DPLL Divisions
Dos Pueblos Little League has 7 player divisions in order to provide Little League baseball to all boys and girls league age 4 to 14 years old. The placement of your player is determined by age, experience and skill level. The players in the Farm, Minors, Majors and Juniors Divisions will attend a scheduled evaluation so that Team Managers will have the opportunity to assess a player's skill level and determine which players they will be drafting. A player's Little League Age is determined by their age as of 8/31 of the upcoming baseball season.
- The T-Ball Division is best suited for beginner players with Little League ages 4-6. 7 year olds are strongly encouraged to play in the Coach Pitch (aka Coast Division). T-ball teams are generally formed by school/neighborhood. See documents page for division rules.
- The Coach Pitch Division (aka "Coast" Division) is recommended for little league age 6 and 7 year old players who are not ready for machine or kid pitch but need more than T-ball. Coaches pitch from a knee or standing position. Coast teams are generally formed by school/neighborhood. See documents page for division rules.
- The Machine Pitch Division (aka "Farm" Division) is recommended for little league age 7 and 8 year old players who have basic skills, but are not quite ready to play in the "kid pitch" Minors Division. In order to better prepare the players for the Minors, a machine is used to pitch a baseball at this level. Farm teams are drafted and players are required to attend a scheduled evaluation prior to the draft. See documents page for division rules.
- The Minor Division is for players who have all the basic skills needed to play at a competitive level. This division is a "kid pitch" division generally made up of little league age 9 and 10 year old players and a handful of 8 year olds who are drafted up. Minors teams are drafted and players are required to attend a scheduled evaluation prior to the draft. See documents page for division rules.
- The Major Division is generally for players who are league age 11-12 years old. There may be a few 10-year-olds who are drafted by a manager due to his/her high skill level, but this will be the exception and not the rule. Majors teams are drafted and players are required to attend a scheduled evaluation prior to the draft. See documents page for division rules.
- The Junior Division is for league age 13-15 year olds. Play is on a major league sized field with 90-foot bases. Juniors teams are drafted and players are required to attend a scheduled evaluation prior to the draft. Depending on the size of our Juniors division, there may be interleague play against other local little leagues. See documents page for division rules.
- The Challenger Division is for players ages 4-14 years old with intellectual and physical disabilities to enjoy the full benefits of Little League baseball participation in an athletic environment structured to their abilities.
Rules for Fill-In Players and 9 Player Minimum
Majors
The purpose of the Fill-In Players is to try and avoid postponement or forfeiture of games due to a team being short-handed. Each Major team will provide the Player Agent with the names of 3-5 players who aren't considered the stars of their teams and have never been involved in post season All Stars. The Player Agent will contact all the parents of these pool players to determine if they would mind them playing an occasional game for another team in the Majors if the family and other circumstances are acceptable.
When a Major team suspects that it might have only 9 or fewer players for a game, that manager must immediately notify the Player Agent (not another manager, parent or player). The Player Agent will then refer to the Fill-In list, select a player that is not playing for the opposing team, and then check with that player's manager to see if the Major game conflicts with a game or practice. Once it is determined there is no scheduling conflict, the Player Agent may then contact the Fill-In Player's parents to receive permission for the that player to participate and then will provide specific information about the game.
A Major team may not use more than two Fill-In Players per game. They must bat last in the line-up, play in the outfield, noted as Fill-In Players in the official scorebook, and pointed out to the plate umpire and opposing manager. They need not wear a uniform, although it is recommended that they do so. If a Fill-In Player shows up for a game after these procedures have been followed, and the team finds that it has at least 9 of its own players, the Fill-In Player, if he or she chooses, must be allowed to play 3 defensive outs and have one at bat. However, he or she may not play more than one inning under these conditions.
Major games may not begin or continue if a team has less than 9 players. Teams that do not have 9 players to begin a game will be allowed one postponement per season as long as the team has made every effort to contact the Player Agent to acquire Fill-In players. Subsequent short-handed games will result in forfeiture. Once a game has begun, if a team has less than 9 players as a result of illness, injury, early departure, or ejection, the game is immediately suspended and should be treated by the plate umpire and in the official scorebook as any other suspension, e.g. darkness or rain. Managers who are aware they will only have 9 players to start a game should attempt to acquire a Fill-In player in case they lose a player during the game. If a team cannot field 9 defensive players after the game has begun, e.g., injury, the game is suspended at that point in the game and should be treated by the plate umpire and in the official scorebook as any other suspension, e.g. darkness or rain. Violation or manipulation of these rules may result in game forfeiture.
Minors
There must be at least a total of 18 players available to play among the two teams for a game to begin. lf a team has only 8 players and the opposing team 10 or more players, the manager with the extra player(s), must select one to play defensively (not offensively) for the short-handed team. This Fill-In defensive player must be alternated with another after 2 innings. The Fill-In Player will bat for his or her real team and therefore must be substituted for immediately when he or she is close to batting. Short-handed teams will only bat their regular players. A short-handed team may use no more than two defensive Fill-In players from the other team and only if that team bas 11 or more players present. Teams that cannot field 9 defensive players to begin a game with the use of a Fill-In defensive player will receive one postponement per season. Subsequent short-handed games will result in forfeiture. If a team cannot field 9 defensive players after the game has begun, e.g., injury, the game is suspended at that point in the game and should be treated by the plate umpire and in the official scorebook as any other suspension, e.g. darkness or rain. Violation or manipulation of these rules may result in game forfeiture.