Registration for the 2024 Spring Little League baseball season opened on December 1, 2023.  Below you will find answers to many of the frequently asked questions about Del Mar Little League. If you do not find the answer to your question below, please contact the registrar at [email protected] for questions about eligibility, and the player agent at [email protected] for questions about the division of play and player selection.

Who is eligible to play baseball in the Del Mar Little League?

A player must meet the age and boundary requirements.

Age Requirements:                                                                                          

Del Mar Little League provides youth baseball for boys and girls between the “Little League” ages of 5 and 14 years.  

Per Little League International rules, a player's Little League age is based on their age on August 31, 2024. This can create some confusion because, for many players, their Little League age is a year higher than their age at registration. For example, while a player with a birthday of August 15, 2014, will be 9 when evaluations happen in January 2024 they are still Little League 10, because on August 31, 2024 that will be there age. All of our divisions age ranges are based on that date. 

Boundary Requirements: The player must either:

1. Live within the DMLL boundary (to check if you do, please go to the Little League Address Locator, or
2. Attend school within the DMLL boundary or have a sibling playing in the league who attends school within the DMLL boundary, or
3. Played for DMLL last Spring season and have proof they were eligible to participate based on criteria 1 or 2.

Why does the Age Requirement matter?

The Age Requirement matters for purposes of whether to attend evaluations or not and in which age group.  For example, League Age 9 players will be evaluated for AA and AAA teams. If your player is 8 years old at evaluation but will turn 9 before August 31, 2024, they will be required to attend evaluations.

What do I need to do to register my player(s) with the league? 

Click on the Registration tab along the horizontal bar on the website or in the drop down under the “League” tab.  If you are new to the league, you will need to register yourself as a parent/guardian first before registering your player(s).  Your players information will be kept in our system and in the future you will only need to verify the informaton and make correction where appropriate.

The registration process requires answers to several questions and will require you to provide PDF or JPEG as backup.  If you stop you can return later to finish.  If you need more information and you don't find the answers on our webpage please feel free to contact our registar at [email protected]

Please have your credit card ready. The payment will be the last step in the process for completing a successful registertrati

Registration Fees For Our 2024 Season will be based on the division you indicate it is your preference for your child to play in.
For all of our Kid Pitch divisions we will be conducting evaluations and assigning players to the divisions based on a mix of their Litlle League age, grade, and skill level. 

Tee Ball for Players Little League 5 and 6.  (Players primarily in Pre School and Kindergarten)$150.00 

Coach Pitch for Players Little League 6 and 7   (Players primarily in Kindergarten and 1st) $175

Rookie (Machine Pitch) for Players Little League 7, 8 (Players primarily in 1st and 2nd) $200

AA (First Level of Kid Pitch) for Players Little League 8, 9 and some 10s (Primarily composed of players in the 3rd grade) $200

AAA for Players Little League 9 to 11. Mostly Players in the 4th grade, and about half of our players in the 5th grade $250

For multiple children; each child beyond the first receives a $25 discount.

As players age up, the level of required support also increases (e.g. fields, equipment, umpires, and uniforms). We have set fees based on your player's Little League age to avoid having to change the payment required based on the level your player is assigned.

"If the financial burdens of registration fees and equipment are preventing you from registering, please do not hesitate to contact the league at  [email protected].  Little League is for everyone."

Do you provide a refund if we cancel our child's registration? 

Yes, we will provide a full refund of any payments up to the time we start forming teams, which will happen between the end of January through about the second week of February. Once your child is part of a draft or has been assigned to a team, a full refund should not be expected. Any refund amount will vary based on the age and whether the league can easily replace the player with someone from the waitlist.

It depends on the player’s age, experience, and ability level. Please see the more complete description for each division level at the end of this FAQ.   Our focus is on player development in all divisions. If you have concerns about what level is best for your player, please contact our Player Agent at [email protected].

Additionally, there are some maximum age requirements.  Unless a waiver is obtained, no Little League age 12-year-old will play below the Majors division; no Little League age 11-year-old will play below the AAA division, and no Little League age 10-year-old will play below the AA division. If you want your player to play down an age level, please submit a questionnaire/waiver found under the Documents tab.

