| Our softball league is new to little league this year - can someone explain the residency requirements for all stars? And is it strict or just a wink and a nod kind of thing. |
| Strict. Sounds like you plan to cheat. Take a step back and think about what that means for all involved. |
Right? Seriously. OP if you wanted to be able to have anyone play, you all should have stayed with the strong network of independent leagues in this area. |
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Softball has different rules than baseball because it has much lower participation.
I believe however that has to do with kids allowed to play for another league because their own league doesn’t field any teams. |
Maybe that explains it because it has pretty much been a free for all on residency and participation in regular season. |
| Doesn't seem to matter in our area because the same team wins every year. Taking an entire travel team and calling them rec all stars doesn't really seem fair either. |
Isn't that how every team at the LLSWS is, basically? You don't have 12 year olds throwing riseballs who just play rec... |
| Our league is in a trial period for joining little league for softball and I really hope they ditch it after this year. It is a headache for everyone. Seems wonderful and organized for baseball but not worth it for softball. |
Almost every player in LL majors All Stars plays travel ball or is a great athlete and can hang with travel ball players. |
| Residency requirement is strict and waivers need to be submitted before the season begins. |
Is Little League pushing for expansion in softball? Seems to be picking up in our area despite lots of other softball opportunities already being available. |
| Little League in our area tried softball and ditched it. But some of our neighboring leagues are giving softball a shot. As noted above, Little League rules are strict, independent softball leagues make their own rules. |
| It’s a weird push. It has to be about money one way or another and they pull people in by saying: YOUR KID MIGHT BE ON TV!!! |
PP who asked the question, and I assume the same. For girls who want to play both travel and LL and do softball 7 days a week it works, I guess. Otherwise you aren't making LL all-stars or your LL's softball all-star team isn't going anywhere. |
| McLean Little League has a robust softball program and has gone to the LLWS at least twice. They've had multiple majors teams that have won the state tourney and gone to the regional competition at Warner-Robbins in Georgia. The McLean Magic travel team basically required all the girls to also play rec and that was super competitive because who ever was the coach of the winning rec team got to be the All-Stars majors coach. |