FAQ

FAQ

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General Information

Registration

Boundaries

Practices and Games

Team Formation

Bat-a-thon

GENERAL INFORMATION

Q: How old does my child have to be in order to be eligible to play Little League? A: If your child is league-age 5-16, then they are eligible to play with us. In 2016 Little League adjusted the date used for age cutoff. You can calculate your child’s age using the tools on the Little League website.

Q: What levels of play are provided in NOLL/SOLL? A: Please click here for more info on levels of play offered

Q: Can girls play in Little League?  A: Yes! NOLL/SOLL is for all kids. We encourage all genders to signup and be a part of the fun!

Q: Are there any volunteer opportunities?  A: Absolutely! NOLL/SOLL is run entirely by volunteers and every family is expected to volunteer for a league-level job such as coaching, umpiring, maintaining fields or fundraising. At the team level, you can volunteer to manage, coach, be a team parent, or be the scorekeeper for your team.

Q: What do I do if I want to be manager or coach? What if I’ve never managed or coached before? A: During registration, there will be a volunteer application process available for you submit your name as a candidate to manage or coach. Please Register Online to apply as a volunteer. Don’t worry if you’ve never coached before. If you have a good understanding of the game and the skills involved, the league provides excellent training that will help you get started.

Q: What equipment and apparel do I need to get for my child? A: At minimum, your player will need a baseball glove, baseball pants and cleats. Boys also will need to wear an athletic supporter with a hard cup. The league will supply a team shirt/jersey and hat (and for some upper divisions socks/belt). For younger divisions, your coach will tell you what color socks and belt you need. The league provides each team with a bat, helmet and catcher’s gear. Players may bring their own bats, helmets and catcher’s equipment if they choose, but are not required to furnish these items themselves.

Q: How do I get notified of general league information?  A: General league information is provided on this website and emailed directly to players and parents.

Q: How do I sponsor a team?  A: Contact us with your interest and we’ll get in touch.

REGISTRATION

Q: Why does registration occur so far in advance?  A: There is a lot of planning and preparation that goes into properly setting up all the divisions, recruiting and vetting coaches and reserving fields. Tryouts in many divisions have to take place, then rosters have to be set, uniforms/equipment have to be ordered and schedules have to be made. Many other things go on behind the scenes to make the Little League experience a great one for everyone involved. It is a lot of work, and the board members do all this on a volunteer basis – nobody gets paid!

Q: How do I know if I am eligible to play with NOLL/SOLL?  A: In order to play in NOLL/SOLL, your address must reside within our boundary as defined by Williamsport or you must attend a school within our boundaries. See the links above for more detailed information on residency and age requirements.

Q: Can I play with specific friends or for a specific manager?  A: For Farm teams (TBall, Farm A and Farm B), we try to accommodate your request. For AA and up, players participate in a draft by attending a player evalution. This allows coaches to draft teams that are relatively equivalent in player experience and skill, leading to a better overall experience for the kids. The draft selection process does not allow for these requests. All players up to the Intermediate division who participate in our player evaluation process are placed on a team – we are not a “cut” league.

Q: I have two or more kids – can they play on the same team?  A: We will make every effort to keep siblings on the same team. However, it may not always be possible because of the age structure or differences in player abilities. Please talk with the Player Agent, who may be able to help you with your specific situation.

Q: What do I need to do before registering my player? A: Before registering your player, please
* Determine your child’s league age
* Verify you live in or attend school in the NOLL/SOLL boundaries
* Have your child’s medical and insurance information handy

Q: What if I missed the registration dates? Can my child still play? A: Unfortunately, once registration is closed, the league does not accept any more registrations. The number of teams that will be formed is based on the number of players that register and this needs to be frozen at some point. Once the number of teams is determined for each level, the league begins the manager selection process, reserves the fields, orders any necessary equipment and uniforms for that number of teams and sets all the schedules. It is not feasible to go back and add more teams later because of the amount of planning and lead time required. Fortunately, there are several sessions that provide ample opportunity for everyone to register!

