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Sunday, January 18
Frequently Asked Questionsfor "Clackamas County Junior Baseball" and "Junior Baseball of Oregon"Questionsclick on the question to link to the answer! Organization What is “Junior Baseball of Oregon”? What is the Clackamas County Junior Baseball Association? What is a Junior Baseball Area? How is CCJBA governed and decisions made? Junior Baseball Divisions What are the different Age Divisions? Are there opportunities for players younger than 9 years of age? What are the different Skill Divisions? How are players assigned to teams of the correct Skill Level? Why are some teams moved to a different Skill Level during the season? How does the Board decide on moving teams during the season? LEAGUE PLAY AND GAME RESULTS How long is a Junior Baseball season?If a player is late in arriving to a game, can he play? How can a baseball game end in a tie?How do ties affect the standings?How are league game results reported and tracked?What happens if a coach doesn’t send in his game results cards?Why are pitching innings recorded on game results cards?Do invitational tournament games count against regular game pitching limits?Why aren’t game results posted on the website quicker?Why aren’t game scores posted on the website?Why not use an electronic game results card system?POST-SEASON PLAY What opportunities does Junior Baseball of Oregon offer for post-season play?How are CCJBA teams selected for participation in the State Tournament?How does my team qualify for the District County tournament?Where are the District/County tournaments held?Why would my area consider hosting a District / County tournament?What is a “pre-tournament” game and when are these held?Where are “pre-tournament” games held and who is the home team?How do innings pitched in a “pre-tournament” game affect the District tournament?My team was a League Champion. How does this affect the District County tournament seeding process?My team was moved down to a lower skill level during the season. How does this affect the District tournament seeding process?DIFFERENCES BETWEEN JBO AND LITTLE LEAGUE What are the major differences between Little League and Junior Baseball?I like the principles of Junior Baseball. How should my community evaluate whether a switch from “Little League” to “Junior Baseball of Oregon” would be beneficial to our children?GENERAL QUESTIONS Who do I contact if I have a concern or question? How do I get my child signed up to play in Junior Baseball? AnswersOrganizationWhat is “Junior Baseball of Oregon”?Junior Baseball of Oregon, Inc. (JBO) is a non-profit organization formed to provide an opportunity for Oregon youth from ages 9-16 to participate in an organized baseball experience. The goal of JBO is to provide each child, regardless of skill level, an ability to compete in baseball against other players of equal skill and age. As such, players are divided into separate divisions based on age and skill level (see “Junior Baseball Divisions”). JBO games are played according to the rules of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) with some modifications to tailor the rules to the age and skill level of the players. For example, JBO base lengths and pitching distances are reduced from the High School level to accommodate younger players, but increase progressively with the age of the players. The intent is to provide all ages of players the opportunity to play the complete game of baseball (leading off, stealing, etc.) but to progressively increase playing distances as the age and skill of players increase. The Junior Baseball of Oregon program revolves around local Associations creating community-based programs to meet local needs for summer baseball programs within the broader framework of JBO. The JBO organization is made up of separate Districts, and local Associations (also known as Areas). JBO is administered by four elected officers, six Commissioners from the JBO Districts, and one At-Large Commissioner. These administrative members of JBO are responsible for the overall governance of the organization including activities such as establishing rules for player participation, league formation, game play, etc. Junior Baseball of Oregon is independent of any of the other nationwide baseball organizations such as "Little League." (See “How Does JBO Differ from Little League”)Back to TopWhat is the Clackamas County Junior Baseball Association?The Clackamas County Junior Baseball Association (CCJBA) is a JBO District currently made up of 24 local Associations (Areas) located within Clackamas County, Marion County, and Washington County ,Oregon. CCJBA exists under the umbrella of Junior Baseball of Oregon and operates according to the rules and procedures established by JBO.CCJBA is the largest District in the State and annually fields more than 200 Junior Baseball teams. CCJBA annually elects two District Commissioners who participate in JBO meetings, and serve as liaisons between JBO and CCJBA. Back to TopWhat is a Junior Baseball Area?A Junior Baseball Area or Association is the local organization in your community that forms teams to participate in Junior Baseball of Oregon. For example, “Putnam Youth Baseball” and “Milwaukie Junior Baseball” are local organizations that exist within CCJBA. Each Area has a defined boundary that must be annually approved by CCJBA and JBO. The boundaries of each Area generally coincide with the boundaries of their