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Chandler American Little League FAQ’s

• What is the structure of CHANDLER AMERICAN LITTLE LEAGUE baseball?

Chandler American Little League has five levels of play for boys and girls ages 5-14: T-Ball, Coach Pitch, Minors, Majors and Juniors. Depending upon the level, the playing fields are slightly different in terms of length of base paths, distance from pitching mound, and distance to the outfield fences from home plate.

Chandler American Little League has established age brackets for each division to ensure players develop appropriately in terms of skills, knowledge, and sportsmanship. There are situations where some players may play down a division due to safety risks. The general age brackets are based on the child’s age on April 30 for that season:

Division	Age (April 30th)
T-Ball	5-6 Years Old
Coach Pitch	6-8 Years Old
Minors	8-11 Years Old
Majors	10-12 Years Old
Juniors	13-14 Years Old

• What are the residency requirements?

All players must be residents of Chandler zip codes 85226 or 85224.  A copy of a Birth Certificate and proof of residency is required at time of tryouts for those registering online.

• How long will the season last?

The  regular game season starts in third week of March and usually lasts until the first week in June, which includes division playoff games. The season is extended into July for players that are selected to the District 13 All-Star tournament teams. Please consider your vacation plans if you have a child that may be selected to these teams.

• Where are Chandler American Little League games played?

Chandler American Little League utilizes the city of Chandlers baseball fields at West Chandler Ballpark located at South Kyrene Rd. & Frye Rd.

Junior division will also play interleague at Diablo stadium and Snedigar fields.

• What days and times are the games played?

All teams in Chandler American Little League are scheduled for games twice a week. Game days are typically Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday.

Weekday games generally will begin at 5:30pm. Managers determine when to show up before game time, but it is recommended that players arrive at the field at least 45 minutes prior to game time so they can properly warm up, and managers can get the line-up cards ready prior to the start of the game.

• Who umpires Chandler American Little League games?

Chandler American Little League uses paid adult umpires for the upper divisions (Minors, Majors, Juniors) and our assisted by youth umpires in field who have participated in instruction and clinics.   An adult plate umpire are used in games, unless a scheduling issue arises causing a shortage of available umpires. In the T-Ball and Coach Pitch divisions, coaches manage the flow of the game, with possible help from volunteer parents.

• When will the practices begin?

Chandler American Little League targets the middle of February for teams to start practicing. The goal is for teams to be in a position to begin practices at least 4-5 weeks before Opening Day, which is the second or third week of March. Actual first practices will depend upon the individual teams.

• Where is Chandler American Little League teams practice?

Teams typically practice at the city of Chandlers baseball fields at West Chandler Ballpark located at South Kyrene Rd. & Frye Rd.  However, team managers may elect other local parks to conduct practice.

• Where, how often and how long will my child practice?

Practice location, frequency and duration are up to the team manager. Managers can schedule field practice times at West Chandler  fields, coordinating with other teams. Generally, T-ball teams practice no more than one time per week for no more than one hour. Coach pitch teams practice one to two times a week for anywhere from 60-90 minutes. Minors, Majors and Juniors teams usually practice two or three times a week until games begin, for about 60-90 minutes a session.  All teams typically practice one time a week after games begin.

• What equipment will my child need before the first practice or game?

Players should arrive at their first practice with a glove, baseball pants, rubber molded cleats and a batting helmet. A baseball bag is recommended to transport bats, batting gloves, water bottles, hats, and other items. Some bats are provided by the league, but you are welcome to bring your own bats to practices and games. Please make sure all personally owned equipment is labeled with a name and phone number so CALL can return it if lost. Catcher's equipment is provided by the league.

• Are there any uniform supplies my child needs?

A uniform consists of a pair of baseball pants, belt, a baseball jersey, a hat, and a pair of all-in-one baseball socks. Chandler American Little League is fortunate  to offer a complete uniform for each player.

Rubber cleats are highly recommended, and steel spikes (except Juniors) are not allowed. A quality leather glove is highly recommended.

• When will I find out what team my child will play on?

Minors and Majors teams will be formed after tryouts and assessments take place in early February . T-ball and Coach Pitch  teams will be formed as soon as possible, but usually by mid February. If you get your registration in early, it makes it easier for CALL to get the teams formed sooner.   Juniors teams may continue to be formed as late as early March.

• Can my child be placed on a team with one of their friends?

Chandler American Little League allows friends to request to be on the same team together in the T-ball and Coach Pitch divisions. Please indicate friend request with a note on the registration form.

In the Minors and Majors divisions, players are distributed based on assessments and a balanced draft to promote even and competitive teams. In the Juniors division, there may only be one team. If there are enough players for more teams, they are drafted onto the teams after tryouts.

• Can I keep my child down in a lower division or bring him/her up a division a year early?

Chandler American Little League strongly supports age appropriate competition and development. Chandler American Little League does not allow players to play down a division unless there is a safety risk to a player when playing in their age appropriate division. At that time, a parent request needs to be made to the Player Agent and Division Coordinator. A decision will be made to allow the player to play down. Players may play up a division only if they go through the tryout process for Minors and Majors. 8 year olds can tryout to play in Minors . A few 10 year olds may play in Majors. 13 and 14 year olds must play in Juniors.