Q: Does my 12-year-old have to play in Majors? A: One of the agenda items voted on by District Administrators at the 24th Little League International Congress, was a regulation requiring that all league age 12-year-olds must be placed onto a Major Division team. The purpose of the new regulation is to ensure that local leagues are using the Minor Division as a training ground and not keeping capable 12-year-olds from moving up. For those 12-year-olds who may lack the skills to play at the Major Division level, exceptions can only be made with written approval from the District Administrator, and only if approved at the local league level by the Board of Directors and the parent of the candidate. (Note: 12-year-olds are prohibited from pitching in the Minor Division.)

Q: What if I can’t afford to register my child? Is financial assistance available? A: NOLL/SOLL’s policy is that no child will ever be turned away from our program due to a financial hardship. We have an online form at our Registration Info page where scholarship requests may be submitted.

Q: What is your refund policy? A: Once an applicant is placed on a team, there is no refund allowed.  Any refunds issued before team placement will be less a $10 processing fee. Request a refund.

BOUNDARIES

Q: What are the boundaries? A: Families who live in the cities of Oakland, Piedmont, Emeryville or Berkeley South of Virginia Street are eligible to play in NOLL/SOLL.

Q: What are the exact boundaries? A: The Northern boundary of NOLL is Virginia Street. The boundary between NOLL and SOLL starts at the Eastern boundary of Oakland and follows Shepherd Canyon west to Moraga, Moraga North and West to Piedmont Ave; Piedmont Ave South and West to 580, 580 South to High St and High St West to the Estuary

Q: Can’t we just see a picture? A: Sorry, should have thought of that earlier:
North Oakland/South Oakland Little League

Q: Why are they so complicated? A: It all has to do with rules set forth by Williamsport (the headquarters of National Little League). The rules involve landmarks and street size for establishing boundaries and balancing the number of residences in individual leagues.

Q: What if I live on one side of the boundary and my friend lives on the other? A: Then you won’t get to play on the same competitive team, but when your teams play each other, you’ll be able to earn bragging rights at school!

Q: But we really want to play together? A: At the Farm levels (TBall and Coach Pitch) we blur the boundaries and put kids together with buddies and classmates. Once we get into Minors, Majors and Upper division baseball, there are no exceptions. NOLL and SOLL are as different as NOLL and AlbanyLL or SOLL and AlamedaLL.

Q: What if our child goes to school within NOLL or SOLL boundaries? A: In 2014, Little League adjusted the residency requirements to include an exception for school location within a league’s boundaries. If your child attends a school listed within the boundaries outlined above you can fill out a Little League school registration form and register for NOLL or SOLL (depending on where the school is located – it must be within the boundaries for NOLL or SOLL). More information is available at the Little League website.
The school form that needs to be filled out is here.
The NOLL league id is 4050409.
The SOLL league id is 4050407.
For AA and AAA select Minors on the School form.

PRACTICE AND GAMES

Q: How do I report problems with City of Oakland fields? A: Please report all field problems to SeeClickFix.

Q: When do practices and games begin?  A: Practices can begin as early as February for the higher levels with games beginning in late February or early March after the cities and school districts open access to the fields.

Q: How many times/week are games and practices? A: The length of each practice and the number of practices and games varies by division, typically increasing at the higher levels. TBall and Farm teams have one 1.5 hour practice and one 1.5 hour game per week. At the AA, AAA, Majors, Intermediate and higher levels, there are usually 2 practices (~1.5 hours) and 1-2 games (~2.5 hours) per week. The team manager will provide the practice and game schedules for each team in February. Practices are either 4pm-5:30pm or 5:30pm-7pm (4-5pm and 5-6pm until Daylight Saving time). Games are on a varied schedule of weekend days usually lasting 2-3 hours. At Majors and above there may be weekday games.

Q: What equipment does my child need to play?  A: At minimum, your child will need a baseball glove, batting helmet and boys also will need to wear an athletic supporter with a hard cup. The league will supply a team shirt and hat. Most children will also require uniform pants, belt, and (non-metal) cleats, which the league does not provide. The league provides each team with several bats and catcher’s gear. Players can bring their own bats, helmets and catcher’s equipment if they choose, but are not required to furnish these items themselves. If a player cannot afford to purchase their own helmet, inform your coach and the league will make sure one is provided.

