Welcome to LMLL Softball!!

We’re excited to get your player out on the field! Below you will find generally frequently asked questions about Softball and divisions specific questions. 

Softball Divisions

• Tee Ball (Pre-K and K)
• Rookies (1st and 2nd grades)
• Minors (3rd and 4th grades)
• Majors (5th and 6th grades)
• Juniors (7th, 8th, 9th and 10th grades)

General FAQs

• Who can play? Players of all skill levels are welcome!! We are a very inclusive and fun-focused league!
• Do we need to be township residents? Lower Merion Little League is open to residents of Lower Merion Township and the Borough of Narberth and/or children that attend a school in Lower Merion Township or Narberth.
• How long is the season? The Fall season starts early September and ends mid-October. The Spring season starts in late March and ends in early June.
• When will I learn what team my player will be on? Parents will be contacted (via email) by the player’s head coach by the the middle/third week in March in the Spring and late August in the Fall. They will provide field schedule information, team name and other players on it, and any additional logistical information. Please be sure we have your preferred email address when you register online.
• What about drop offs? LMLL requires each player to have a parent (or other responsible adult, e.g., neighbor, grandparent, nanny, etc.) present for the duration of the practice and game.

Softball Tee Ball

Softball Tee Ball is designed to be instructional and non-competitive for children of all abilities. Players are generally in Pre-K and K. Players must be born after 8/31/2020 to play. 

How are players assigned to teams? Softball Tee Ball division players are assigned to teams by coaches and commissioner, to determine teams that will be of equal playing ability. Caregivers are allowed to make 1-2 "friend requests" for their child.

When are games and practices? Softball tee ball meets once per week for two hours on Saturdays (and possibly 1 team will play Sundays if demand allows). Coaches will provide some skill instruction and practice for 20 minutes before the game. 

What do you do in practice? Coaches introduce players to softball fundamentals, including proper throwing mechanics, hitting fundamentals, basic fielding skills, the names and locations of field positions, and base running. We emphasize having fun together as a team, learning positive sportsmanship, and developing players’ confidence in their athletic abilities. 

How do tee ball games work?

• Players bat off a tee at home plate. 
• Every batter gets a hit, and advances to first base. Innings change after all players on each team bat once. 
• Fielders throw hit balls to first base, and rotate field positions every inning so everyone has a chance to play all positions. 
• Games should run to about 1 hour and 10-20 minutes or so. 
• No score is kept.  

What do we need to bring each Saturday? Players need: (1) a baseball/softball glove, (2) water bottle, (3) team jersey issued by the league, and (4) team softball visor. The team jersey and visors are distributed at the first team meeting. Players should wear clothes for running (shorts in hot weather are fine). Players should wear sneakers or cleats (optional); no Crocs or sandals. Bats and helmets are supplied, but also players are encouraged (but not required at all) to bring their own.  

Softball Rookie

The Softball Rookie Division is an instructional softball season for players generally in 1st and 2nd grade, age ranges can be flexible to play in this division though.

How are players assigned to teams? Softball Rookie division players are assigned to teams by coaches and commissioner, to determine teams that will be of equal playing ability. Caregivers are allowed to make 1-2 "friend requests" for their child.

When are games and practices? Teams will typically play about 10 games per season. There is usually just one game per week, typically on Saturdays depending on weather and one practice per wekk.

What do you do in practice?  Coaches begin to develop and reinforce the major softball fundamentals, such as:  proper throwing mechanics, batting stance and hitting, fielding skills, and base running. We emphasize having fun together as a team, learning positive sportsmanship, and developing players’ confidence in their athletic abilities. 

How do games work?

• Softball Rookie division starts to introduce 'kid pitch' with coach relief, with each team's own coach pitching to their own players after a kid pitcher tries.
• Half innings end when all batters in lineup have hit
• Players rotate field positions every inning
• No outs are recorded and no score is kept

What do we need to bring?  Players need: (1) a softball  glove, (2) water bottle, (3) team uniform. The team uniform (jersey, pants, socks and visor) will be provided by LMLL and will be distributed to players prior to the first game of the season. Do not wear shorts -- players in this division are taught to slide into the base on close plays. We recommend players wear cleats, but sneakers are acceptable. Players are welcome to bring their own favorite bats, but the team will also provide bats.

Softball Minors

The Softball Minors Division is an instructional, competitive softball season for players generally in 3rd and 4th grade, although age ranges can be flexible. 

Who can play?  Softball Minors is available for players who are in 3rd and 4th grade. 2nd graders can "play up", and 5th graders can "play down" upon parental request and approval of the league commissioner. 

