Summerball Information

SUMMER BASEBALL LEAGUE

2019 Season

The mandate of this program is to provide a coordinated approach to summer baseball within the Little League system.  Teams will be able to register and play a series of games that encourage the values of the program in a competitive environment with similar skilled teams. 

SEEDING TOURNAMENT WEEKEND                               

1. June 21^st- 23^rd                                                                                                                               
2. June 29^th-July 1^st
3. July 5^th- 7^th

REGULAR SEASON EVENTS                                                                                

4. July 12^th-14^th
5. July 19^th- 21^st 
6. July 26^th- 28^th

Championship Weekend

7. August 2^nd- 5^th

LITTLE LEAGUE ALBERTA WILL BE PLACING THE FINALIZED SUMMER BASEBALL INFORMATION PLUS UPDATING ALL WEEKEND & CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULES, RESULTS, PARTICIPATING TEAM CONTACTS, AND FIELDS/LOCATIONS ON THEIR WEBSITE AND TOURNAMNET APP.  INFORMATION ON HOW TO ACCESS WILL BE AVAILABLE ON OR BEFORE JUNE 15, 2019. 

Assistance, clarification, or questions on Summer Baseball and the Championship Weekend Sectional Tournaments, can be directed to:

                                    Kevin Kvame, President/CEO, Little League Alberta

                                    2425 Parkside Drive S., Lethbridge, AB     T1J 4W3

                                    Phone: (403) 320-2025 (office)  (403) 315-4064 (cell) 

                                    kkvame@littleleague.ca(email)

                                    Little League Alberta Office and Summer Program Coordinator

                                    2425 Parkside Drive S., Lethbridge, AB     T1J 4W3                                

                                    Phone: (403) 320-2025 (office) Fax: (403) 320-2053

                                    info@littleleagueab.ca(email)

AGE GROUPS AVAILABLE

Minor -             Any players Little League Age 8 to 10 yr. olds

Major -             Any players Little League Age 10 to 12 yr. olds

Teenage -          Any players Little League Age 13 to 16 yr. olds plus provision noted below.        

• Teenage teams must average below 14.50 average age (must be 14.4… something or lower) to be eligible for Summer Baseball with Little League Alberta.This means the total number of players combined Little League age for that year divided by the number of players must be lower than 14.5 to be eligible for Weekend play and Championship weekend.  The President/CEO of Little League Alberta may grant a waiver in special circumstances for a team over this average age to play in Weekend play, but not Championship weekend. 

Goal:  For teams to play at a level that encourages development and level competition as much as possible. 

League/Combined Selection Options

1. Leagues are asked to form a “AAA” team first.
2. They then have an option of forming a “AA” team next, followed by any numbers of “A” teams.
3. Alternatively, they may form 2 or 3 ”AA” teams and 2 or 3 “A” teams (Teams in each level should be chosen as even as possible).

Team registrations are due by June 1^st2019 to LLA office.  Late team registration will be accepted up until their first scheduled game of summer baseball but no later than June 28^th.  Rosters are due with their team registration or a minimum of 3 days prior to the team’s first game.  Changes to rosters are permitted, subject to approval of your District Administrator, up to and including July 19^th. 

Every team including  Minor AAA wishing to drop to a different level or to be eligible for Western Canadian Championship Weekend must play in 2 seeding tournaments unless a Provincial Office Waiver is given due to excessive travel (greater than 200 km).  Each team can make the choice of playing in all 3 seeding weekends or taking any of the 3 weekends off.

Due to the desire to have teams play and participate against different teams if possible, requests to play at certain sites will not be permitted. 

PARTICIPATION

Every registered team must compete in a minimum of 2 seeding weekends, 2 regular tournament weekends and championship weekend. Exceptions can be granted only if application and alternative event(s) are approved prior to June 15^th, 2019. Requirement of supplying all scores from alternate events will apply for any exempted event.

*After seeding tournaments, teams will be assigned a level for the regular tournament weekends (i.e. Teams may be moved down a division (after July 9^th) by request or by LLA determination.   Reminder:  The goal is to create competitive Baseball for all teams. 

“AAA” teams are encouraged as needed to form combined teams with other leagues to ensure the players in their league receive an opportunity to play at that level.  The obvious exceptions will be smaller, widespread rural leagues where numbers and distance create limitations for parents.

“AAA” teams will be moved down to the “AA” division following on-field determinations and not required to participate in the “Alberta Major Little League Divisional Championship”. *There will also be some “AAA” events scheduled at the Major level leading up to the respective Divisional or Sectional Championship.

