For those new to little league, welcome! We receive a lot of questions on team assignments and how it all works once registration is completed, so we wanted to share some insight on how this all works.

How old is my child considered to be for the baseball season?

A child's baseball age is based on how old they are on Aug 31 of the season year.  You can also use the age calculator on the Little League website: http://www.littleleague.org/leagueofficers/Determine_League_Age.htm

Does my child need to attend one of the evaluation sessions?

It is recommended that all players ages 8-12 who have not already played in the Major division should attend an evaluation session in early March. The evaluations are an important tool to help the league create fair and balanced teams. Players who do not attend an evaluation session will NOT be eligible for Majors.

What division will my child be placed in?

Players are placed into divisions based on age and ability. As a guideline, players are placed as follows with some exceptions based on player's ability:

• Majors: Ages 10-12 (all 12 year old's play in Majors unless there is an approved exception)
• AAA: Ages 9-11 
• AA: Ages 8-10
• A: Ages 7-8
• Farm: Ages 6-7
• T-Ball: Ages 5 and 6 year old's who have not played before.

How are teams determined?

• At evals, coaches observe the playing level of each participant and assign a score.  These scores are aggregated and shared with managers at the upcoming drafts to help create fair and balanced teams.  Our goal is always to spread the talent level across all teams within a division to create fun and safe games for all involved.
• Majors thru A is determined by a draft. All returning Major players and Major eligible players are selected via a draft following the last evaluation. Subsequent drafts are held weekly for the other levels.  For Farm/Tball, players are placed on teams with the goal of trying to make the teams evenly matched and keep kids together based on their school/neighborhood to the extent possible. 

When will teams be formed and parents notified?

• Majors: The draft will be one week after the last evaluation session. Players will be notified within a few of days after that.
• AAA: Draft is typically a week after the Majors draft.  Teams will be notified 1-2 weeks after Majors.
• AA: Draft is a week after AAA and teams will be about 1 week after AAA.
• A: Draft is a week after AA and teams will be notified about 1-2 weeks after AA.
• Farm/T-ball: Teams will be formed and notified in early April.

When will games GENERALLY be played?

• Majors plays on MWF evenings at Harry Ball.
• AAA & AA plays one evening a week (Tu/Th) and on Sat morning/early afternoon, predominantly at Harry Ball.
• A & Farm plays one evening a week (varies) and on Sat morning/early afternoon at Harry Ball, Bessie Baker, and Vittori.
• Tball plays Saturday morning/early afternoons at Livingstone, Cove and Obear.

When will my team practice?

•  Once we have the teams sorted out (which can't happen until registration closes, and evals and drafts happen), we will determine field availability at Bessie Baker, Vittori, Obear, Livingstone, and Cove and set up a practice schedule.  Coaches will then pick the day/time that works best for them.  Therefore, it's impossible to say exactly when your practice will be at this time, but teams typically practice one weeknight per week (depending on game schedule). 
•  The exception to this rule is Tball.  Tball has a 30-40 min practice, followed by a 30-40 min game, on Saturday only.

• This depends largely on the weather.  BLL works closely with the city to understand field conditions and readiness. As soon as we are given the all-clear we will get practices underway, and games typically start at the end of April.

What if it rains?

• We will send an email notification as soon as games are cancelled.  We sometimes hold off as long as possible, if forecasts are iffy, and make last minute decisions.  We understand that this can be frustrating, but understand that it is in an effort to play as many games as possible - no one is happy when a game is called early and then the storm blows by!  We do our best to notify you as soon as possible.
  
•  If we get a lot of rain at once, or over a period of a few days, we may still have to cancel or move games depending on field conditions, even if the sun has been shining all day.  So always double check your email before game time
  
•  Make up games are typically held on Sundays.

Are there playoffs?

• We hold playoffs for A, AA, AAA, and Majors in early to mid-June.  We typically wrap up the season by the end of the Beverly school year.

What equipment will my child need?

Each player should have their own glove, cleats, baseball pants/socks and protective cup. Due to COVID restrictions we strongly encourage each player to use their own helmets and bats. If you are in need of assistance providing these items, please contact the league.