• How does the draft work?

The goal of the draft for Minors and Majors is to improve the Little League experience by simply emphasizing balance among teams for a safe, fair and fun level of competition. Juniors, Coach Pitch and T-ball Divisions do not draft players to a team. Players for those divisions will be assigned to teams by the CALL Division coordinators, based on age and player/coach requests. 

• • All players 9-12 are required to attend the tryout for their age group. 8 year olds can also tryout (with the 9 year olds) if they want to play at the Minors level. If they are not drafted, they will play at the Coach Pitch level.
  • On tryout day, players are grouped according to age. They will go through several drills, and coaches will assess them on throwing, fielding, running and hitting.
  • Majors coaches will draft players from all tryout attendees, 11 and older.  10 year olds must elect to be candidate for Majors prior or at time of tryout.  All 12 year olds will play in Major divison.
  • Minors coaches will then draft players from all of the remaining tryout attendees.
  • Players from 9 to 11 years old that are unable to attend the tryouts will be placed on Minors teams (by the Minors Coordinator and Player Agent) with an emphasis on balancing player ages.
  • Only Manager siblings are protected in draft

• How long are the games?

T-ball and Coach Pitch games are about 1 ½ -hour long. Minor and Major games can not start a new inning after 1 hour 45 minutes and must stop at 2 hours. Junior games can not start a new inning after 2 hour 15 minutes and must stop at 2 hours 30 minutes.

• How many managers/coaches can be on a team?

Every team has a manager approved by the Board of Directors. Each team's manager can have as many assistants as they can find for practices, but only two assistant coaches are allowed in the dugout during games. Any manager or coach that comes into contact with players MUST submit a national Little League volunteer application to the league president, and undergo a background check before being allowed to coach.

• What are the responsibilities of a manager and a coach?

The team manager oversees the management of the team throughout the season. They are responsible for setting a practice schedule, developing a practice format, creating a lineup card for every game, and ensuring kids get their minimum playing time in each game. Managers are the focal point of the team and must be committed to following through with managing the team from February to June. Time commitment is usually around 8-10 hours a week depending upon division. Managers need to be able to commit to be at all practices and games. Managers also must attend a manager's meeting with the division coordinator. Managers may be assisted by a volunteer team parent that helps with things like scheduling and contacts.

Two assistant coaches are allowed in the dugout during games. However, a manager may elect to use more than two coaches during practice. Coaches provide support during practice to ensure kids get enough attention while developing their skills. Coaches are under the guidance and direction of the manager. Typically, a manager will design a practice format and have assistants take care of coaching small groups of players, assisting with batting practice, hitting fungos, or other assistant duties. Assistant coaches should commit to be at all practices and games, generally about 6-8 hours a week depending upon division. All actions of an assistant coach during games are the ultimate responsibility of the manager.

• Are there conduct rules that apply during games?

Absolutely. Chandler American Little League does not tolerate foul language or taunting at any level by the players, parents, managers, or coaches. Any spectator, player, manager or coach that is warned is subject to being ejected from the premises and banned from the fields for additional games.

• What is the playoff structure?

Chandler American Little League Minors and Majors teams play an entire regular season with the final standings establishing the seeding for a post-season double-elimination tournament. This approach allows all of the teams to work on developing the skills of each and every player on the team. Managers do not have to win every game, and as a result, they can play kids in positions where they can learn without the overriding pressure to "not lose". The end product is a playoff tournament where every game is a good contest, and the lower seeded teams often rise up. This is by far the best approach to overall player development.

• Do I have to participate in any fundraising?

Chandler American Little League has many fundraising such a local sponsors, individual donations, D-Backs day, opening day silent auction and raffles. In addition, every player will require selling a box of candy.  Registration fees and fundraising are used for Little League fees, equipment, field rental, uniforms, umpires, and other costs.

• Who do I contact if I have a problem that needs to be resolved by the league?

If at any time you have a problem or just want information, you can e-mail the league at any time. You are encourage to discuss any concerns with your child's manager, then with the division's coordinator (who is a Board Member assigned to oversee that Division) and the CALL Player Agent. Contact information is on the Chandler American Little League web site. You are also welcome to attend a Board meeting and express your concerns directly to the Board.

• What is available on the website?

The league's web site is at www.eteamz.com/chandleramerican/. The site offers all the information you need to stay informed about events, schedules, rules, board member contacts, sponsorship information, baseball clinics, etc. If you have a question that is still unanswered, please contact the league via email. 

• What volunteer positions are available?

      Chandler American Little League is managed by an elected Board of Directors that administer the league in line with established bylaws. The league is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization.

Please come to any board to see how you might help out.   You may chose to help with specific team duties as a coach or team parent.  You may also choose to help with administrative duties or various committees to organize events throughout the season.

Thanks to everyone for your continued support of Chandler American Little League!