“AAA” intermediate team will be permitted to participate in “AA” Teenage regular tournament and championship weekends after they participate in Alberta Intermediate Divisional Championship. They will be permitted to pick up players, including older players subject to the average age rule for the Teenage AA division, from their league up to and including the roster change date. Please note that our goal is to have this division on the 54/80 playing field or the 60/90 playing field depending on field resources in each community.

 POLICY

LLA Summer League & Championships

Eligible Participants      

Any league from an Alberta or Saskatchewan District who is in good standing may register team(s) through the Little League Alberta office.

(Alberta League Volunteers supplied to a Little League Alberta casino event by a league who note this on their casino sign up confirmation will result in a $100 credit for their league off of their summer ball registration fees up to a maximum of $500).

Fees & Refunds:            

Once a team has registered, there are no refunds.

Registration fee is $425.00 per team which includes access to the app we are using for summer baseball. 

A special all-inclusive handling fee of $50 per team will provide each rostered coach and player on that team with a Championship Weekend Drawstring Bag.  Tournament Hosts may use the bags to put special

Summer ball batting shirts are available for $15.00 per player/coach and can be ordered on the registration form and picked up on Championship weekend.

Additional costs billed to the Little League the team is registered through will be a portion of the umpires’ fees for each game scheduled for your team. 

Expenses:              

Registration Fees will cover all logistical, administrative, and financial support (including credit card services) to the program.  

It also guarantees your entry into a Sectional Championship Weekend tournament hosted by Little League Alberta or Little League Saskatchewan.  Little League Alberta will provide a Championship Sectional Banner to the winning team and awards to Champions and Runner Ups.

Hosting Information: There are expectations for hosts when they take on this important responsibility.  Please see the “Tournament Hosting Expectations” that outlines the requirements to host a seeding/regular weekend.  There are additional requirements to host a Championship weekend event and these are also outlined in the “Tournament Hosting Expectations”.

Program support from our provincial casino funding in Alberta is the major source of resources for baseballs and awards to each weekend event plus Championship Weekend held in Alberta. 

Schedules          

Schedules should be coordinated with the Little League Alberta President/CEO and the host Tournament Director.  Teams will be placed in events 11 days prior to each weekend, although teams need to be cognizant that due to circumstances beyond LLA control, they may change prior to the event.  Schedules will be posted on the new LLA website, tournament app, and at the fields for easy access. They should allow for a minimum of 4 games per team on each weekend, unless a Minor or Major A team requests to play only 3. 3-6 team  tournaments will be the goal.

A pre-tournament meeting, for all championships which is mandatory for all teams to attend, should be scheduled by June 15 of the year of the tournament.

Any revenue obtained by operating any tournament or championship such as     concessions, 50/50 draws, raffles, programs, etc. shall be retained by the host to cover expenses over the funding received from Little League Alberta.  Should the revenue and funding not be enough to cover costs, the host league and/or District assume that liability.

THE SCHEDULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN RELEASED SHOULD TEAMS DROP OUT OF EVENTS OR REQUEST AND PAY THE FEE FOR SCHEDULE CHANGES FOR OTHER REASONS.  

SUMMER BASEBALL - 2019 Rules of Play

1. Pitching Rules

Pitching rules will be as per the 2019 Little League rule book. (Tournament Rules - Pages 121-152)                                                            

2. Mandatory Play

Mandatory play will be as per the 2019 Little League rule book. As standings are not being kept for the round robin weekends, we encourage fair play. (Tournament Rules)

NOTE: At the Minor AAA and Major AA levels, all seeding weekend event will use the continuous bat rule.  These levels will play tournament rules for regular weekend events and Championship weekend.

At the Major A and Minor AA and Minor A levels, all seeding weekend, regular weekend events, and Championship weekend events will use the all-bat rule. 

3. Coaches Attire

Coaches should be dressed in matching team cap, shirt (preferably collared), slacks or dress shorts (all coaches must be wearing similar styles and colors) and close toed shoes. Items that should not be worn by coaches on the playing field include but are not limited to: track pants, and/or sandals.

4. Coaches

Once within the field of play, 15 minutes prior to game time and throughout the game, ONLY coaches listed on the team’s affidavit are to be with the team. NO PARENT HELPERS.

5. Five (5) minutes prior to game time is reserved for the grounds crew to make any last minute adjustments, the manager/umpire conference and for player introductions.

