LL All-star playing rules

[Anonymous]

OP here and I appreciate all the perspectives especially the coaches that are chiming in.

After watching one team’s first scrimmage, I think one coach may be of the play 9 kids and sit the others variety. They started with 13 and are already down 2 due to injuries. The difference between #9 and #11 is basically nothing, especially in the field. I think my kid is in the top 7, but there are 6 parents coaching and they are not the top 6 players, so could end up a bench player.

I agree it does seem to make it even harder for smaller leagues to succeed. Depth is definitely lacking on my son’s team (4 team league).

Are the mercy rules still 15 runs after 3 innings, 10 runs after 4 innings? Wouldn’t it be possible for a team not to even get through their batting order if they gave up 15 runs through 3 and didn’t get a player on base?

[Anonymous]

I watched four games this week of a 9U Little League All Star game. It is unsanctioned but our Division unofficially has an all star tournament for 7U, 8U, and 9U players.

My boys played all stars for our local LL and so we went to watch since our league is hosting the 9U tournament. My local town brought 12 players and the first team they played had 14 players. I felt like the top of the line up was equally matched but wow that bottom of the line up really dragged on especially for the 14 player team. That is 5 extra batters before you get back to the top of the line up. It wasn't as fun to watch because you didn't get to see the best batters and pitchers in the Division square off. My boys played all stars for our local LL and so we went to watch since our league is hosting the 9U tournament.

The 14 player team traditionally has done well in the past years but this year they lost their first two games and were out. I think having continuous batting really hurt them. As a spectator I liked the old rules way better. And I don't think it benefits any player. One of my kids was a starting player and never sat out and the other one was a sub and batted once and got two innings of play in the field. That was enough to keep him feeling involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I watched four games this week of a 9U Little League All Star game. It is unsanctioned but our Division unofficially has an all star tournament for 7U, 8U, and 9U players.

My boys played all stars for our local LL and so we went to watch since our league is hosting the 9U tournament. My local town brought 12 players and the first team they played had 14 players. I felt like the top of the line up was equally matched but wow that bottom of the line up really dragged on especially for the 14 player team. That is 5 extra batters before you get back to the top of the line up. It wasn't as fun to watch because you didn't get to see the best batters and pitchers in the Division square off. My boys played all stars for our local LL and so we went to watch since our league is hosting the 9U tournament.

The 14 player team traditionally has done well in the past years but this year they lost their first two games and were out. I think having continuous batting really hurt them. As a spectator I liked the old rules way better. And I don't think it benefits any player. One of my kids was a starting player and never sat out and the other one was a sub and batted once and got two innings of play in the field. That was enough to keep him feeling involved.

The spectator experience is completely irrelevant!

[Anonymous]

We found it to make a very slanted and daddy ball experience even more so last year. It was just silly.

[Anonymous]

I will never understand or accept the mentality of a coach who doesn’t empty the bench in a blowout. I get it that they’re volunteers, but I coach too and too me this is as pure a form of evil as I ever encounter in my daily existence.

[Anonymous]

to me

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will never understand or accept the mentality of a coach who doesn’t empty the bench in a blowout. I get it that they’re volunteers, but I coach too and too me this is as pure a form of evil as I ever encounter in my daily existence.

Agree. If you're going to have them on the team let them play some, especially in a blowout. Otherwise don't waste their time and don't put them on the team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We found it to make a very slanted and daddy ball experience even more so last year. It was just silly.

Same

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We found it to make a very slanted and daddy ball experience even more so last year. It was just silly.

Same

Even more daddy ball! Ugh. But I can see how it can happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will never understand or accept the mentality of a coach who doesn’t empty the bench in a blowout. I get it that they’re volunteers, but I coach too and too me this is as pure a form of evil as I ever encounter in my daily existence.

You're right. My kid plays on a club team sponsored by the rec league with lots of playing time on both. Coach of the club team actually booted out a few players then during the all star game only played the coaches kids and a few new prospects. The club team is supposed to play a few more tournaments this summer but coach is confused why families no longer GAF to show up for practice and had to ask a random rec player to join just to get 9 players.

