When participants register using CYA’s online registration system, they are assigned to a Division based on their league age:  AA for 9 year olds, AAA for 10 year olds, and Majors for 11 and 12 year olds.  However, the Division each participant is ultimately assigned to depends upon a combination of ability level, desired level of competition, and league age.  For example, a league age 8 year old (or 7 year old in special circumstances) may “play up” to AA, a league age 9 year old (or 8 year old in special circumstances) year old may “play up” to AAA, and a league age 10 year old (or 9 year old in special circumstances) may “play up” to Majors.

Majors represents the most competitive level of baseball for the 9-12 year old age group, and has the least amount of minimum playing time requirements (minimum of 2 innings in the field and 1 plate appearance).  Although each league age 12 year old will play Majors unless a specific request to play AAA is approved by little league (new for 2008), many league age 11 year olds will end up remaining in AAA through the competitive draft procedures.  A league age 11 year old may also opt to play AAA (and need not obtain any waiver).  All league age 10 and 11 year olds are guaranteed a spot in AAA (if they don’t try out for Majors or are not drafted by a Majors team).  Likewise all league age 9 year olds are guaranteed a spot in AA.  In special circumstances, and upon request, a league age 10 year old may opt to play AA and a league age 9 year old may opt to play in CYA Baseball’s Single A Division (primarily for league age 7 and 8 year olds on a smaller field).

Parents or guardians may request for participants to “play up” or opt to a lower Division using the “special requests” field during online registration (and responding “yes” to the question about “play up” if applicable) or by contacting the little league Board’s official Registrar.  League officials reserve the right to grant or deny such requests.  Unless your request has been specifically rejected, you should plan on bringing your player to the tryout for the desired Division of play.  Tryout times and locations will be posted on CYA’s little league baseball web site and sent to participants via email.  Requests to “play up” may not be filled depending on the results of the draft following tryouts.  Those participants desiring to “play up”, but not selected at the desired Division of play, will automatically be assigned to the pool of available players at the next appropriate Division.