-Ball players do not participate in assessments because players are not drafted when T-Ball teams are formed.
Experienced 6-year olds may be skilled enough to play in the Rookies division. Very highly skilled 6-year-olds are eligible to be drafted to the MAPS division. If you want your 6-year-old to be considered for Rookies and/or MAPS, please check the appropriate box on your registration form. Please not that eligibility for MAPS requires that the player attend assessments and assess well enough to be drafted by a manager in the MAPS division.
SRLL will attempt to accommodate a single request to have a child paired with a friend on their T-Ball team. SRLL also attempts to place players with others from their neighborhood/school area.
Rookies - Ages 6-7
The Rookies division is for 7-year-old ballplayers and experienced 6-year-olds. In the Rookies division, the coaches use a pitching machine to provide consistent pitches, enabling players to develop proper hitting mechanics. If a player is unable to put the ball in play after 5 good pitches from the machine, the player will hit from a batting tee. Rookies uses a RIF ball which is slightly harder than that used in T-Ball. Rookies players do not attend assessments, and there is no draft.
As with T-Ball, each child may make a single request to be paired with a friend, and the League will endeavor to place players with other players in the same neighborhood/school area.
Please note that advanced 7-year-olds and highly-skilled 6-year-olds may elect to be eligible to be "drafted" to play in the MAPS division. In the MAPS division, coaches utilize a pitching machine, but pitches are delivered at a higher speed than in the Rookies division. Eligibility for the draft requires that the player attend assessments. If your player wants to to try out for MAPS, please register for MAPS as noted above in "Assessing Up"
As a reminder, Friend requests are only accepted for T-Ball and Rookies divisions and the managers will do their best to honor requests.
MAPS - Ages 6-8
MAPS is short for "machine pitch." The MAPS division is for 8-year-old ballplayers, advanced 7-year-olds, and highly-skilled 6-year-olds. Players in the MAPS division are required to attend assessments and are selected by team managers in a draft. All timely-registered 8-year-olds are guaranteed a spot in MAPS (unless they elect eligibility to, and are drafted to, a higher division). All divisions from MAPS to Majors have a postseason double-elimination Championship Tournament, culminating in a Championship Game played on Closing Day.
Due to the draft procedure, friend requests are not honored at the MAPS level and above.
Lower / Upper Minors and Majors - Ages 8-12
Placement in these divisions is based on a “draft.” Typically, 9 and 10 year olds play Lower Minors, 11-year olds play Upper Minors, and 12-year olds play Majors. However, a child’s skill, not age, is the ultimate factor in deciding which division the child is selected to. 12-year olds are required to play Majors unless a special request is made and approved by Little League. As players progress through the divisions, the rules progress to allow such things as base stealing, stealing home, etc.
Beginning with Lower Minors, the players pitch to the opposite team. SRLL offers clinics for these emerging pitchers, to help them to learn to pitch, as well as to improve the quality of pitching, which will result in better and more accurate pitches for the batters, and a more fun game for all.
Starting in Upper Minors, in addition to the postseason Scripps Ranch Championship Tournament, teams will be eligible to go to District 32 postseason play in the “Tournament of Champions.” In addition, the most skilled 9 and 10-year olds will be selected to represent SRLL in the Little League 9 and 10 year olds All Star Tournament.
As noted in the above "Assessing Up" section, you should register for the division you wish to play up in. If you do not make it, you'll simply be placed in the lower division.
Intermediate (50/70) - Ages 12-13
The Intermediate Division bridges the transition from Little League field (46/60) to Junior League Baseball on a full-size field (60/90). Placement in Intermediate is based upon the “draft”; and each Intermediate team is made up of 12 and 13 year olds with rules that are closer to conventional baseball, such as leading off bases, pickoff attempts, etc.
For the Intermediate Division, there is a pitching distance of 50 feet and the distance between bases is 70 feet. SRLL Intermediate Division competes for the post-season Scripps Ranch Championship and District 32’s Tournament of Champions. In addition, this division will also yield an All-Star team to represent SRLL in the area wide Little League All Star Tournaments.
Juniors Division (60/90) - Ages 13-14
This division is for players league age 13 to 14 who want to continue their little league experience. The division plays on a larger field with 90’ base paths (the same size as 8th and 9th graders play on at school) and utilize leading off, big barrel bats, metal cleats and full baseball rules, in a fun and safe environment.
Challenger Division (All Ages)
The Challenger Division was established in 1989 as a division of Little League Baseball to enable boys and girls with physical and developmental disabilities, ages 5-18, to enjoy the game of baseball along with the millions of other children who participate in this sport worldwide. Players in the Challenger Division will be eligible to participate in all league activities, including picture day and opening and closing day ceremonies.
Each player gets a chance at bat. The side is retired when the offense has batted through the roster. No score will be kept during games. Games will last approximately 3 innings. The Challenger players wear the same uniforms and safety equipment as other Little League players. Teams are set up according to abilities, rather than age, and can include as many as 15-20 players.
The Challenger Division encourages the use of 'buddies' for the Challenger players. The buddies assist the Challenger players on the field but whenever possible, encourage the players to bat and make plays themselves. However, the buddy is always nearby to help when needed.
More than the skills of baseball learned through the experience, the value of the Little League Challenger Division is found in the proven therapeutic and socialization benefits of participating in sports, the strengthening of participants’ self-esteem, the opportunities to mainstream into other divisions of play, and the disciplines of teamwork, sportsmanship and fair play which are hallmarks of the Little League program.
More information about the about the Challenger Program can be found on the Little League web site at https://www.littleleague.org/play-little-league/challenger/about-challenger/ If you would like more information about SRLL's Challenger program, would like to register your child for the Challenger Division, or are interested in being a buddy, please contact our President at [email protected]