How are players assigned to teams? Softball Minors division players are urged to participate in a pre-season evaluation in the Spring. This is not a tryout, everyone is placed on a team. Once a player is evaluated, they are then assigned to teams based on a coaches draft system immediately after the evaluations. The draft system is designed to yield teams of similar overall ability. There is not a draft or evaluations in the Fall.  

When are games and practices? Game and practice schedules are loaded on LMLL.org. Teams will typically play 12 games per season, plus perhaps playoffs. There will be one to two games per week. Times vary from week to week.

Where are games and practices? Softball Minors division games and practices are held at different fields in Lower Merion Township. 

What do you do in practice? Coaches develop and reinforce the major softball fundamentals, and begin teaching team strategy. Fundamentals include:  proper throwing mechanics, batting stance and hitting, fielding skills, catching, proper pitching and base running. We emphasize having fun together as a team, learning positive sportsmanship, and developing player's confidence in their athletic abilities.

How do games work?   

• Softball Minors division is kid pitch (with coach relief)
• Games are up to six innings
• Half-innings end after 3 outs, or a maximum of 4 runs scored in the inning
• Official score is kept

What do we need to bring?  Players need: (1) a softball  glove, (2) an appropriately-sized bat, (3) a batting helmet, (4) water bottle, and (5) team uniform. The team uniform (jersey, pants, socks and visor) will be provided by LMLL and will be distributed to players prior to the first game of the season. We strongly recommend players wear softball cleats, but sneakers are acceptable.

Softball Majors

The Softball Majors Division is an instructional, competitive softball season for players generally in 5th and 6th grades. 

How are players assigned to teams? Softball Majors division players are urged to participate in a pre-season evaluation in the Spring. This is not a tryout, everyone is placed on a team. Once a player is evaluated, she is then assigned to a team based on a coaches draft system immediately after the evaluations. The draft system is designed to yield teams of similar overall ability. There is not a draft or evaluations in the Fall 

When are games and practices? In the Spring, teams will typically play 12 games per season, plus playoffs. Most games are within the Majors division, however there may be some Intra-league games scheduled against teams in other leagues in our district. There will be one to two games per week, depending on weather. Times vary from week to week; the game schedule is finalized in September for the fall, and March for the Spring . There are practices (at most one team practice per week) on either Sunday afternoon or a weekday evening. 

How do games work? 

• Softball Majors division is kid pitch
• Games are six innings (which typically takes about 1.5-2 hours)
• Half-innings end after 3 outs, or a maximum of 6 runs scored in the inning
• Official score is kept
• There are playoffs in the Spring

What do we need to bring? Players need: (1) a softball glove, (2) water bottle, (3) team uniform. The team uniform (jersey, pants, socks and headwear) will be provided by LMLL and will be distributed to players prior to the first game of the season. Do not wear shorts -- players in this division are taught to slide into the base on close plays. We strongly recommend players wear cleats, but sneakers are acceptable. Players are encouraged to bring their own bat, but the team will also provide bats.

Softball Juniors

Softball Juniors is designed for girls in 7-10th grades to play competitive softball, both among internal teams and likely against other teams in our district. 

Who can play? Softball Juniors is designed for players in 7-8-9th grades. 

How are players assigned to teams? Softball Juniors Division players are placed on  teams, as decided by coaches and commissioner. The number of teams in the Juniors Softball Division will depend on the number of players who register.

When are games and practices? Teams have 1-2 games per week. In addition, each team will usually have one practice each week. Weekday games and practices are held in the evening, weekend game times vary from week to week.  

Where are games and practices? Softball Junior practices are held at various fields in Lower Merion Township. Games are played on regulation sized, 60 foot fields, with a pitching distance of 43 feet. Play will be against various teams that participate in Pennsylvania Little League District 27. Please note that the LMLL Juniors Softball program is an inter-league program and does require travel to various locations that can include Great Valley, Upper Providence, Berwyn, Exton, Chester Valley and others. Please take this into consideration when registering. 

How do games work?

• Games are seven innings (which typically takes about 1.5-2 hours)
• Half-innings end after 3 outs, or a maximum of 6 runs scored in the inning
• Official score is kept and team standings are posted on the league web site. 
• There are district playoffs at the end of the season
• Rules mirror high school and college softball rules 

What do we need to bring? Players need: (1) a softball glove, (2) water bottle, (3) team uniform. Team uniforms (jersey, pants, socks, headwear), will be provided by LMLL and will be distributed before the beginning of the season. We strongly recommend players wear softball cleats. Players cannot wear shorts, as they are taught to slide into the base on close plays. We encourage players to bring their own favorite bat, batting gloves, and batting helmet; but the team will also provide bats.