question regarding little league rules for jr. league

[DragonFan]

I have a question I hope someone can answer for me- What are the rules regarding a girl playing up a year from little league softball to jr. league?
Thanks

[sftblfrk]

They can play up but once they play up they can't go back down.

[DragonFan]

our little league won't let anyone play up. My daughter is 12, and is frustrated playing little league. When she throws, she has to hold back because the girls cannot catch her throws, she hits the ball to the fence every time she is up, so now they are intentionally walking her. They rarely can get 3 outs before 9 batters are up to end the inning. There are 4 teams and only 2 teams have pitchers. We have four 8 year olds on our team, they let them play up from minor league to major (softball) , She has played ASA for 2 years, plus she bats and throws year round because she loves it. She could easily play jr. league. And to beat it all, our jr. league needs 2 more girls or they don't have enough to field a jr. league team. It's crazy.

[sftblfrk]

My daughter played up when she was 12 and we didn't have jr. league we had senior league. THere is no rule saying she can't play up but once she does she can't go back down. It's very frustrating at that age esp if they have played more and practiced more. I would go to district and see what they say about it. Not sure how your local league will feel but hey you need to do what will be best for your child. Hopefully she will be allowed to play up and then maybe someone else will come along too otherwise it would more or less a waste

[osumufan]

I am thinking I read where you can play Junior League when you are twelve but where Lawrence County only has Senior League 13-16 years olds( all stars they do let them separate though) that during regular season 12 year olds aren't allowed with the 16 year olds. This makes sense in a way where you are talking about mental and physical maturity and the topics that some of thoses 16 year olds want to talk about would not be appropriate for a 12 year old to hear! palying the game your daught may be just fine but the rules are there for other reasons too. I say just play ASA for this year. I know it is frustrating but sometimes that is just the way it is.

[ItownHosscat]

I might be wrong here,but I don't think there are Intentional walks in little league softball.
Its been a while for me at that level.

[ItownHosscat]

I found my 08 Little League rulebook.
Under the rules definitions for the pitcher.
8.03(c) Junior/Senior/Big league Intentional walk rule:
It states...Before a pitch is delivered to the batter,the catcher must inform the umpire-in-chief that the defensive team wishes to give the batter an intentional base-on-balls.The umpire-in-chief waves the batter to first base.The ball is dead.

No mention of Majors(Little League)
If your child is being done this way I would bring this up to your coach,who should have a 2009 rulebook.

In all my years of coaching girls softball,I have never Intentionally walked anyone.

[sftblfrk]

I don't know about the whole pitching thing, all I know is that my daughter was a 12yr old and played senior league (we didn't have a Jr. league) and they were 13-16 yr olds. When our board wasn't sure they called district and district said that all that had to happen was the board just had to vote and she had to try out just like the other girls. Now with that being said Little League started and was all but finished before Senior league started. You can't play both and once you start in the league above you can't go back down (even if they were played at the same time). Each local league has a set of rules also and there could be something in the local by laws that says they don't want the girls playing up.
I know my daughter wasn't even going to play if she had had to play little league. It was like dummying down. (not a knock on LL but she had had way to much play time and experience in ASA and private lessons). She wouldn't of had any fun either. Our situation worked out.
Hope yours does too