Four County Little League of Mt. Airy, MD: FAQs
What is the structure of Four County Little League baseball?
How long will the season last?
Where are Four County Little League games played?
What days and times are the games played?
Who umpires Four County Little League games?
When will the practices begin?
How often and long will my child practice?
What equipment will my child need before the first practice or game?
Are there any uniform supplies my child needs?
When will I find out what team my child will play on?
How is my child placed on a team?
Can my child be placed on a team with one of their friends?
If my child is unhappy with the team they are placed on, can they switch teams?
Can I keep my child down in a lower division or bring him/her up a division a year early?
Are there any rules around minimum playing time?
Are there Time Limits on games?
How many managers/coaches can be on a team?
What are the responsibilities of a manager and a coach?
Are there conduct rules that apply during games?
What is the playoff structure?
Who is responsible for staffing the concessions stands at the Four County Little League fields?
Who do I contact if I have a problem that needs to be resolved by the league?
What is available on the website?
What is the structure of Four County Little League baseball?
Four County Little League Baseball is comprised of five levels of instruction and play: T-Ball Clinic, T-Ball, Rookies, Minors and Majors. A description of each level of play is available on the Divisions page. 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.
Four County Little League has established age cutoffs to ensure players develop appropriately in terms of skills, knowledge, and sportsmanship. Four County 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 Player Agent and Board of Directors.
Pitching distances are scaled to the ability of the players in proportion to the size of the diamonds. The scaled down diamonds in the lower divisions allow the players to make the same plays made by the upper division players on larger diamonds.
Four County 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 check the Four County Little League calendar on the FCLL web page for exact league dates and events. Typically, the season begins on the first or second Saturday in March and extends through the second week of June. An Opening Day event kicks off the first games of the season.
The Four County Little League regular game season usually lasts from 13-14 weeks from March through June, and including division playoff games. The season is extended for players that are selected to the District 2 All-Star tournament and Emory Frye tournament teams. Please consider your vacation plans if you have a child that may be selected to these teams.
Four County Little League utilizes a number of baseball fields in the Mount Airy area. Field locations and directions can be found on the Fields page.
All teams in Four County Little League are scheduled for at least one game a week, and in some divisions teams are scheduled for games twice a week. Game days are typically Monday through Saturday. Game times vary by Division. Weekday games generally will begin at 6:00 p.m. Saturday games generally begin at 10:00 a.m. It is Four County Little League's desire to have games be completed by 8:30 p.m. on weekdays. Inclement weather or other events may cause a game to be postponed. Games are rescheduled when possible based upon field availability. It is recommended that players arrive at the field 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.
Four County Little League uses a combination of parents and volunteer umpires. Four County Little League offers numerous opportunities to learn how to umpire. (Click here for more information) A plate umpire and a field umpire are used in all Majors and Minors Division games unless scheduling issues arise causing a shortage of available umpires. In the T-Ball and Rookies divisions coaches manage the flow of the game.
Four County Little League targets the middle 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 second or third week of April. For Minors and Majors, practices typically begin within or to two weeks after draft night. Actual first practices will depend upon weather and formation of teams.
Practice frequency and duration are up to the team manager. Practice dates are built into the game schedule based upon field availability. A manager may choose to schedule additional practices on their own if they have access to suitable practice facilities.
Four County Little League schedules field practice times at the regular playing fields, however, many teams also 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.
What equipment will my child need before the first practice or game?
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. Four County 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. The jerseys don't provide much warmth, so it is a good idea to purchase a long-sleeve baseball shirt to match the color of your child's team. Your manager will provide more specifics as for the color. 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 players should bring a windbreaker, jacket, or sweatshirt to every game and practice, especially early in the season.
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.
If you are new to Four County Little League baseball and your child is between 9 and 12 years old your child will be entered into the general draft pool. It is strongly recommended that your child attend the player evaluations so that his skills may be assessed and he can be placed at the right playing level.
Similarly, if your child is moving to a new division (from Rookies to Minors or from Minors to Majors) he will be entered into the general draft pool.
Please note that if your child was in the Minors or Majors last year and he remains in the same division he will be placed on the same team, as long as that manager is also returning to the same division. This follows the official guidelines of Little League Baseball. If you desire that your child not be with the same team/manager as last year you must contact the Division Director (Director of Majors at majors@fcllbaseball.org, or Director of Minors at minors@fcllbaseball.org) or Player Agent (playeragent@fcllbaseball.org) to request that your be child entered into the general draft.
Four County Little League allows friends to request to be placed on the same team together only in the T-ball division and Rookies Divisions. In the Minors division, a request may be made, but there is no guarantee that it will be approved. Players are distributed based on ratings in a balanced process to form teams. In the Majors division there are absolutely no requests due to the player selection process of the draft. The upper division teams are created using a balanced draft process that helps to promote even and competitive leagues.
If my child is unhappy with the team they are placed on, can they switch teams?
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 Four County Little League's Player Agent for consideration by the Board of Directors. Approval requires extenuating circumstances, so any request is highly unlikely to be approved, and in most cases we will ask the 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.
If my child decides to quit, is it possible to get a refund?
A refund is available upon request prior to the close of registration. A refund of 50% is available if a request is received prior to Opening Day. After Opening Day, NO REFUNDS are allowed.
Can I keep my child down in a lower division or bring him/her up a division a year early?
Four County Little League strongly supports age appropriate competition and development. Four County 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 Player Agent and Divisional Directors. 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 Player Agent. A decision will be made to allow the player to play down.
Rules will vary per division regarding playing time. In the T-ball division, all players play in the field and all players bat in a continuous batting order. Continuous batting orders are used for the other divisions, however, fielders are limited to 9 players. There are minimums for innings played in all divisions. Refer to the local rules posted on the Four County Little League web site.
T-ball games are limited to 1-hour. Rookies games may play up to 2 hours. Minors and Majors division games are limited to 2 ½ 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 should 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. Four County 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.
The playoff structure differs based on the division of play. The Minors Division relies on a “pool play” structure where each team is guaranteed three games. The top teams will play a final playoff game. The Majors Division has a single playoff game between the two teams with the best season records.
Who is responsible for staffing the concessions stands at the Four County Little League fields?
Upon registering a player for participation in Four County 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 several shifts to fulfill at some point during the season. The Four County Little League's Concessions Committee is responsible for stocking the concessions stand. Home team parent volunteers are responsible for opening and setting up and staffing the concession stand during their games. Please do your part in support of operating the concessions stand.
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. However, please first discuss any concerns with your child's manager, then with the division's Director (who is a Board Member assigned to oversee that Division). Contact information is on the Four County Little League web site under the "FCLL Board" link. You are also welcome to attend a Board meeting and express your concerns directly to the Board. The Four County Little League Board meets every first Wednesday of each month throughout the year, with meeting locations varying. Board of Directors meeting times and locations are posted on the Calendar.
The league's web site is at www.fcllbaseball.org. The site offers all the information you need to stay informed about events, schedules, rules, board member contacts, sponsorship information, baseball clinics, umpire training, etc. If you have a question that is still unanswered, please contact the league at president@fcllbaseball.org.