local High School District (though there are exceptions). Each local Area generally has it’s own Board of Directors or other governing body. Each Area elects an “Area Head” who participates in CCJBA meetings and acts as a liaison between the local Area and CCJBA. A list of the current Area Heads within CCJBA is posted on the website. CCJBA Area Heads Back to TopHow is CCJBA governed and decisions made?CCJBA is composed of an elected Board of Directors and the Area Heads from each approved Area/Association within the District. Board members are elected annually through a vote of the Area Heads and current Board members. CCJBA is governed through participation by the Board and Area Heads. The Area Heads provide input and vote on proposals brought before them by the CCJBA Board of Directors. The Board independently handles “sensitive” or confidential matters (in consultation with the affected Areas) that are not appropriate for general communication. The Board also oversees contracted positions necessary for the operation of the District (e.g. League Statistician Back to TopJunior Baseball DivisionsWhat are the different Age Divisions?Junior Baseball provides opportunities for players 9-16 years of age. Players are grouped into four distinct age divisions, Midget, Junior, Senior and Cubs. The Midget Division is made up of players aged 9 and 10, Juniors are aged 11 and 12, Seniors are aged 13 and 14, and Cubs are aged 15 and 16. The age of the players are generally determined by their age on July 31 of the year of the baseball season, though there are exceptions for older players who wish to participate with their school classmates (see the JBO rulebook). Within each age group (except Cubs), players are also separated into three distinct skill levels (See “What are the Different Skill Divisions”) Back to TopAre there opportunities for players younger than 9 years of age?Most of the local Areas offer developmental leagues, often referred to as “T-Ball” programs, for players younger than nine years of age. These leagues are governed by the local Area and are totally independent of Junior Baseball and CCJBA. Contact your local Area to obtain information on programs that may be available in your community Back to TopWhat are the different Skill Divisions?Within each Age Division, Junior Baseball teams are also separated by the relative skill level of the players. This separation is necessary to meet the JBO goal of assuring that all players participate against other players of equal age and skill. For all Divisions except Cubs, players are separated into three distinct levels: National, American and Federal. Generally, the National level is for players with beginning or recreation level skills. the American level is for intermediate skills, and the Federal level is for players with the highest skill level. Cubs players are not separated by skill level. Back to TopI believe that my child has skills suited for the Federal level of play but my local Area does not have a Federal team. What can I do?Junior Baseball of Oregon rules provide that if an Association (Area) does not field a Federal team, Federal players from Areas without a Federal program must play in the next closest Association (no “skipping” to another Area). The intent is to prevent player recruitment, Back to Top
How are players assigned to teams of the correct Skill Level?Junior Baseball of Oregon rules require that each Association (Area) conduct a skill evaluation of players prior to forming teams, and that teams be formed by placing players on teams of equal age and skill (Rule V.C.). At these player skill assessments, coaches or Area officers are responsible for evaluating the players and placing them on teams of the proper skill level. CCJBA has found that where player skill evaluations are completed and teams are formed according to these evaluations, the need to “move” teams during the season is very rare. Back to TopWhy are some teams moved to a different Skill Level during the season?One of the most important goals of Junior Baseball is to assure that all players participate against other players of equal age and skill. Occasionally, teams are formed and placed in leagues where their skills are inconsistent with other teams at that level. Many times this situation arises because of poor or non-existent player skill evaluations in the team formation process of the local Area or in meeting the State matrix. When these situations arise, the CCJBA Board will pursue options to move the team to the appropriate competition level. Back to TopHow does the Board decide on moving teams during the season?The decision to move a team to a different skill level during a season is not taken lightly by the Board. Before a team is moved, the Board reviews some or all of the following sources of information: scores from league games, scores and relative success in invitational tournaments, past records of the team, current team roster, and current standings. The Board also attempts to solicit input from other parties. Some of this input comes from coaches and Area Heads who have observed the relative skill of the team in question. CCJBA Board members also observe teams in question as their time and schedules permit. Any Board Member or Area Head that could be directly affected by the decision is excused from participating in the final decision of the Board. Finally, it should be recognized that the ultimate decision by the Board is simply “professional judgment” based