Q: Who keeps score of the games?  A: Each team at levels AA and above are required to have a scorekeeper who is familiar with keeping a scorebook. There are typically one or more parents from each team who volunteer to keep score. Generally, the home and visitor scorekeepers consult during the game to score consistently. The visiting team scorebook is the official scorebook. If there are any questions by the umpire or others on the status of the game, the visiting scorebook is used. Score is not kept in levels below AA and a scorekeeper is not required.

Q: When does the baseball season end?  A: The regular season typically ends in early June, coinciding with the end of the school year. Post-season play continues for All-Star players and Tournament of Champions teams into July (typically on a single or double elimination tournament basis).

Q: Who umpires the games? How can I become an umpire?  A: For AA and above, the games are umpired by anyone interested that is age 12 or older, including adults. The umpires are trained prior to league play and depending on years of experience and skill are assigned to the various levels. Umpires are not paid for this work, although Youth Umpires receive a meal allowance. Fans should not be communicating (good or bad) about umpire calls. It is the responsibility of the managers on each team to communicate with the umpires if there is an issue. At the farm level, parents and coaches manage the games. At the TBall and Farm levels, umpires are not needed since the coaches are on the field and fill in as umpires. Volunteers are a key in making this a successful program. If you are 12 or older and interested in being an umpire please contact the Chief Umpire.

Q: What about postseason play? A: We have a dedicated postseason primer here

TEAM FORMATION

Q: My child has never played before. What level should he/she be placed?  A: Tryouts give managers an opportunity to evaluate and assess each player’s skill level and are required for AA and above. Tryouts consist of a series of drills including fielding, throwing, hitting and running. Tryouts are necessary for league placement and to aid managers in drafting teams with equitable talent.

All players league age 9 and up, and 8 yr olds wanting to play AA are required to attend at least one player evaluation session. Failure to attend an evaluation will cause the player to be ineligible for the draft. No refund will be made of registration fees for players not attending an evaluation. Players are only required to attend one tryout but may attend a second tryout if they prefer.

Q: What are tryouts? Does my child need to try out? A: It is our goal that players are drafted or placed into the appropriate division based primarily on their skill level although there are age restrictions as well. Every player that has registered will be placed on a team; there are no “cuts”! Players who are 10 years old and want to be considered for the Majors division need to try out for both the 10 year old level and with the 11-12 year olds to be seen by coaches in the AAA and Majors divisions. Players who are 11 and 12 years old and want to be considered for the Intermediate division need to try out for both the 11-12 year old level and with the 13 year olds to be seen by coaches in the Majors and Intermediate divisions.

Q: What is a draft and how does it work?  A: The draft is a process where the goal is to attain parity among teams for AA, AAA, Majors and Intermediate divisions. Based on player tryouts and evaluations, the managers do their best to select players in the order of judged skill and ability. If any family or player has an issue with the draft please contact us at info@nollsoll.com so that the Player Agent can help settle any issues – please do not attempt to work things out on your own – the Player Agent is the final arbiter of any issues after the draft has taken place.

Pursuant to Little League rules, the player selection draft is conducted in secrecy: Players shall never be told the position in which they were drafted. Discussion of what occurs in the draft room is strictly prohibited.

Q: When will I know what team my child will be on?  A: The league generally has tryouts completed by the end of January with the draft typically occurring a week or two later. Immediately after the draft is complete, managers for all levels will notify each player of their team.

Q: How are managers selected? A: Candidates to manage regular season teams are interviewed and selected by a vote of the Board of Directors. Generally, the Board is seeking candidates who will uphold our league mission statement and promote a positive environment of fun, sportsmanship and skill development. Coaching in NOLL/SOLL is a privilege and we consider several factors in selecting coaches each year – including number of players registered, parent and coach feedback from prior year surveys, and coaching experience.

BAT-A-THON

Q: What is the Bat-a-thon A: The Bat-a-thon is NOLL/SOLL’s primary fundraiser; we use it to raise the funds necessary to support all of NOLL/SOLL’s activities. Complete details can be found at the Bat-a-thon FAQ