Softball All-Stars

What is All-Stars?

All-Stars is the colloquial term for Little League International’s (LLI) series of post-season tournaments run by the local District (we are District 6), State, Region, or LLI.  The Little League World Series is televised on ESPN or ESPN2 and is one component of the post-season tournament structure.

What is District 6?

Maine is divided into 6 districts and our league is part of District 6.  Within D6, there are 18 total Charters (i.e. Falmouth, Windham, Yarmouth, Westbrook, etc.) and each Charter will either field their own teams or combine with other neighboring charters to build teams to compete at the various district tournaments and beyond.

What players are eligible for each All-Star Divisions?

All players who have played in 60% of their team’s regular season games and have played at a competitive level for their age are eligible for selection.   

What rules does each All-Star Division use?

A quick synopsis of the rules most impactful to parents and players are listed below:

• Majors- No max. run rule per inning (play until there are three outs); only rostered players can warm up pitchers; 12” ball, 40’ pitching plate; 10 and 15 run rules are in effect (10 runs after 4 innings or 15 runs after 3 innings)
• Minors- No max run rule per inning (play until there are three outs); no coach pitch, only rostered players can warm up pitchers; 11” ball, 35’ pitching plate; 10 and 15 run rules are in effect (10 runs after 4 innings or 15 runs after 3 innings)

Will my availability conflicts negatively impact my player’s chances for All-Star selection?  

We would discourage players from expressing interest in All Stars if their availability is limited during the All-Star practice or playing schedule. If there is indication of limited availability it may impact the chances of team selection. 

After my player is selected to an All-Star team if their availability changes, will they be removed from the team?

• The Manager and league officials will review on a case-by-case basis any player availability changes as they arise to determine what is best for the team and the league.
• Please note there are no “Subs” for All-Stars.  Any personnel changes made to the roster become permanent for the remainder of the tournament season for that team.
• Additionally, if a team arrives to a tournament game with only 11 players (vacation or even sickness), the Tournament Director will only allow TWO coaches in the dugout for that game.  

Does our league participate in every All-Star Division available every year?

Our goal is to find ways to field All-Star teams at every Division level for which we are eligible.  The Softball program reviews registration numbers to determine participation at either one or both lower levels. In late April, we review our player registration numbers to determine for which All-Star divisions there are sufficient players to field a team and then again after we receive all Player Interest and Availability forms.

If my child is selected to All-Stars, what are we committing to as a family?

• Starting June 6 (Majors) & June 13 (Minors), if your child is selected for All-Stars, you should expect their team to hold practices 3-6 days a week until their first tournament starts.  The league expectation is that players are willing to attend practices and are available for all games in the tournament.  Unlike the regular season, teams cannot temporarily add subs due to player absences.  Player absences hinder a team’s chances of winning and the expectation is that players participating in All-Stars will attend practices and games.
• Unlike the regular season, All-Stars is very competitive.  Teams continue to play until they accumulate two losses within a tournament.  The overall winner moves on to the next round.  Because players want to keep playing and want to advance as far as they can, teams play to win.  Winning requires additional development and extraordinary team cohesion which only comes from full teams practicing together on a regular basis. 

When are the games? How long is the All-Star season?

The chart below details when the various tournaments will begin. Note that these are double elimination tournaments and because of this, an end date is impossible to pre-determine. District 6 is historically the most competitive in the state for softball. Players should be prepared to play at least through the end of June but depending on team success, may carry into July. See schedule below. 

Division	Districts Host	States Host
Minors (9-10)	6/18/2022 Gray/NG LL	7/16/2022 Westbrook LL
Majors (11-12)	6/18/2022 Westbrook LL	7/9/2022 Westbrook LL

What does All-Star’s cost?

• League costs vary annually and are typically between $50-$100. As part of each All-Star team, each player will receive personalized All-Star practice and game jerseys, game pants, socks, belt, and visor.  
• District, State, Regional, and World Series tournaments are most often held in locations outside of our local area. In such cases, parents are expected to pay for travel, food, and lodging for the player and family members that wish to attend the tournament.

Why doesn’t our league hold tryouts?

• We believe that the entire season is a tryout, and we assess a player’s performance in real games against other top players across a season of games. We believe this to be a more accurate assessment than a 1-hour test in an artificial game setting where a child could have one off day remove them from consideration.

Who votes for All Stars?

• The managers and coaches of the appropriate aged Division(s) vote on the top players within that League.

If my player is selected, will they get to play in every game?

• According to the Little League Softball 2022 Rulebook requires all players to complete minimum play requirements for each game.  For All-Star teams of 12 players, each player must participate in 6 consecutive defensive outs in the field and bat once during a game.  For All-Star teams of 13 or 14 players, each player is required to bat once per game.

How does my player participate in All-Stars?

Softball players within each All-Star eligible division (Majors, Minors) must meet the following criteria:

• Register their All-Star interest by May 25, 2022
• Eligible players must be within the age range of an All-Star level for which the league is registering a tournament team (9-10, 11-12)
• Played at least 60% of their team’s games during the regular season.

Once a player has registered their interest and it is confirmed by the Player Agent(s) that they have met the minimum eligibility requirements for All-Stars, they will be put into the selection pool.

Where do I register our interest and availability?

Each family in Majors and Minors will receive an email with the link for an online application through TeamSnap. 

When are registration forms for All Stars due?

Softball online submissions must be completed by May 25th.