Little League requires that all league age 12 year olds be drafted to a Major Division team. For new players only or players with extenuating circumstances, parents may request their son or daughter be placed in the AAA level of play. This request must be approved by the Board of Directors and National Little League prior to the tryouts in late February. Contact the Player Agent for details on the process.
The Major division of Baseball & Softball utilize a draft system designed by Little League for team placement.
This process begins with the "call for candidates" or registration. All registering players league age 10, 11 and 12 year olds who did not participate on a Major division team in the prior spring season, are required to participate in the tryout process. The tryout schedule is posted on our website.
During the tryout sessions players will demonstrate skills of throwing, fielding, and hitting. Major division managers will attend each try out session to assess all the players, or draft candidates as they are called.
The Draft will proceed in accordance with the guidelines outlined by Little League. Managers will draft players, in the designated order, based on their assessment of a players skill and the needs of their team which includes, but is not limited to, roster availability, player position needs, team personality, etc.
Players who are not drafted to a Major Division team will then be placed on a AAA level team. All league age 12 year olds must participate in the try outs and will be drafted.
The Major division tryouts is the opportunity for our major division managers to assess the skills of all the players eligible for participation in the Major Division of play. Based on the skill level of the players trying out, and the needs of the team, managers will draft players in accordance with our league's draft plan.
All players, league age 10, 11, and 12, who did not participate on a major division team in the prior spring season, are required to participate in the tryouts. This is necessary to maintain the integrity of the tryout and draft process. The skill level of players within a division of play may vary each year necessitating the need for annual tryouts by all players. Players unable to attend their scheduled time, must contact the Player Agent in advance to re-schedule their time.
Alderwood Little League has adopted the following policy. League age 10 and 11 year old players who fail to participate in tryouts will be placed in the AAA level of play, additionally returning players will not be placed with teammates of the prior year unless such placement is approved by the Board of Directors. Players requesting "non-draft" status must obtain approval from the Board of Directors in advance of the tryouts. Players granted "non-draft" status will be placed in AAA level of play and will not be placed with teammates of the prior year unless such placement is approved by the Board of Directors. (See note on side bar regarding league age 12 year olds.)
Contact the Player Agent for more information.
Allowing a player to request placement on a team in a division which utilizes the draft system would compromise the draft process. Players therefore are not allowed to request, or decline participation on any team within a drafted division.
One allowable exception is when the son or daughter of a manager of a team in the division is participating in the draft, the manager may request their son or daughter be "protected" in the draft such that they intend to draft their child during the designated draft round.
The second allowable exception is the sibling of a player in the draft who has a brother or sister already on a team within the same division of play. Managers may request to "protect" the sibling of their current player against drafting by another team through the designated round. As additional factors, may influence the ability for a manager to draft a sibling, parents should contact the Player Agent to discuss further.
Siblings who are participating in the same draft pool, i.e. trying out for the same level of play, are not guaranteed to be drafted to the same team. Parents with siblings within the same draft pool may contact the Player Agent to further discuss options.