I wouldn't care so much but took a lot of talk from his friends to get him to go to the tournaments and he no longer values being part of a team. Not what I expected from 9u baseball.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We found it to make a very slanted and daddy ball experience even more so last year. It was just silly.

Same

We had a good experience last year, with an excellent coach and a fun group of families.

This year: it’s been bad. To be honest- I don’t think any kids should be benched for entire games but at least with the new rules I can tell him he’s a designated hitter.

The frustration is that you watch the coach kids throw tantrums when they strike out and they never get benched. It’s infuriating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here and I appreciate all the perspectives especially the coaches that are chiming in.

... but there are 6 parents coaching and they are not the top 6 players, so could end up a bench player.

That is craziness! Speaks to a head coach / LL commissioner who has completely lost control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I watched four games this week of a 9U Little League All Star game. It is unsanctioned but our Division unofficially has an all star tournament for 7U, 8U, and 9U players.

My boys played all stars for our local LL and so we went to watch since our league is hosting the 9U tournament. My local town brought 12 players and the first team they played had 14 players. I felt like the top of the line up was equally matched but wow that bottom of the line up really dragged on especially for the 14 player team. That is 5 extra batters before you get back to the top of the line up. It wasn't as fun to watch because you didn't get to see the best batters and pitchers in the Division square off. My boys played all stars for our local LL and so we went to watch since our league is hosting the 9U tournament.

The 14 player team traditionally has done well in the past years but this year they lost their first two games and were out. I think having continuous batting really hurt them. As a spectator I liked the old rules way better. And I don't think it benefits any player. One of my kids was a starting player and never sat out and the other one was a sub and batted once and got two innings of play in the field. That was enough to keep him feeling involved.

The spectator experience is completely irrelevant!

Of course it is relevant because most spectators are parents. Talking to parents and hearing other conversations, no one likes the new format.
And it is relevant because little league makes so much money on the LL World Series. I think when ratings go down for the little league World Series they will go back to the old way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I watched four games this week of a 9U Little League All Star game. It is unsanctioned but our Division unofficially has an all star tournament for 7U, 8U, and 9U players.

My boys played all stars for our local LL and so we went to watch since our league is hosting the 9U tournament. My local town brought 12 players and the first team they played had 14 players. I felt like the top of the line up was equally matched but wow that bottom of the line up really dragged on especially for the 14 player team. That is 5 extra batters before you get back to the top of the line up. It wasn't as fun to watch because you didn't get to see the best batters and pitchers in the Division square off. My boys played all stars for our local LL and so we went to watch since our league is hosting the 9U tournament.

The 14 player team traditionally has done well in the past years but this year they lost their first two games and were out. I think having continuous batting really hurt them. As a spectator I liked the old rules way better. And I don't think it benefits any player. One of my kids was a starting player and never sat out and the other one was a sub and batted once and got two innings of play in the field. That was enough to keep him feeling involved.

The spectator experience is completely irrelevant!

Of course it is relevant because most spectators are parents. Talking to parents and hearing other conversations, no one likes the new format.
And it is relevant because little league makes so much money on the LL World Series. I think when ratings go down for the little league World Series they will go back to the old way.

I don’t think ratings will go down for the LLWS. I do think you’ll see more teams with 11 kids there as teams “weed out” the weaker hitters.

There can’t be many teams with 14 players. I could maybe see it at the younger ages. Even then only if the board members or coaches’ kids are weaker players and the all star coach doesn’t want to cut them.

I don’t doubt that parents generally don’t like the new rules. The parents of the kids who only bat (and then only maybe once a game) don’t like it and the best player (who wouldn’t have even been taken out under the old rules)’s parents don’t like it because he doesn’t come up in the order as often.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here and I appreciate all the perspectives especially the coaches that are chiming in.

... but there are 6 parents coaching and they are not the top 6 players, so could end up a bench player.

That is craziness! Speaks to a head coach / LL commissioner who has completely lost control.

Oh yeah, first scrimmage was a bit crazy. They had 5 coaches trying to provide instruction and on 2 different occasions “extra” coaches told kids to do the wrong thing. After the plays, one of the “head” coaches had to correct them. I assume there’s a limit of the number of coaches on the bench during the game, but the scrimmage was wild.

This is an inexperienced young age group team, so coaches were on the field providing instruction.