Registration FAQ
These are answers to some of the most common questions about registration. If you have additional questions after reading this FAQ, please contact us.
General
Madison Little League is comprised of six divisions, for players League Age 5-15 ranging from Tee Ball through Juniors:
- League Ages 5-6: Tee Ball
- League Ages 6-7: Farm
- League Ages 8-9: AA
- League Ages 9-11: AAA
- League Ages 10-12: Majors
- League Ages 13-14 (and qualifying 15s): Juniors
For more information about League Ages, please see the League Age Chart. For details about the various divisions of play, please see the Divisions page.
League Age is the age used to determine eligibility for play in the various divisions of Little League. The Age Determination Date (the "cut-off" date) is August 31, allowing Little Leaguers to play primarily with their classmates. Madison LL is required to follow the regulations regarding League Age as set by Little League International. Please note that League age and actual chronological age may differ. For more information, please see the League Age Chart. For details about the various divisions of play, please see the Divisions page.
Registering for Madison LL is a commitment to participating, and we expect players who register to attend all practices and games. We understand that personal or family conflicts can arise during the season, and that's fine. However, we do not expect MLL players to regularly prioritize other activities and sports over MLL in the spring.
Although Madison LL is a recreational league, we are not a casual league: we play baseball 2-3 times per week for ages 8+, and all teams at all age levels play every Saturday from the beginning of April to the middle of June.
With rosters of 12 players, it only takes a few unavailable players for a team to be unable to play. A team short just 4 players can end up negatively impacting 20 other kids – the rest of the players on the team, plus all the players on the opposing team. In recent years, players prioritizing other commitments during the Madison LL baseball season have increasingly affected our ability to play scheduled games.
We love multi-sport athletes, but some activities overlap with Little League baseball so much that it is impractical to try to do both. If you find that conflicting activities will prevent the player from attending several Madison LL games (for example, if the player will always be committed elsewhere on Saturdays), please consider whether playing Madison LL baseball is the right choice.
The demand for this level of play is not great enough to sustain an Intermediate division within Madison LL. Our partner program at Madison Travel Baseball offers Intermediate-level play for players aged 11-12. Please see the MTB page for more information.
Madison Travel Baseball (MTB) is an unaffiliated partner program of Madison LL that provides additional playing opportunities for higher-skilled players aged 8-14 on Sundays in the spring, and an expanded travel schedule in the summer and fall. All of MTB's offerings are designed to complement, not conflict with, MLL's spring season and summer Williamsport tournament teams.
The travel program provides an opportunity for players aged 11-12 years old to play on the Intermediate-sized (50/70) field. (These players compete on the traditional 46/60 field in Madison LL.) Players aged 8-10 years old play on the smaller 46/60 field, and players aged 13-14 play on the regulation 60/90 field in the travel program.
Travel baseball registration and fees are handled separately by MTB. For more information, please see the MTB page.
Winter workouts are an opportunity to get a jump start on the upcoming season. Players work on all aspects of the game, including fielding, throwing and hitting. These sessions are run by the Madison HS Baseball coaching staff, offering a great opportunity to meet and work with these coaches, especially for the older players who plan to play baseball at Madison HS.
Winter workouts are completely optional, and participation does not influence selection to teams in the spring. Workouts are encouraged for all players, and especially for those who are considering trying out for Madison Travel Baseball.
See the Winter Workouts page for details and to register for workouts.
Madison LL has eight grass baseball fields throughout Madison and Harding:
- Dodge Field is a 60/90 field for the Juniors division and the outfield is used for Saturday morning Tee Ball.
- Barrett Field (Harding) is a 50/70 field for Intermediate-level play.
- The Rosedale Ave field complex has two 46/60 fields for the Majors and AAA divisions (Sonny Vitale Memorial Field and Rosedale 2 Field).
- The Lucy D Anthony field complex has one convertible 50/70 - 46/60 field and two 46/60 fields for the AAA and AA divisions.
- Delbarton Field has one 46/60 field for the AA and Farm divisions.
In addition, MLL has access to a 46/60 field at the Torey J Sabatini school and a 60/90 artificial turf field at the Madison Recreation Complex.
For maps, please see the Field Locations page.
Assessments and Team Formation
These players must attend assessments:
- Players League Age 8 and up who did not play Madison LL in the prior spring season.
- Players League Age 10 who wish to declare for the Majors draft, even if they played in Madison LL as a 9 year old. (Please see the question below about 10s in the Majors draft for additional information.)
- Players League Age 11 or 12 who have not played Majors previously.
Players under League Age 8 do not need to attend assessments,
Six year olds have the choice of registering for Tee Ball or Farm.
Choose TEE BALL if the player has had little to no exposure to baseball. Tee Ball offers a basic introduction to baseball skills and meets for one hour per week on Saturday mornings.
Choose FARM if the player can sometimes hit a ball (pitched or off a tee) and has had some practice throwing and fielding, even if only in an informal setting (e.g., in the yard with a friend or family member). The Farm division offers an "advanced-beginner" level of instruction and meets twice per week for practice and games.
The Majors division is for higher-skilled 10 and 11 year olds, and all 12 year olds. 10 year olds who play or have played competitive travel or club baseball, or who can effectively compete with older players, should declare for the Majors draft. Please note these important points:
- Declaring for the Majors draft does not guarantee the 10 year old player will be selected to a Majors team.
- Any 10 year old who declares for the Majors draft and is selected to a Majors team must play on that team - declaring for the Majors draft commits a player to playing in the Majors division if selected.
- Any 10 year old who declares for the Majors draft and is NOT selected to a Majors team will play in AAA, and is subject to call-up to the Majors division at a later date in the event there is attrition or a season-ending injury to a Majors player. If called up from AAA, the player must move up to the Majors division.
League Age 15 players are eligible to play Madison LL only if they are in the 8th grade or below.
Teams at the Tee Ball and Farm levels are assigned primarily based on school attendance and friend requests made during registration. At the AA division and above, teams are formed based on a draft.
Complete details about draft methods and our approach to team formation can be found on the Team Formation page.
Generally speaking, the results of all team drafts for the AA through Juniors divisions are final. Players who register late may be added to rosters (in the same order as the draft rounds) if space permits. Once drafts are completed, there are very few extenuating circumstances that would prompt the Board to consider a change to rosters. Any requested changes require the review and approval of the Player Agent and the MLL Board.