6. Equipment

 Equipment is all per 2019 Little League Rulebook, including bats.  For the teenage division, the age of the player determines which bat he is able to use. Therefore, if the player is a 15-16-year-old, they can only use a senior approved bat, aged 14 only a Junior approved bat, aged 13 only an Intermediate or Junior approved bat.  Coaches and umpires are asked to monitor this to ensure compliance. 

7. Time Limit

There will be a time limit to each summer league game with no new inning starting after 2 hours and 15 minutes of gameplay. The time of the game will be noted as the 1st pitch is received. New innings start immediately after the 3rd out of the bottom of a inning.

8. Run Rule and Open inning

In an effort to get more innings of play in at the various weekend games, a run limit will be played as follows

MINOR: The side of the inning is retired when three offensive players are legally put out, called out by an umpire or when the offensive team scores five (5) runs. With the exception of the sixth (6th) inning when no run limit will be enforced.

MAJOR/ TEENAGE: The side of the inning is retired when three offensive players put out, called out by an umpire or when the offensive team scores six (6) runs. With the exception of the seventh (7th) inning when no run limit will be enforced.

A ten-run and fifteen-run rule will be in effect following Tournament Rule 12 pg. 141.

9. Coin Toss

Coin toss for all games at the home plate meeting prior to game. Winning team of coin toss has choice of being the home or away team. Dugouts are on a first come first serve basis.

All other rules are as per the 2019 Little League rulebook for the appropriate division of play. For the Teenage division, if there is a difference, or otherwise mentioned rules for JUNIOR, the rules of Junior will apply.

TOURNAMENT HOSTING EXPECTATIONS POLICY

There are differing expectations for you to host a Round Robin weekend (seeding or regular events) and a Championship Weekend event.  These are as follows: 

Round Robin:

Expectations for a round robin weekend are as follows:

• Host Hotel with contacts to book rooms for events (District coordinated) named by June 1/19.
• Book and pay umpires for all games.Hosts meeting expectations will receive a credit for umpires at the following rates:  $35/game per minor umpire, $40/game per major umpire, $50/game per teenage umpire.  If you pay umpires over these rates, the hosting league is responsible for the difference.
• Posted Results Board as well as a coordinator to enter information into the Tournament App.
• Facilities that have had a Safety Report submitted on their condition.
• No Semi-final or Final games will be played.
• No awards are required (ie: plaques, medals, etc).
• No opening or closing ceremonies required.
• Conduct the Little League Pledge prior to every game.

Each site should have reasonable access to the following:

• Bathrooms (Portable toilets at a minimum) are a must
• Neutral Scorekeeper, Pitch Counter, and Announcer if possible.
• Concessions if at all possible.
• Reasonable distance to suggested accommodations if necessary

Little League Alberta will supply hosts of Championship Tournaments the following services upon successful completion and reporting of your Tournament results.

• Little League official baseballs to host your event.
• Logistical support to schedule and place your schedule/results on our website and tournament app. Administrative support to collect umpire fees and distribute to hosts as per LLA Summer Ball policy. 

Championship Weekends:

The Host League and District have the following expectations are as follows:

• Host hotel named by June 1/19.
• Umpires Scheduled and paid by Host
• Coaches Meeting scheduled in advance (prior to July 1)
• Tournament Coordinator named by July 1
• Large Schedule, Results Board and Pitching Record Chart
• Little League pledge prior to every game
• Introduction of teams, National Anthem, etc. during a short opening ceremony.
• Distribute Championship Little League Alberta Drawstring Backpacks
• Sell Little League Alberta Championship Weekend apparel (pre-ordered by Host District)
• Closing ceremony to present Awardsprovided by LLAB (banner / rings / medals).
• Take a picture of the Championship team and Runner Up team and provide to LLA.
• Hold a Player BBQ or other form of Championship recognition

Each site is expected to have the following if requesting a Championship Weekend event

• Concessions
• Bathrooms
• Quality field / practice facilities
• Batting Cages if possible

Little League Alberta will supply hosts of Championship Tournaments the following services upon successful completion and reporting of your Tournament results.

• Little League official baseballs to host your event.
• Banner for the winning team to take back to their Little League.
• Awards for the champions and runner ups in the Championship.
• $225 per team grant support to assist with umpires and facility costs.
• Championship Tournament shirts at a cost of $15. Tournaments can sell for $25 and retain profits.
• Championship weekend logo’d Drawstring bags for every participating coach and player.Hosts are encouraged to place coupons and mementos in these bags for the recipients.