North Boise Little League: News
T-Ball FAQs
Tee Ball Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How old are the kids who play Tee Ball?
Tee Ball is for boys and girls 5-6 years old who want to learn the fundamentals of hitting and fielding. A player who is league age 7 and has no prior baseball experience may play Tee Ball. In Tee Ball, players hit a ball off a batting tee. Rules of the game may be varied to accommodate the need for teaching. The primary goals of Tee Ball are to instruct children in the fundamentals of baseball/softball and to allow them to experience the value of teamwork. NBLL generally has team rosters in the 12-15 range. NBLL uses a 50-foot diamond. Boys and girls play on the same team.
Q. Do boys and girls play on the same teams?
Yes. Boys and girls play on the same teams.
Q. Does my child have to try-out to play on a team?
No. All teams are formed by North Boise’s Tee Ball director. Your child will not try-out for a team. Tee Ball teams are generally formed around the geographic area in which the player resides
Q. How many games and/or practices are there during the season?
There will usually be several practices before the first game, but no more than 2 per week. The number of practices will depend on the manager of your team. Once the season begins, there will be one game a week. Because of the instructive nature of Tee Ball, once games begin, whether or not to hold practice is left to the manager’s discretion.
Q. What are the rules of Tee Ball?
On each team’s at-bat, each player on that team gets to bat regardless of number of outs. There are outs in tee ball, but the side is not retired on three outs. After the last player on the roster bats, the half inning is over. Tee Ball games last 4 innings or 1.5 hours, whichever occurs first. Tee Ball games start at 6pm.The ball is hit by the batter off of an official little league tee and then the batter runs. Tee Ball baseball is about teaching the fundamentals of hitting, fielding, teamwork, safety and sportsmanship.
Q. Who will be coaching my child?
There are ten little league organizations in the Treasure Valley, including North Boise Little League. All 10 organizations are run solely by parent volunteers. These volunteers do everything from board positions to coaching, umpiring and running the concessions. You must volunteer to do something for your child's team. If you don't volunteer to manage your child's team, it will be the parent of one of their teammates. Like baseball and softball, the head coach of a Tee Ball is called the manager. The manager is required to attend a coaches clinic and pass a background check. Umpires are also parent volunteers and have to pass background checks.
Q. How do I find out my child's team?
Your manager will notify you either by phone or email. Your manager will schedule the first meeting/practice for the team and remind you of Field Day and Opening Day dates. Sometimes, this does not occur until a couple weeks before the season starts. Check the website for rosters and/or posted schedules.
Q. What is Field Day and Opening Day?
All of the fields in the North Boise Little League are maintained by the parent volunteers. On Field day, the parents of each team show up at the field their teams typically play games on, to fix up the field from winter damage. The fields are inspected by the player agents before field day and a list of what needs to be done is emailed to the parent groups. All of the fields for the other area little league organizations are also maintained by parent volunteers. As you play games on these different fields, you will see that some organizations prepare really nice fields for their kids. NBLL parents work hard to also prep safe and nice fields for our kids.
Opening day happens after field day. NBLL holds opening day on its field behind Hillside Junior High. Your coach will tell you what time your team is scheduled for pictures. Once you arrive, you will see a lot of "stations" where the teams practice running, hitting, pitching etc. Unless your coach indicates otherwise, report first to the picture station. Your child should be wearing his/her uniform and have their baseball glove. Once the team and individual team pictures are taken, the teams progress through all of the different activity stations. There are snacks for purchase and, usually, inflatable jumpers.
Q. What are the uniforms?
Tee Ball players wear a team t-shirt and hat that is given to them by the manager before opening day. Part of your registration fees pay for the shirt and hat. Your child can wear shorts or pants. There is no requirement to buy a certain color of pants or bottoms for the uniform. Alot of T-ballers prefer to have a pair of baseball pants for the games early in the season as sometimes it can get pretty chilly for them. A lot of parents also buy their kids cleats, but they are not necessary. You can buy these items at any sporting goods store or big discount stores that have a sporting goods section. Your manger will also give you a little league patch that will need to be sewn onto the upper left hand side of the t-shirt (some patches are iron ons).