on the information reviewed and the experience of Board members. While these are rarely popular decisions, the integrity and fairness of Junior Baseball relies on the Board making these tough calls. Back to TopLEAGUE PLAY AND GAME RESULTSHow long is a Junior Baseball season?The length of a normal Junior Baseball season will vary according to the age/skill level of the team being considered, and whether a team advances to post-season play. In general, regular league play normally begins in early May and continues through late June or early July. Teams that advance to a District tournament will continue until approximately mid-July. Teams that further advance to the State tournament may continue playing into the first weekend of August. Annual league schedules for CCJBA teams will be posted elsewhere on this website if the schedule is available. Back to TopIf a player is late in arriving to a game, can he play?Yes. He is put in the bottom of the batting order, and may be inserted at time of arrival, regardless of inning. This is a “Junior Baseball of Oregon” exception. High school rules differ. Back to TopHow can a baseball game end in a tie?A game can end up in a tie because of time restriction, darkness, or weather. Details are in the “JBO” and “NFHS” rule Books rulebooks. Back to TopHow do ties affect the standings?A tie score for a regular season game counts as a half game win and a half game loss for each team. Both coaches should send in a game card. Back to TopHow are league game results reported and tracked?CCJBA rules require the coach of the winning team to complete a “game results card” and to mail this to the League Statistician within 48 hours of the game. These cards report the game scores and provide a record of the innings pitched by each pitcher participating in the game. The game results cards must be signed in ink only by both coaches to certify the accuracy of the information reported. Back to TopWhat happens if a coach doesn’t send in his game results cards?Failure to send in the game results card in a timely manner will result in a forfeit by the winning coach. Back to TopWhy are pitching innings recorded on game results cards?Junior Baseball rules limit the number of innings that a player can pitch during a game or in seven consecutive days (depending on the age/skill level). These rules are intended to protect the health of the players. CCJBA tracks this information closely; coaches that “over-pitch” any player will forfeit the game where the innings pitched exceeded the maximum innings allowed by rule. Back to TopDo invitational tournament games count against regular game pitching limits?No. The Junior Baseball rules that limit the number of innings that a player can pitch only applies to league games. The number of innings pitched by a player during invitational tournaments DO NOT count in subsequent games played in the regular season schedule. Coaches are strongly encouraged to consider the innings pitched in invitational tournaments, however, when using pitchers in the subsequent league games so that the health of any player is not threatened! Back to TopWhy aren’t game results posted on the website quicker?CCJBA attempts to post game results at least once per week. With over two hundred teams participating in CCJBA, and each team playing twice per week, the number of game results cards coming in to the Statistician can be staggering! In addition, if questions or problems arise with the cards these issues must be resolved before the scores can be posted. Some coaches may also contribute to delays by not sending in their game cards in a timely manner. Finally, everyone must recognize that reviewing the cards and posting game results on the website involve the time and commitment of volunteers who are also busy coaching teams, running local Associations, and being parents! Back to TopWhy aren’t game scores posted on the website?The scores of all CCJBA games are not posted for two basic reasons. First, the large number of game results cards originating from 200+ teams playing twice per week generates a substantial amount of work just to keep league standings current. Adding specific game scores to the website would require additional workload by the volunteer maintaining this site. Secondly, and most importantly, the Board is concerned that reporting scores from games where a team loses by a wide margin could potentially be degrading to the losing team. Since only the win/loss information is needed to maintain league standings, CCJBA prefers to limit the postings to this information. Back to TopWhy not use an electronic game results card system?The Board and Area Heads in CCJBA have discussed this issue extensively. Electronic reporting cannot currently be used in a manner that maintains one important purpose of the game results cards, i.e. there is no way to include a “signature” of both coaches verifying the accuracy of the information. This verification is essential to enforcing the limits on the number of innings that a player can pitch. In the past, some coaches have been caught “altering” game results cards to allow them to use an effective pitcher more than the rules allow. The use of game results cards has provided the Board with an ability to discover these alterations, an ability that would be precluded with electronic reporting. If timeliness of reporting is an issue, coaches still have the option of faxing the game results and then immediately mailing the original card.
