MINORS
AGE
· Players ages 8 – 10 play Minors (League Age).
SKILLS AND DIVISION EMPHASIS
· Players are competing in games with 3 outs per inning
· Kids are pitching with umpires calling balls and strikes
· All players are encouraged to pitch
· Scores are kept, but runs are limited to 5 per inning in order to manage the competitive balance of the games
· Base distances are 60 feet, the pitching distance is 46 feet
· Team standings are maintained and there is an end of season playoff
HOW ARE TEAMS DETERMINED?
· All 10 and 9 years old attend a Showcase (tryout).
· The coaches select the players using a serpentine draft process
· Friend and coach requests are not used to determine the teams
· All 10 year olds MUST play in the Minors
· The coaches determine if the 9 year olds have the necessary skills to play in the Minors
· Highly skilled 8 year olds may request to be considered for Minors
· There are 11 players per team
HOW MANY GAMES AND TEAMS ARE THERE?
· The Minors usually has 6-8 teams in the Spring and they play 14 games, plus the playoffs
WHEN AND WHERE ARE THE GAMES AND PRACTICES?
· Practices for all divisions are generally held at the Tempe Sports Complex; however, some coaches choose to have practices at the local parks or schools.
· The coach has discretion to select the specific times, days and locations of the practices
· Some games are held at Mantei Field (Clark Park) or Stottlemyer Field (Guadelupe).
· Some practices are held at Connelley Middle School or McKemy Middle School.
· Games are on Tuesday and Thursday nights at 5:30pm and Saturdays at 5:30pm
· Practices are generally on Tuesdays and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings
SIGNIFICANT RULES
· Nine players are in the field defensively
· Players are required to play the infield for a minimum of one inning per game
· Players do not sit out defensively for two consecutive innings
· Teams bat until 3 outs are recorded or 5 runs are scored
· No new inning can start after 1 hour and 40 minutes
· Pitch count limits exist for players with specific rest time required between games
· Catchers are restricted to 4 innings if they also pitch
· Players are allowed to steal second and third base
· No leads off the bases are allowed
· There are no dropped third strike or infield fly rules for this division
ALL STARS
· For those players with the passion and the talent to compete at a high level (and families able to make the commitment), Tempe South selects a team of its best skilled players to participate in the District All Star Tournament.
· TSLL plays other teams from the District: Chandler, Ahwatukee, Guadelupe and Rio Salado.
· Winners of the District tournament advance to play in the State Championship.
· This group of players will receive advanced baseball training and conditioning to prepare for some very advanced tournament play.
· The All Stars teams organize and compete after the completion of the Spring TSLL season. The teams practice and play games in June and early July
· There are 4 All Star teams: 8-10, 10-11, 11-12, 13-14