When Will Evaluations Be Held?
Evaluations are planned to be held on January 6, 2024, at Ashley Falls Park.  Your player will be assigned a specific start time and group based on age. Specifics about the event and your player’s assigned group will be on the league website and/or sent via email a few days prior January 6.  The evaluation will last approximately 30 minutes.

Who Needs to Attend Evaluations?
All players Little League age 9 and older (i.e. age 9+ as of August 31, 2023). All Little League age 8-year-old that would like to possibly participate in our AA Divisions

Players Little League ages 5 through 7 going into our T-Ball, Coach Pitch, and Rookie division do not participate in evaluations. Players Little League age 8 that were in Coach Pitch last year and only want to play in our Rookie Division do not need to attend. 

Why do you need Evaluations?
Evaluations provide a means for all players to be evaluated on the same skills, which helps the league determine the appropriate division of play for each player, as well as allocate players to teams based on a quality spread to ensure each team is competitive. Managers and board members attend the evaluations and conduct their own assessment, with the results combined together prior to conducting drafts for selecting the respective AA, AAA and Majors division teams. 

What are players expected to do at the evaluations?

Players will be evaluated on the following skills: catching fly balls, fielding ground balls, throwing (from both outfield and infield positions), batting, and running. 

Does everyone make a team?

Yes, everyone makes a team regardless of how a player does at evaluations. For players in the lower divisions, everyone registered prior to the end of January will be assigned a team to a team. After that, the league will continue to assign players where there are appropriate openings.

How are players assigned to teams?

T-ball, Coach Pitch, and Rookie divisions are assigned by the league. The division coordinators attempt to group players based on friend requests and similar neighborhoods and schools when possible. There are no guarantees that players will be on the same team as their friends. Typically, a returning player will register for the next higher division. For example, a returning League Age 6-year-old who played T-ball last season should register for Coach Pitch this season.

AA, AAA and Majors teams are determined based on a combination of age and skill level.  Following the evaluations, volunteer managers draft their respective teams based on the results of the evaluations combined with certain age restrictions. The draft format is intended to spread the level of skill evenly across the league to create parity.

What Should I Do If I Am Interested In Being A Manager for the 2024 Season?

First, please indicate you wish to volunteer when registering your player.  Additionally, please contact the division coordinator for the division you are interested in managing.  The contact information for all division coordinators is on the league website under the “Board” tab.

What do I do if I or a member of my family wants to become an umpire?

First, please indicate you wish to volunteer as an umpire when registering your player.  Additionally, please contact the chief of umpires at [email protected] to let him know of your or family member’s interest.  Additional information can be found under the Umpires tab on the Del Mar Little League website.

When will I hear what team my child is on?

Player assignments for Majors and Juniors will probably be announced around the end of January with AAA the following week and the AA soon after. Player assignments for Rookie through T-Ball will be happening about the same time as AA in mid-February but it depends on whether enough volunteer managers are identified.

When do practices and the games start?

Practices will begin within a week after teams are announced. For example, Majors team may practice in late January whereas Rookie will likely begin in mid-February. Games are expected to start March 2.

When does the season end?

All regular-season games are expected to end by June 1, the same time as the end of the Del Mar School District school year.

What Levels of play does Del Mar Little League offer?

(All references to League age below are to Little League Age based on the player’s age on August 31, 2024)

Del Mar Little League is a leadership organization using the game of baseball as our vehicle. Our goal is to provide an opportunity for all children to have fun while learning and developing in the sport of baseball. We provide several levels of play in order to meet the needs of the community Below is a listing of divisions that we are offering for the 2023 season. Time commitments provided are based on the ability to have games and access to fields. Prior to the start of Saturday games, managers may be holding practices on Saturday, and depending on the level of play and availability of fields one to two practices during the week.

PLEASE READ THE DESCRIPTIONS CAREFULLY and contact the Player Agent at [email protected] if you are considering requesting that your child play DOWN in a lower division due to safety or ability concerns. 

Juniors Division – All League Age 14-year-olds
Relatively competitive baseball played on a field with a distance of 60’ for the mound and 90’ for the bases. Teams will play most of their games with other leagues. Managers draft teams in order to create parity.

