Fernandina Beach Babe Ruth

FAQ.docx

Baseball Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Volunteering

Q-How do I contact an FBBRL Board member?

A-All of the FBBRL Board members email address can be located on the “Contact Info” section of the  left side of the FBBRL website.

Q-How do I get more involved with FBBRL and the board?

A-FBBRL holds annual elections that ALL FBBRL members (FBBRL members are parents of FBBRL baseball players, not just current board members) can vote. You can also contact the Board President, Charles Evans at 904-556-4819 for more information about becoming a Manager on your player’s team or joining the board.

Q-Are parents required to complete a background check in order to be a board member/coach/team mom?

A-Any parent interested in participating must go through a background check by FBBRL

Q-How do I get considered for being on the FBBRL board?

A-Simply notify one of the board members that you would like to be nominated for election to the board.

Regular Season

Q-As a parent, how can I get a copy of the divisional rules?

A-Parents can request a copy of the divisional rules from their Team Manager, Division Director or the Baseball Director. The rules are also available on FBBRL website under the Local Ground Rules Link on the left side of the homepage.

Q-Do players on the T-Ball teams stay together from season to season?

A-Yes, t-ball players may remain on the same team from season to season. If a player/parent decides they would NOT like to return to the same team they played for the previous season, they are NOT allowed to choose an alternative team. Players not returning to a former team will be placed into a blind draft and will be assigned to another team by age in order to keep the teams balanced (FBBRL tries to balance the number of 5, 6 and 7 year olds per t-ball team). This prevents any t-ball team from consisting mostly of 7 year olds from playing a t-ball team consisting of mainly 5 and 6 year olds. FBBRL strives to achieve balanced, fair play for all teams.

Q-How are Rookies, Minors, Majors and Senior Players Placed on teams.

A- All players that will play in Rookie, Minors, Majors and Senior divisions must come the the tryout night and demonstrate their abilities to the Team Managers in their division.  Managers will observe their ability to catch, throw, hit, and pitch.  The Managers then pick the teams in a draft process.  This helps the teams be very evenly matched, improving the level of play and development of the players.  This process does not allow the players or parents to pick their coach.  All players make a team.  Any player who does not try out is randomly assigned to a team in a hat pick process.

Q-Can the teams in the Rookie, Minor, Major and Senior’s division stay together from season to season?

A-No, All Rookie, Minor, Major and Senior teams will be completely redrafted every year.  This gives every player a chance to learn under different coaching styles and with different players.

Q-How are the players selected for the Spring All-Star teams?

A- All Stars are selected in the last 2 weeks of the regular season.  Each player votes for 6 players on teams other than their own who they feel would be best for the All Star Team.  The top 6 players with the most player votes make the All Star Team.  The team Managers in that division then select the next 6 players.  The All Star Manager has the right to select 3 additional players.  This All Star team practices and later represents Fernandina in the Babe Ruth District Tournament.  If they win, they go to States, Regional and possibly the Babe Ruth World Series.

Q-What type of equipment will my child need to play baseball?

A- Baseball cleats, baseball pants (coach will tell you what color) and a glove are necessary.  You may also want to purchase a bat after you have confirmed the appropriate size and weight with your Head Coach.  The league supplies batting helmets for shared use, or you can outfit your player with his own helmet.  The league also supplies each team with the catching equipment.

Financial

Q-Where does registration, fundraising and sponsorship money go?

A-100% of all proceeds from fundraising, sponsorship, and registration goes to FBBRL. The proceeds are used to pay the umpires,buy uniforms, buy equipment and maintain and improve the baseball facility.  FBBRL is a 100% Volunteer run organization.  The books are open for review by any parent.  The 2018 treasurer, Rob Weeks, is a locally practicing CPA.

Registration

Q-What does the term “league age” mean?

A-League Age is determined by the age of the player on May 1st of the year they will be playing.

Q-What are the age groups for each division?

A-T-Ball-Ages 3 – 4.

   Advance T-Ball-Ages 5 - 6

    Rookie-Ages 7 to 8.  

    Minors-10 and under.
    Majors-12 and under.
    Seniors-Ages 13 to 15 year olds

Q-How do the rules differ for each division?

A- We will highlight the major differences of each division.
Tball(4-6): Teams bat the entire lineup every inning.  The players may get 3 chances to hit a ball pitched by their coach.  If they fail to put the ball into play, they bring out the T for them to hit.  There are no outs called, but players are encourage to try and make a play.  All players get to run the bases.  There is no score kept, and positive encouragement is the most important thing.

Advance Tball (5-6): Teams bat the entire lineup every inning.  The ball is pitched by a coach.  Player has 5 pitches to get a hit.  If they foul the 5th pitch they continue to bat until they miss the ball or put the ball into fair territory.  If they fail to put the ball in play they are not out.  The batter gets a walk to first base.  The fielders play regular outs.  There is no score kept, and positive encouragement is the most important thing.

Rookie (7-8): The ball is either pitched by a pitching machine or a coach.  Swinging strikes are called, but no balls.  Player has 5 pitches to get a hit.  If they foul the 5th, and 6th pitch, they are giving a final 7th pitch.  If they fail to put the ball in play they are out.  The fielders play regular outs.  There is no stealing, and no leading off.  Play stops when the ball is thrown back to the pitcher.  They play regular positions, except there is an additional pitcher (one on either side of the mound).

Minors:(9-10) Played on a 60 foot field with a 46 foot pitching distance.  The kids pitch to the other team like in real baseball.  There are restrictions on the pitchers as to how many pitches they can pitch in a day/week with rest periods, in order to protect young arms.  You can steal, but only after the ball crosses the plate.  There is no leading off.  Otherwise is pretty much regular baseball rules.

Majors(11-12) Played on a 70 foot field with 50 foot pitch distance.  There are restrictions on the pitchers as to how many pitches they can pitch in a day/week with rest periods, in order to protect young arms. You can lead off and steal at will.  Otherwise normal baseball rules.

Seniors (13-15) Played on a full size 90 foot field with 60 foot pitch distance. There are restrictions on the pitchers as to how many pitches they can pitch in a day/week with rest periods, in order to protect young arms.  Played with normal baseball rules.

Q-How often will my team practice and how long will they last?

A-Practice scheduling is decided by the Team Manager.  Typically teams practice two days during the week and on Saturdays until games begin.

Q-How many games will my child play and when will they be?

A-We are targeting 12 - 14 regular season games, and then a single elimination tournament.  This works out to 17 to 19 games.

Q- How long does the fall baseball season last?

A- The fall season runs from October to mid-November.

Q- How long does the spring baseball season last?        

A- The spring season runs from the beginning of February until mid-May.