FRANK MANNING LITTLE LEAGUE has established age cutoffs to ensure players develop appropriately in terms of skills, knowledge, and sportsmanship. FRANK MANNING LITTLE LEAGUE has established age brackets that players need to participate in, however, there are situations where some players may play down due to safety risks upon approval of the League President.

FRANK MANNING LITTLE LEAGUE is managed by an elected Board of Directors that administers the league in line with established bylaws. The league is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization.

FMLL does not impose a registration deadline in order to accommodate as many players as possible. FMLL has online registration and can take registrations via the web for weeks prior to our walk up registration dates and days after as long as there are still slots on the teams, giving parents more time to register. In order to accommodate the most players, we determine the number of teams in each division the day after the last walk-up registration date. We can then determine the number of coaches we will need so that they can be at tryouts and then all coaches can see all of the players. This way, the draft can be as fair as possible and the talent on the teams be fairly distributed. At this time in the process, depending on the number of coaches we can recruit (returning or new), we may be completely full in a division. However, most times we have a few slots to fill. In order to make it fair to the players and give them all fair play time we try to limit the number of players on a team to 12. Obviously, we can not continue to add players endlessly and expect them all to get play time. We can not simply create another team, when we have to consider coaches, scheduling, uniforms and field availabillty. Therefore, in order to be fairest to all of the players, we operate on a first come, first served basis. The phrase "space is limited" that is on the website communicates the need to sign up as soon as possible.

Please check the FRANK MANNING LITTLE LEAGUE calendar on the FMLL web page for exact league dates and events. Typically, the season begins on the last Monday in March. An Opening Day weekend event kicks off the first of the season.

The FRANK MANNING LITTLE LEAGUE regular game season usually lasts from 11-12 weeks from March through June, and includes divisional playoff games. The season is extended for players that are selected to the District 36 All-Star tournament teams. Please consider your vacation plans if you have a child that may be selected to these teams.

FRANK MANNING LITTLE LEAGUE utilizes the baseball complex at 6500 Cloudview Drive for all division games.

All teams in FRANK MANNING LITTLE LEAGUE are scheduled for at least one game a week. Game days are typically Monday through Saturday.

Saturday games will generally start at 8am, 9:45 am, 11:30am, 1:15pm, 3:30 pm, 5:45 pm, and 8:00pm. Weekday games generally will begin at 5:30pm and 7:30pm. It is recommended that players arrive at the field an additional 45-60 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.

FRANK MANNING LITTLE LEAGUE uses a combination of parent volunteers and paid umpires. In the lower divisions, the volunteers are parents of FMLL players in those divisions. In the upper divisions, the volunteers are both parents, certified umpires, and trained students. All umpires are required to attend training clinics. A plate umpire and a field umpire are used in all games, unless a scheduling issue arises causing a shortage of available umpires.

FRANK MANNING LITTLE LEAGUE targets the first of March for all teams to start practicing. The goal is for teams to be in a position to begin practices at least 3-4 weeks before Opening Day, which is the last week of March. Actual first practices will depend upon weather and formation of teams.

Practice frequency and duration are up to the team manager. Machine Pitch teams practice an average of two times a week for anywhere from 60-90 minutes. Minors and Majors teams may practice 3-4 times a week prior to the season and 2-3 times per week after the season starts. Minors and Majors teams generally practice for two hours a session.

FRANK MANNING LITTLE LEAGUE schedules field practice times at the Little League complex, however, most teams find a local park or other sports field to conduct practice. You will know where your child will practice once your child is placed on a team and your manager contacts you.

Players should arrive at their first practice with a glove, hat, baseball pants, and rubber molded cleats. A baseball bag is recommended to transport bats, batting gloves, water bottles, hats, and other items.

