Summerball Information
SUMMER BASEBALL LEAGUE
2021 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.
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REGULAR SEASON EVENTS
- August 6th - 8th
- August 13th - 15th
- August 20th - 22nd
CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND
4. August 27th - 29th
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 TOURNAMENT APP. INFORMATION ON HOW TO ACCESS WILL BE AVAILABLE ON OR BEFORE JULY 15, 2021.
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
Senior - 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.
Intermediate & Junior: If enough interest in AAA teams only.
Goal: For teams to play at a level that encourages development and level competition as much as possible.
League/Combined Selection Options:
- Leagues are asked to form an “AAA” team first.
- They then have an option of forming an “AA” team next, followed by any numbers of “A” teams.
- 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 20th 2021 to the LLA office. Late team registration will be accepted up until their first scheduled game of summer baseball but no later than July 30th. 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 August 20th.
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 weekend events 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 weekends.
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 weekends to be eligible for the championship weekend. Exceptions can be granted only if application and alternative event(s) are approved prior to August 1th, 2021. Requirement of supplying all scores from alternate events will apply for any exempted event.
“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 “Major Little League Sectional Championship”. *There will also be some “AAA” events scheduled at the Major level leading up to the respective 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. The Sectional Championship in 2021 may include teams from Alberta or Saskatchewan.
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. Leagues may accept additional players who register with the league and are selected to a team even if they did not meet minimum game requirements in 2021 (special COVID rule).
(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 $400.00 per team which includes access to the app we are using for summer baseball.
2021 Summerball "OHMY" batting shirts are available for $30.00 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. Each team will pay half of the cost of umpires for all games they participate in. For two umpires per game, rates will be $100.00 ($50.00 per team) for intermediate, junior, and senior, $80.00 ($40.00 per team) for major, and $70.00 ($35.00 per team) for minor.
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, covering all championships which is mandatory for all teams to attend, will be scheduled by LLA via Zoom on the Thursday night before the Championship weekend.
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 - 2021 Rules of Play
- Pitching Rules
Minor A/AA/AAA and Major A/AA/AAA: Pitching rules will be as per the Little League Baseball 2021 Rulebook (see tournament rules - pages 185 to 188).
Teenage: All teams will use Senior league tournament pitching rules (see tournament rules - pages 189 to 191) for players league age 13-16.
NOTE: All pitch counts must be recorded by the host league and provided in an email to Little League Alberta.
- Batting Order and Mandatory Play
Minor A/AA/AAA: Will use a continuous batting order, including championship weekend.
Major A/AA: Will use a continuous batting order for the first two seeding round weekends, then a vote by team managers prior to the third seeding round weekend will determine whether to continue with the continuous batting order or revert to standard rules (9 players in the batting order with substitutions) for the third seeding round weekend and championship weekend. The majority will rule in this decision.
Major AAA and Teenage: Will use standard rules with 9 players in the batting order, substitutions and mandatory play (see tournament rules - pages 192 to 194). For the teenage divisions, mandatory play and player re-entry tournament rules for the Junior division apply. The designated hitter rule for Senior league is not in use for the teenage divisions.
NOTES: Where a continuous batting rule is used, defensive mandatory play will be as per the 2021 Little League tournament rules. As standings are not being kept for the seeding round weekends, we encourage fair play.
- Coaches Attire
The managers and 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 managers or coaches on the playing field, include, but are not limited to: track pants, and/or sandals.
- Coaches
Once within the field of play, 15 minutes prior to game time and throughout the game, ONLY coaches listed on the team roster are to be with the team. NO PARENT HELPERS.
- Pregame Field
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.
- Equipment
Equipment is all per Little League Baseball 2021 Rulebook, including bats.
Players league age 14 and under may use USA Baseball, BBCOR or wood bats.
Players league age 15 or 16 may only use BBCOR or wood bats.
Coaches and umpires are asked to monitor this to ensure compliance.
Catchers MUST wear an approved helmet with dangling throat guard attached.
- Time Limit
The last inning commences immediately after an inning ends following 2 hours of game play. The start time of the game will be noted as the 1st pitch is received. New innings start immediately after the 3rd out or run limit is reached at the bottom of an inning. Umpires are asked to inform both teams, official scorekeeper and pitch counter when the final inning is being invoked.
- Run Rules and Open inning, Extra Innings
In an effort to get more innings played, a run limit applies as follows:
Minor A/AA/AAA: 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 final inning(s) when no run limit will be enforced.
Major A/AA and Teenage: For the first two weekends of play, 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 six (6) runs, with the exception of the final inning(s) when no run limit will be enforced. In these divisions, a vote of the team managers will occur prior to the third seeding round weekend to decide whether to continue with a run limit or revert to standard rules with no run limit for the third seeding round weekend and championship weekend. The majority will rule in this decision.
Major AAA: No run limits are in effect.
A ten-run and fifteen-run mercy rule will be in effect (see tournament rules - page 196).
Extra innings will be played in all championship weekend games which require a winner. Tournament extra inning (tie game) rule will then apply (see tournament rules - page 197). Seeding round games will not play extra innings and games can end in a tie.
- Home Teams
For weekend play, home teams will be balanced among all teams and will be set by Little League Alberta and posted on RAMP. For championship weekend play, coin tosses will be done for home teams at the pre tournament zoom meeting for all of the games with both teams set in place.
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 July 24/21.
- 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 (i.e: 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) unless not permitted due to COVID-19. In these cases, a satisfactory poster with alternatives must be provided.
- 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 July 24/21.
- Umpires Scheduled and paid by Host
- Tournament Coordinator named by August 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 Awards provided 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 $30. Tournament can sell for more.
Upcoming Events
Oct. 15, 2021 to Nov. 12, 2021
Coaching Training and Leadership Conference
Delta South Hotel - Calgary, AB
