Lawrence Little League Softball
Lawrence Little League operates softball divisions at varying age and skill levels each season. Players are assessed annually and then drafted by coaches into an age- and skill-appropriate division.
Our goal each year is to place players in the appropriate division to provide them a positive experience and to allow them to grow their skills. These descriptions are a guide and may be adjusted based on annual registration numbers.
🥎 Majors Division
Our most competitive division for our oldest players, featuring full Little League rules including unlimited stealing, dropped third strike, and no limit on runs per inning.
- Eligible Age: Girls league age 10-12. Players age 9 and below are not eligible for this division.
- Schedule: Teams practice once a week and play one or two games a week. The season is 12 games. Games between in-house teams are supplemented by home and away games against other Mercer County area Little League Majors programs.
- Draft and Roster: Team rosters are created annually through a draft. All 12-year-olds are guaranteed placement in this division, but teams may not have more than eight 12-year-olds on a roster. Since placement on teams is through a blind draft, we do not honor requests to place any child on the same team as a sibling, friend, or coach.
- Coaches: Team Managers register through the website and their player is automatically assigned to the team. Assistant coaches are added to the staff of the team their player is drafted onto.
- Lineups: Continuous batting order including all players present at the start of the game. Free defensive substitution provided mandatory play is met. Mandatory play is one at-bat and 6 consecutive defensive outs. Players arriving after the start of the game are placed at the bottom of the batting order.
- Game Length: 6 innings. Regulation game = 4 innings (3½ if home team leads). No new inning may start after 1:45 elapsed or after 9:40 PM.
- Ball: 12-inch.
- Inning Limits: No new batter after the 6th run scores in an inning; a play must be made. Up to 9 runs may be recorded in an inning.
- Run Rule: 10 runs after 4 innings (3½ if home team leads).
- Pitching: All player pitched. 40-foot pitching distance. Innings pitched tracked by scorebook.
- Stealing: Unlimited stealing. Runners leave on release of the pitch.
- Sliding: Feet-first when advancing. Head-first only when returning to a base.
- Overthrows: Unlimited bases may be taken on an overthrow.
- Bunting: Bunting permitted. Fake bunting permitted. Slap hitting permitted. Slap bunting is not permitted and results in an out. (Slap bunting is when the batter shows bunt, then pulls the bat back and hits away. This is different from slap hitting, where the batter takes a half swing while moving toward first base.)
- On-Deck Circle: No on-deck position. Players must remain under the dugout roof until it is their turn to bat.
- Special Rules: Infield fly rule in effect. Dropped third strike in effect.
- Standings and Playoffs: Playoffs are determined by regular-season record.
🥎 Minors Division
A division for players who have at least one year of experience in the Rookies league, transitioning from coach pitch to full player pitch across the season.
- Eligible Age: Girls league age 8-11. Players age 7 and below are not eligible for this division.
- Schedule: Teams practice once a week and play one or two games a week. The season is 10 games. Games between in-house teams are supplemented by home and away games against other Mercer County area Little League programs.
- Draft and Roster: Team rosters are created annually through a draft. Since placement on teams is through a blind draft, we do not honor requests to place any child on the same team as a sibling, friend, or coach.
- Coaches: Team Managers register through the website and their player is automatically assigned to the team. Assistant coaches are added to the staff of the team their player is drafted onto.
- Lineups: Continuous batting order including all players present at the start of the game. Free defensive substitution provided mandatory play is met. Mandatory play is one at-bat and 6 consecutive defensive outs. Players arriving after the start of the game are placed at the bottom of the batting order.
- Game Length: 6 innings. Regulation game = 4 innings (3½ if home team leads). No new inning may start after 1:45 elapsed or after 9:40 PM.
- Ball: 11-inch.
- Inning Limits: Maximum 5 runs per inning until Mother's Day. Maximum 3 runs per inning after Mother's Day. Over-the-fence home runs count regardless of the run limit.
- Run Rule: 10 runs after 4 innings (3½ if home team leads).
- Pitching: Coach-pitched for the first 4 games. Player pitching is phased in by Mother's Day. When players pitch, they must start the inning. Upon ball 4, the hitting team's coach finishes the at-bat starting with the existing strike count; the umpire continues to call balls and strikes. The coach may throw a maximum of 6 pitches; if the batter does not put the ball in play the batter is out. A ball accidentally fielded by the coach pitcher is a dead ball and replayed. No coaching base runners from the mound. 35-foot pitching distance. Innings pitched tracked by scorebook.
- Stealing: No stealing of home until Mother's Day; stealing of home permitted after Mother's Day. Maximum 2 attempts to steal 2nd base per inning. Runners may not leave the base until the pitch reaches the batter.
- Sliding: Feet-first when advancing. Head-first only when returning to a base.
- Overthrows: Unlimited bases may be taken on an overthrow.
- Bunting: Bunting permitted, including while the coach pitcher is on the field. Fake bunting permitted. Slap hitting permitted. Slap bunting is not permitted and results in an out. (Slap bunting is when the batter shows bunt, then pulls the bat back and hits away. This is different from slap hitting, where the batter takes a half swing while moving toward first base.)
- On-Deck Circle: No on-deck position. Players must remain under the dugout roof until it is their turn to bat.
- Special Rules: No infield fly. No dropped third strike.
- Standings and Playoffs: Playoffs are determined by regular-season record.
🥎 Rookies Division
A coach-pitched league for players with at least one year of Tee Ball experience. Instruction in this division focuses on fielding, team play, and situations.
- Eligible Age: Girls league age 6-8. Players age 5 and below are not eligible for this division.
- Schedule: Teams practice twice a week and play one game a week. The season is 8-10 games. Games between in-house teams are supplemented by home and away games against other Mercer County area Little League programs.
- Draft and Roster: Team rosters are created annually through a draft. Since placement on teams is through a blind draft, we do not honor requests to place any child on the same team as a sibling, friend, or coach.
- Coaches: Team Managers register through the website and their player is automatically assigned to the team. Assistant coaches are added to the staff of the team their player is drafted onto.
- Lineups: Continuous batting order including all players present at the start of the game. Free defensive substitution provided mandatory play is met. Mandatory play is one at-bat and 6 consecutive defensive outs. Players arriving after the start of the game are placed at the bottom of the batting order.
- Game Length: 6 innings. Regulation game = 4 innings (3½ if home team leads). No new inning may start after 1:45 elapsed or after 9:40 PM.
- Ball: 11-inch non-RIF.
- Inning Limits: Maximum 5 runs per inning.
- Run Rule: 10 runs after 4 innings (3½ if home team leads).
- Pitching: Coach pitch all season. Batters see a maximum of 6 pitches per at-bat. 35-foot pitching distance.
- Stealing: No stealing.
- Sliding: Feet-first when advancing. Head-first only when returning to a base.
- Overthrows: No advance on overthrows.
- Bunting: No bunting.
- On-Deck Circle: No on-deck position. Players must remain under the dugout roof until it is their turn to bat.
- Special Rules: No infield fly. No dropped third strike. Umpires (a coach from each team) are encouraged to use a wide strike zone.
- Standings and Playoffs: Team records or division standings are not tracked. The division hosts a friendly tournament at the end of the season, with seedings determined by random draw. All players receive a participation medal.