At this level, players again attend a required tryout to determine their skill level and for purposes of the draft. The managers and board members involved in tryouts evaluate fielding, catching, throwing, and hitting. All 12-year-olds play Majors unless parents feel there is a safety concern, or other compelling reason, to stay at Triple A (for this a waiver must be granted).
Like Triple A, players are placed onto teams using a player draft in an effort to achieve a fair balance of talent among all Majors teams. All returning players are re-drafted each year. Teams practice 2-to-3 times per week, and play 2-to-3 games per week, totaling about 15-to-20 games for the season. This is the most competitive level of traditional Little League play. All players will be given at least 3 or 4 defensive innings per game and will bat the roster. A 6-run limit per inning with the final inning open will be enforced. Players tend to play the majority of their time at the positions they are best suited for and there is less shuffling around. Pitchers and catchers are decided upon based on experience.
Post Season Teams: All Stars
All Star teams are created by selecting the best players at a particular age group within the league. These teams are designed to be as competitive as possible as the intent of these teams are to win against other Little League All Star teams. All Stars are played by different rules than the regular season. Free substitution and roster batting are not used in tournament play. Other rules restrict substitutions, pitching availability, and player utilization. The result of these rules is that some players will play very little and players, as well as parents, must learn to cooperate with the manager who makes the playing time decisions.
Post Season Commitment
The most influential people in All Stars are the players' parents. By their attitude, effort, cooperation, and contributions, the team is able to succeed. There is a significant commitment required to participate in post-season play as teams usually practice 3-to-5 days per week, starting around June 15th, until their tournament begins in order to prepare for the level of play that will be seen in the tournaments. Families that want to be considered for post-season play should try to schedule summer vacations accordingly.