Q. Do I need to bring/buy any equipment?
Your child will only need a glove and to be dressed appropriately. Another large part of the fees pay for quality equipment that NBLL provides to each manager. If your child has equipment that he or she would like to use, it will need to be inspected by the umpires. For example, only certain sizes of bats are allowed to be used in Tee Ball.
Q. Do the Tee Ball team umpires have to attend a clinic?
No. However, once your child is done with Tee Ball and graduates onto baseball or softball, you will have to attend a clinic to be a team umpire. Each of the teams in those upper leagues must have three umpires. Volunteering at the Tee Ball level is a great way to get a little experience at running the game and working with the kids as an umpire. Protective equipment is provided for each umpire. The umpires must pass a background check. If you are going to be a Tee Ball umpire, download the volunteer form, fill it out, and bring it to registration with a copy of your driver's license.
Q. Who keeps score?
There is no score keeping in Tee Ball.
Q. Are there any other league fundraisers I need to know about?
Yes! NBLL is constantly updating equipment and looking to expand and improve the fields. In addition to fees paid at registration, this money comes from either private businesses who receive advertising on the fields in return or from NBLL’s raffle. In the past, we have raised money by holding a raffle or having the teams sell items. Once the board decides the fundraiser, it will be announced. Anyone intersted in heading up this years' fundraiser please contact the board.
Sunday, October 7
2008 Pitching Changes
Oct. 3, 2007
Dear Little League Volunteers: Updated as of 11 a.m. ET, 10/3/07
As you know, the 2007 season was the first in which a mandatory pitch count was used in all baseball divisions of Little League.
The program has been an unqualified success, as districts and local leagues understood and embraced the important reasons for the change. They have done outstanding work in putting the regulation into effect.
We also are grateful for the continued support of Dr. James Andrews and Dr. Glenn Fleisig, who contributed invaluable data and advice in crafting the Pitch Count Pilot Program in 2005-’06, as well as the regulations and tournament rules in 2007. Dr. Andrews is the chairman and medical director for the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI) in Birmingham, Ala., and Dr. Fleisig is the research director at ASMI. They are the world’s foremost authorities on the subject of pitching-related injuries.
As noted when the regulations were first introduced, the regular season pitching regulations and tournament pitching rules were expected to evolve as time progressed. The ASMI, led by Dr. Andrews and Dr. Fleisig, have worked closely with Little League International to continue the development of this initiative.
“The first year of using pitch counts in Little League Baseball appears to be a success at all levels, and we are pleased that Little League continues to refine the program. The changes for the 2008 season reflect the leadership position Little League has taken to protect young pitching arms, and we wholeheartedly endorse these actions.”- James R. Andrews, M.D. and Glenn S. Fleisig, Ph.D.American Sports Medicine InstituteHere are the significant enhancements for the 2008 season for all divisions of baseball:
Regular Season Pitching Regulations- A pitch limit for pitchers league age 7-8 has been added, with a maximum of 50 pitches per day. Previously, the limit for these ages was the same as for pitchers who were league age 9-10.
- A provision has been added that prohibits a player who has been removed as a pitcher in a game from playing the position of catcher for the remainder of that day. This was a recommendation of Dr. Andrews and Dr. Fleisig, and is intended to further prevent overuse injuries. The position of catcher, according to Dr. Andrews and Dr. Fleisig, has the second-most overuse injuries, which can be acerbated by moving from pitcher to catcher in the same day. (However, moving from pitcher to any of the other seven positions, or from catcher to pitcher, apparently does not cause the same concerns.)
- Pitchers league age 16 and under who deliver 41 or more pitches in a game must also have a game of rest, in addition to the number of days rest prescribed. Pitchers league age 17-18 who deliver 51 or more pitches in a game must also have a game of rest, in addition to the number of days rest prescribed. This enhancement is designed to help ensure that teams develop more pitchers, and to help ensure that scheduling anomalies do not result in undue advantages for some teams.
