Softball Divisions
The Little League Softball program is for girls age 6 – 12, with a Juniors level for girls over 12 who have not played at the High School level.
Note: your daughter's Softball Age is her age on January 1st of the calendar year. If your daughter turned 12 years old on January 2nd, she is considered Little League (LL) 11.
While the main focus of our softball program is for all girls to have fun, make new friends, learn/develop their softball skills and, hopefully, develop a love for the game, the goals of each level vary as your daughter progresses upwards, culminating at the Majors Division. In a typical year, Farmington softball offers at least one team in each of the divisions described below.
Coach Pitch: Typically LL ages 6-8. The goal of the Coach Pitch Division is to introduce the girls to the sport, teach throwing, catching, batting and fielding skills and help them develop a love for the game. No experience is necessary. Every player bats every inning. Coach pitch uses a 10 inch softball.
Minors AA: Typically LL ages 8-10. While coaches pitch for the first few games of the season, this is the first level where the girls begin pitching to the other team. AA uses an 11" ball and a 35' pitching distance. There is a continuous batting order so all girls will bat regardless of whether or not they are playing the field. The goals of the Minors AA program are to hone the throwing, catching, fielding and batting skills learned in the Coach Pitch Division as well as prepare the girls for eventual entry into the Minors AAA Division. While all girls are expected to strive to win, winning is not the primary focus of the Minors AA Division.
Minors AAA: Typically LL ages 9-11. This is the first level where all live pitching is by the girls. AAA uses an 11" ball and a 35' pitching distance. There is a continuous batting order so all girls will bat regardless of whether or not they are playing the field. The goals of the Minors AAA program are to hone the throwing, catching, fielding and batting skills learned in the Minors AA Division as well as prepare the girls for eventual entry into the Majors Division by introducing and teaching them sliding, bunting, stealing and how to read signs.
Majors: The Majors division is the most competitive level of Little League Softball and is typically for girls LL age 11-12. There is live pitching and full LL Softball rules are followed. The majors level uses a 12" ball and a 40' pitching distance. While retaining a safe, fun and positive experience, an emphasis is placed on winning at this level. Only nine (9) girls play the field at any given time; however Little League rules concerning minimum playing time will be enforced. There is a continuous batting order so all girls will bat regardless of whether or not they are playing the field. Per Little League rules, when necessary, player placement and team selections are determined via a try-out and draft. Trying out for the Majors Division does NOT guarantee that your daughter will be selected to a Majors team. Girls who do not get selected for a Majors team will be assigned to a Minors team. Requests for specific teams CANNOT be honored.
Juniors: The Juniors division is for girls who have aged out of Majors but are still in 7th or 8th grade. The rules and pitching distance (43') are the same as High School.
Please note that, at any level, if a manager or coach of a team identifies a potential safety risk, a girl may be asked to move down a division to better suit her abilities and to ensure her experience in FGFS is a safe and positive one.
