All Minor league levels are an instructional level; the goal of the Minor league is to build on the fundamentals of hitting, fielding, and throwing while being introduced to recreational competitiveness. At this level, players will continue to have fun while experiencing teamwork, sportsmanship, and a passion for the game.
Minor Level:
- Age: 7 – 9 years old (6yo can play with Admin. approval)
- Age as of December 31, 2024 (Fall '24/Spring '25 Seasons)
- Game: 6 innings or 1:45 time limit (No new inning). Coaches will call balls and strikes from behind the pitcher.
- Hitting: Players will be hitting off of a player. However, there are no walks in this division. A coach will step in to pitch remaining strikes in a count if a walk would have occurred. A 6yo player will receive five (5) coach pitches. Every coach pitch is a strike whether the player swings or not.
- Baserunning: Players will be allowed to steal 2nd and 3rd base ONLY on passed balls/wild pitches by the player pitcher. There will be no steals of home in this division. There will be no steals while a Coach is pitching. One (1) base can be taken on an overthrow.
- Field Size: The field size is a traditional 200' fence softball field, but utilizing a 60' base path and pitching is at 35' distance.
- Ball Type: 11″ softball
- Team Formation: Spring seasons will hold a skills assessment and subsequent draft where coaches will select their teams. Fall seasons the teams will be formed as competitively as possible based on the known skills of returning players, with new players being evenly distributed.
- Competition: Players compete in a full season, with the Fall season offering approx. 8 games, and the Spring season approx. 12 games. Teams will play other VBLL Minor teams as well as potentially home and away games against teams throughout District 8, with a post-season Playoff (Spring only) and are eligible to be selected to participate in All Star competition (Spring only).
- All Stars: A 7/8yo All Star team as well as an 8/9/10 All Star team is typically formed near the end of the Spring season for the District tournament. The 7/8 team will only compete in the District tournament. The 8/9/10 team will compete in the District tournament, and then can advance to the State tournament if they are the District champion.