Lafayette Little League

Will there be online registration this year?

Yes, returning players AND new players to our league will ALL register online.  Registration announcements will be made at our schools, in the community and on this web site.  Our online registration vendor is called sPortability and you can access registration from our web site once registration is open.

Does LLL provide financial assistance to families that cannot afford registration?

Lafayette Little League is ready and willing to help any family in financial need.  No child will be denied entry to our league due to financial hardship.  Please send an email to our league President, Dan Ventrelle (dventrelle@raiders.com), and he will contact you to arrange financial assistance.  Any communication with the league President on this subject will be in the strictest of confidence.

Do all 12 year olds play in the Majors Division?

Yes.  ALL 12 year olds will be drafted to a majors team.  The only exceptions to this rule is when parents of a 12 year old don't believe their player's best interests will be served by playing in the Majors division.  Any parent that believes their 12  year old is not capable of playing in the Majors division will also need the approval from our Board president.

Is it true that 12 year olds cannot pitch in the AAA Division?

Yes.  Little League International rules do not allow 12 years to pitch in the AAA Division.

How are the number of teams per division determined?

The maximum number of teams are determined by the amount of players of a certain age available to play, along with the availability of fields.  The exception is with the Majors Division, National Little League rules dictate the maximum number of Majors division teams at 10.

Why doesn't LLL accept more players and more teams into the Majors Division?

International Little League rules dictate the maximum number of Majors division teams at 10.

What are the different divisions?  Are they by age or talent?

Players are selected to different divisions based on age and talent.

Advanced Baseball: 13-14 year olds
Majors: 12 year olds: 10 & 11 year olds drafted based on ability
AAA: 11 year olds: 9 & 10 year olds drafted based on ability
AA: 9-10 year olds: 8 year olds drafted based on ability
Farm: 7 & 8 year olds - placed on teams based upon age & experience
Instructional: 6 & 7 year olds, plus 5 year olds enrolled in kindergarten - placed on teams based upon age
Challenger:  6-14 year olds with physical and/or educational challenges

How do evaluations and the draft work?

Players, grouped by age, are evaluated by managers and VPs of each division.  An open draft occurs afterward.  All players returning to the same division will be picked first, then players new to the division will fill in the remainder of the team rosters.

How does the "brother rule" work? My kids are only 20 months apart - can they play in the same division?

In divisions AA through Advanced Baseball, players are drafted by managers. If a manager feels that both players qualify to play in the same division, they may declare their desire by picking them back to back.  However, if the manager does not feel this is the case, the manager may waive the brother rule and the other sibling will be put back into the pool.

How do playoffs work once the "regular season" is complete?

Playoffs occur for the Advanced Baseball, Majors, AAA, and AA divisions.  All teams in these divisions make it to the playoffs and are entered into a double elimination bracket.  The winner of their bracket is the division winner.  Their is a consolation bracket for the teams that are eliminated from the championship bracket early on to add some extra games for the kids to play.  Division winners then go on to play against division winners of other leagues within our own Division 4 in what is called the Tournament of Champions to determine the District's top teams.

What post season opportunities are available for players at the various age groups?

Post season play consists of 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13/14 year old all star teams.  Please review our All Stars page for more detailed information regarding all stars, the selection process and and example of the significant time commitment families must make before their player can be selected to an All Star team.