Intermediate Division – All League Age 13-year-olds
Relatively competitive baseball is played on a field with a distance of 50' for the mound and 70' base paths. This division is intended as a transitional program to the standard baseball field used at the Juniors Division. Teams will play most of their games with other leagues. Coaches draft teams in order to create parity. 

Majors Division – All 12-year-olds (unless parent requests a waiver down to AAA), the majority of our 11-year-olds, and a very few of the highest level 10-year-olds.
This division has a high level of play. The pitching is generally quite fast and the speed of the game is rapid. There are play-time requirements that include all players playing a minimum of 4 innings in a defensive position, but no requirement for any player to play an infield position. Players will need to commit to 3 days per week to baseball, which includes a minimum of 2 games and one practice. The selection of players to teams will be done through a draft. No requests for a specific team or to be able to play on the same team with specific players are granted.

AAA Division – Any 12-year-olds who have waivered down, all 11-year-olds who were not drafted onto Majors teams (unless waivered down to AA), 10-year-olds, and very few of the highest level 9-year-olds.
This division is for players who are prepared for a moderately high level of play. The pitching will be relatively strong, but generally unrefined. There are play-time requirements that include every player playing at least 2 innings in an infield position during each game. Many players will have a chance to pitch during the season, but 12-year-olds in this division are not allowed to pitch. A player must be willing to commit 3 days per week to baseball, which includes a minimum of 2 games and usually one practice. The selection of players to teams will be done through a draft. No requests for a specific team or to be able to play on the same team with specific players are granted.

AA Division – Any 11-year-olds who have waivered down, all 9/10-year-olds not already on an AAA or higher level team, and 8-year-olds that requested to play at the Kid Pitch Level (and are drafted).  No 7-year-olds will be placed in AA.
This division is for players who are prepared for a moderate level of play. The pitching will be less developed and generally quite a bit slower than the divisions above. There are playtime requirements that include every player playing at least 3 innings in an infield position during each game. Once games are started, players could be participating up to 3 days per week in baseball, which typically includes 2 games and one practice a week. The selection of players to teams will be done by a draft. No requests for a specific team or to be able to play on the same team with specific players are granted.  Not all 8-year-olds that requested to play at the Kid Pitch Level will be drafted to an AA team.

Rookie – All 7-year-olds who want to play in this division, 8-year-olds that elected to not participate in evaluations and 8-year-olds not assigned to a AA team. No 6-year-olds will be placed in Rookie.
This division will focus on player development and expand on the skills developed in Coach Pitch. Game scores and standings are not kept.  This division is an instructional league. The objectives are to teach players to play as a team and bat and field effectively.  Balls pitched to batters will be done by a Pitching Machine. Players who sign up on time for this division will generally be placed on teams with some players from their school or neighborhood.  This division will generally include one practice and one game per week.

Coach Pitch – All 6/7-year-olds who want to be in this division. No 5-year-olds will be placed in Coach Pitch.
Our Coach Pitch Division is a little bit higher level of play than T-Ball. Players play all positions during the season and players are rotated so no player plays more than one inning at any one position during a game.  Coaches pitch the ball from a safe distance from the batter’s box.  There are no strikeouts or walks and each batter must hit a fair ball during his/her at-bat.  If a player does not hit the ball after 6 pitches, players will hit from the tee.  This division will include one practice and one game per week. 6-year-olds that are in 1st grade or have already played T-ball are encouraged to participate in this division. Players who sign up on time for this division will generally be placed on teams with some players from their school or neighborhood.

T-Ball –5-year-olds and 6-year-olds.
T-Ball is an introductory level of play and the league tries to keep the teams at 9 to 10 players each. Players play all positions during the season and all players are on the field each inning.  Managers will rotate players so that each player plays a different position in each inning.  Each team will bat through their entire lineup in each inning.  Teams have only one combined practice and game that is held on Saturday only. The combined time is between 90 to 120 minutes per week (all on Saturday). Players who sign up on time for this division will generally be placed on teams with some players from their school or neighborhood.