POST-SEASON PLAYWhat opportunities does Junior Baseball of Oregon offer for post-season play?Junior Baseball of Oregon annually hosts State Tournaments for each age/skill Division within JBO. The teams entering these tournaments advance from each of the JBO Districts based upon their success at District Tournaments, or their standings resulting from regular league play. JBO currently does not offer “regional” or “national” post-season tournaments. How are CCJBA teams selected for participation in the State Tournament?CCJBA annually hosts a County (District) tournament for each age/skill Division following the regular league season. These County tournaments are a “modified” double-elimination format and the competition results in the placement of teams into 1st through 6th place finishes. Teams are then advanced to the State Tournament based on this placement (though the number of teams advancing to State at each age/skill Division can vary each year). How does my team qualify for the District County tournament?Teams qualify for District tournaments based upon their relative success during the regular league season (invitational tournament results are not considered). Teams at every given age/skill level are ranked (“seeded”) according to their win percentage during the season. All Federal level teams advance to the District tournament. Only the top eight teams or 50% of the total National and American level teams (whichever is greater) advance to the tournament. Generally, teams that win at least half of their regular season games will normally (but not always) qualify for at least a County “pre-tournament” game. Where are the District/County tournaments held?The sites for District tournaments are determined annually by the CCJBA Board based upon requests by the Areas to host these tournaments. The selected tournament sites are reported elsewhere on this website. Why would my area consider hosting a District / County tournament?Teams advancing from the District tournaments seed the JBO State tournament. Some one MUST host a district tournament. Unlike hosting an invitational tournament where profit comes from team entry fees, the only profit an Area can derive from hosting a district tournament comes primarily from concession sales. CCJBA does reimburse tournament hosts for the cost of balls and umpires. Ideally, the work of hosting a district tournament will not fall on one particular Area each and every year. What is a “pre-tournament” game and when are these held?A “pre-qualification” game is actually part of the annual District tournament, but are not held at the central District tournament site. These games are part of the playoff process to determine the “final eight” teams that participate in the weekend tournament. In general, the games are held the weeknights immediately prior to the main weekend tournament.
Where are “pre-tournament” games held and who is the home team?Pre tournament games are held at the home field of the highest seeded team. In the case of two teams having the same record, a formula of the regular season statistics is used to break the tie. Both teams share the costs of balls and umpires. How do innings pitched in a “pre-tournament” game affect the District tournament?Pre-tournament innings pitched will not count against County Tournament games. My team was a League Champion. How does this affect the District County tournament seeding process?All league champions get an automatic seed into the final District County tournament. EXCEPTION: If there are more than four leagues, there will be no automatic berths. The League Champion with the best season record also receives the highest seed in the tournament. My team was moved down to a lower skill level during the season. How does this affect the District tournament seeding process?If a team is moved at any level (up or down in skill level) their season record is determined only by the win/loss record at the new skill level. If a team is moved down in skill level, it is not possible to be a league champion (i.e. receive an automatic berth). The win/loss record is then used to determine eligibility for pre-qualification games to earn a spot to play in the District County Tournament. Back to TopDIFFERENCES BETWEEN JBO AND LITTLE LEAGUEWhat are the major differences between Little League and Junior Baseball?The primary difference is that "JBO" plays by amended high school rules, as opposed to "Little League" rules. Probably one of the most prominent rule differences is about base stealing. In "Little League", a player cannot steal a base on a pitched ball until the ball crosses home plate. In "Junior Baseball", a player may take a lead off the base and steal at any time during the pitch. As the kids get older and more experienced, the "base stealing" rule makes for some very exciting baseball. The rule also teaches the kids smart base running techniques. They will need the techniques if they continue playing baseball, as they get older. Possibly the best thing about Junior Baseball, is that when it comes to playoff time, a team goes as a unit. No "all-star" team is created. A growing number of Little Leagues in Oregon are converting to Junior Baseball of Oregon. I like the principles of Junior Baseball. How should my community evaluate whether a switch from “Little League” to “Junior Baseball of Oregon” would be beneficial to our children?Any successful move to Junior Baseball from Little League or Babe Ruth always occurs because of strong local support. If people are hesitant (and they probably will be since change is always difficult) suggest that the area put together an independent Federal level team (probably Midget or Junior Federal) to participate in JBO invitational tournaments. In these tournaments, they will get to see how High School baseball is played, and will see how good the competition is in JBO. If there appears to be some interest, contact the JBO State Board or County in your area to see if either can send some Board members to explain JBO to a local group. Then, if you eventually get to the point of a possible transition, contact an Area that has recently "made the switch" to get advice on how to make the transition to a new association. The conclusion - - it's not simple, but it can be done and it's well worth the effort!!! GENERAL QUESTIONSWho do I contact if I have a concern or question?Questions or concerns should be addressed to the CCJBA Area Head for your local community. The local Area may forward issues that cannot be resolved locally to CCJBA for consideration.
How do I get my child signed up to play in Junior Baseball?
Contact the Area Head for your local community to find out when they hold sign-ups and tryouts (skill evaluations) for Junior Baseball. If your community does not have a Junior Baseball program, contact the Area Head from the Area closest to your community to determine if they have opportunities for your child to participate. If you cannot determine the appropriate Area, send an e-mail to one of the CCJBA County Board members listed on this site and they will attempt to direct you to the appropriate Junior Baseball Area.
Copyright © 2002 Clackamas County Junior Baseball Assn . All rights reserved.
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