A uniform consists of a pair of baseball pants, belt, a baseball jersey, a hat, and a pair of all-in-one baseball socks. FRANK MANNING LITTLE LEAGUE will provide each player a team jersey and a team hat. Due to individual fittings, players need to provide the baseball pants, belt, and socks. The jersey and hat are the player's to keep. Rubber cleats are highly recommended, and steel spikes are not allowed. A quality leather glove is a must. It is recommended to stay away from vinyl and simulated leather gloves that may be cheaper, but tend to cause the player a great deal of frustration. It is impossible to form a pocket in gloves made of vinyl or simulated leather. Therefore, the ball tends to pop out when the player attempts to catch it.

All teams should be formed by late February or the beginning of March. Your child's manager will notify you of the team's first meeting. If you don't hear from a team manager by mid-March, please contact a league official.

FRANK MANNING LITTLE LEAGUE players are distributed based on ratings in a balanced process to form teams. Requests may be made, but there is no guarantee that it will be approved. The teams are created using a balanced draft process that helps promote even and competitive leagues.

Only in extreme cases does the league allow children to switch teams after the teams have been formed. Such requests must be made in writing to FRANK MANNING LITTLE LEAGUE's divisional player represenatives for consideration by the League President. Approval requires extenuating circumstances, so any request is highly unlikely to be approved, and in most cases we will ask the that player remains with their team. Team balance is established early on, and changes of this type are difficult if not impossible to implement without upsetting the balance that has been established or causing another child to move to another team unwillingly.

A refund is available upon request prior to tryouts, skills assessments or player evaluations. A refund of 50% is available if a request is received prior to Opening Day. After Opening Day, NO REFUNDS are allowed. All refunds are subject to a ten dollar ($10) processing fee.

FRANK MANNING LITTLE LEAGUE strongly supports age appropriate competition and development. FRANK MANNING LITTLE LEAGUE does not allow players to move up a division early or to play down a division to develop additional skills without approval from the League President. The only time an adjustment may be made is when there is a safety risk to a player playing in their age appropriate division. At that time, a parent request needs to be made to the League President. A decision will be made to allow the player to play down.

Options are picks that each manager has available prior to the division drafts. The options pertain to the manager's own child and/or their coach's child. Managers must request an option, and options are granted upon approval from the League President. Refer to the FRANK MANNING LITTLE LEAGUE draft rules document.

Rules will vary per division regarding playing time. In the Machine Pitch and Minors divisions, 10 players play in the field and all players bat in a continuous batting order. Continuous batting order is not used for the major division, in addition, fielders are limited to 9 players. There are minimums for innings played in all divisions. Refer to the local rules posted on the FRANK MANNING LITTLE LEAGUE web site.

Machine Pitch division games are limited to 1 hour 30 minutes. Minors and Majors division games are limited to 2-hours.

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 application to the league.

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 mid-February to start of 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 pre-season coaching clinic provided by the league, and a manager's meeting with the division representative. As well, they must schedule and conduct a parent meeting prior to the first practice of the season. Managers are assisted by a volunteer team parent that helps with things like concession stand scheduling, fundraising events, uniform distribution, and picture day.

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. Coaches need to attend a pre-season clinic provided by the league. All actions of an assistant coach during games are the ultimate responsibility of the manager.

Absolutely. FRANK MANNING 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 complex for additional games.

FRANK MANNING LITTLE LEAGUE 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.

Upon registering a player for participation in FRANK MANNING LITTLE LEAGUE, the player's parent(s) agree to serve a shift in the snack bar when asked by the Team Parent. Each team must staff their shift as scheduled by the Concessions manager. Each team typically has 1-2 shifts to fulfill at some point during the season. The FRANK MANNING LITTLE LEAGUE's Concessions Committee is responsible for stocking, opening, and setting up the concessions stand prior to the first game each day. Please do your part in support of operating the concessions stand.

If at any time you have a problem or just want information, you can e-mail the league at any time. However, please first discuss any concerns with your child's manager, then with the division's player representative (who is a Board Member assigned to oversee that Division). Contact information is on the FRANK MANNING LITTLE LEAGUE web site under the "FMLL Board" link. You are also welcome to attend a Board meeting and express your concerns directly to the Board with prior approval from the League President. The FRANK MANNING LITTLE LEAGUE Board meets each month throughout the year, with meeting locations varying.