- The “automatic” intentional walk was removed. If a pitcher wishes to intentionally walk a batter, he/she must do so by pitching four pitches intentionally outside the strike zone that are not struck at by the batter, and are called “balls” by the umpire. All such pitches will count in determining that pitcher’s pitch count.
- As noted above in the regular season regulations, a provision has been added that prohibits a player who has been removed as a pitcher in a game from playing the position of catcher for the remainder of that day.
- Pitchers league age 16 and under (except those 16-year-olds playing in Big League) who deliver 21 or more pitches in a game must also have a game of rest, in addition to the number of days rest prescribed. Big League Division pitchers league age 16-18 who deliver 36 or more pitches in a game must also have a game of rest, in addition to the number of days rest prescribed.
- A rule allowing the pitcher of record in a suspended game to continue pitching on a subsequent day in that game has been added. However, in the case of a game resumed more than one day after the suspended game, the number pitches delivered in a game in between those dates will also be used to determine eligibility.
- Failure by the manager to remove a pitcher before that pitcher becomes ineligible will result in the suspension of the manager for the next two tournament games, with further penalties possible if the Tournament Committee deems that the infraction merits it. (This removes the automatic forfeiture penalty. However, the Tournament Committee could impose a forfeit if the situation warrants it.)
- The “automatic” intentional walk was removed, as noted in the regular season regulation above.
We also continue to receive advice from volunteers regarding breaking balls. All of the evidence so far points to overuse at the main reason for pitching-related injuries. However, Little League continues to monitor this situation, and is in fact taking part in a multi-year scientific study that we hope will settle this issue. Once that study is complete, Little League will take the appropriate measures.
Thank you for your efforts in making 2007 a great year, and for your service in the coming season. Sincerely,Little League InternationalSunday, October 7
2008 Pitching Rule Q&A
Oct. 4, 2007
Dear Little League Volunteers:
This is a follow-up to the notice we sent earlier this week regarding the updated and enhanced pitching rules for baseball.
The response, as we expected, was excellent. Most volunteers realize that protecting young pitching arms is the right thing to do, and that Little League always has safety as its primary concern. We are gratified to know that the vast majority of Little League volunteers feel the same way.
A few questions did arise, and we would like to answer them below.
Pitchers and Catchers: “Regarding the prohibition for a pitcher to play the position of catcher later in the day/game – does it make a difference if the pitcher is removed based on the pitch count, or just removed for ineffectiveness before the pitch count is reached? What if the pitcher is not removed and finishes a game – could he/she be a catcher in a game later that day? Why not also restrict a player from moving from catcher to pitcher?”
Answer: The intent of the rule is based on the fact that experts in pitching injuries say that a player who warms up to pitch, and then pitches in a game, should not play the position of catcher for the remainder of that day. Any other position is acceptable. The same is not true for a player moving from catcher to pitcher. This portion of the regulations and rules has been clarified. You can find the text of the regular season pitching regulation here and the tournament rules here .
Game of Rest: There is now a requirement for a game of rest under some circumstances – does that mean the player cannot play at all in the game in which he/she must rest?
Answer: The rest requirement in this case only applies to pitching – same as it always has been in tournament play. The pitcher who needs a game of rest is only prohibited from pitching in that specific game.
More Pitchers: “Won’t this mean our managers and coaches will have to develop more pitchers?
Answer: Yes, managers and coaches will need to develop more pitchers.
Again, the complete regular season pitching regulation for baseball may be found at: http://www.littleleague.org/media/RS_Pitching_Regulation_Changes_Baseball_2008.pdf The complete tournament pitching rule for baseball may be found at: http://www.littleleague.org/media/T_Pitching_Rule_Changes_Baseball_2008.pdfThank you again for your service to the children and families of your community. Sincerely,
Little League InternationalP.O. Box 3485539 US Route 15 HwyWilliamsport, PA 17701-0485Phone: 570-326-1921Fax: 570-326-1074
