Practices are expected to begin around the end of March in the Spring and mid to end of August in the Fall, subject to change based on the weather and when Loudoun Parks and Recreation open the county fields. The regular Spring season generally starts in mid-April for teams in the Juniors, Majors and AAA divisions, and a week later for teams in all other divisions. The regular season will end in late May or early June. Single-elimination playoff games begin in early June for all teams in the Single A, AA, AAA and Majors division, culminating with one DLL World Series games for each division.
Team-specific practice and game schedules are not available until after Loudoun County finishes their field allocations, usually a couple of weeks before a season begins. Teams in the T-Ball, Instructional Rookie and Rookie divisions can expect one practice and one game each week on varying weeknights. Teams in all other divisions can expect one practice and two games each week, with the nights of play fairly consistent from one week to the next. In addition:
Weeknight practices and games will generally start at 5:45pm or 6:00pm, except 5:30pm in the Fall due to limited daylight
Games on Saturday could be at 9:30am, 12:00pm, 2:30pm or 5:00pm
Scheduled days and times of play are subject to change depending on number of players/teams, field availability, holidays, and rainouts.
All dates are subject to change based on weather/field conditions and field availability.
Here are the probable days of play by division for the Season. This information is subject to change at the discretion of the DLL Board based on field allocations and the number of projected teams.
Division
Probable Days/Nights of Play
Seniors/Juniors
TBD
Majors
Practice on Thursday
Games Tuesday & Saturday (Friday in Spring or depending on enrollment)
AAA
Practice on Monday
Games Wednesday & Saturday
AA
Practice on Tuesday,
Games on Thursday & Saturday
Single A
Practice on Wednesday
Games on Monday & Saturday
Rookie
Practice on Thursday,
Games on Tuesday & Saturday
IR
Practice on Friday,
Games on Tuesday & Saturday
Tball
Games on Wednesday & Saturday
What are the differences between a Spring DLL season and a Fall DLL season?
Spring Season: During a Spring season, scores and standings are reported and displayed, and teams in the Single A through Juniors divisions compete in a single-elimination playoff to determine division champions. All-Star/Tournament teams are formed for the 9/10, 10/11, 11/12 and Juniors age groups. Players in the T-Ball, Instructional Rookie, and Rookie divisions receive participation trophies following a Spring season. Discount Cards are sold by players as part of DLL's primary fundraiser, and team pictures are taken.
Fall Season: DLL's Fall season is more instructive and less competitive than a Spring season. While scores and pitch counts are reported for Single A and higher, no standings are kept or displayed. There are no playoffs, no All-Star/Tournament teams, and no participation trophies.
How does DLL assign players to divisions and teams?
The process is different depending on whether the season is in the Spring or Fall.
All Fall players are assigned to an appropriate division and to teams by the DLL Player Agents based on:
Previous Little League experience (number of seasons played and previous divisions)
Coach/Manager evaluations from any previous season
Number of players/teams at each level that can be accommodated by available fields and available managers
Overall benefit to league (e.g., competitive balance, scheduling, etc)
Player Evaluation (tryout) results
Parental request on the registration form
Draft results (for the Single A, AA, AAA, Majors, Juniors and Seniors divisions; players wishing to play at the next highest division based on their League Age who are not drafted will play at the division for their age group).
Important Notes
The division of play in a Fall season has NO bearing on the division of play for a subsequent season. This factor is always highlighted on the Registration web page for a Fall season, but often forgotten by the following Spring.
As per Little League regulations, all League Age 12-year-olds must be placed on a team in the Majors division. Any exception requests will require a special waiver. Contact the DLL Vice President (
) for more information.
Can my League Age 5, 6 or 7 year old move up from Divisions?
Reference the FAQs/Help -> League Structure web page for guidelines on player placement by division.
What equipment does the league provide?
The league will provide each team with team hats, team shirts, Bats (for Tee Ball and Instructional Rookie divisions only) and catcher's protective gear. A player is required to provide an athletic cup, baseball glove, baseball cleats, bat (Rookie Division and above), batting helmet, baseball belt and baseball pants. In addition, a player will need to provide their own water bottle and a strap for glasses (glasses must also have non-breakable lenses).
Will we be able to pick our practice night?
Scheduling games and practices for dozens of teams and hundreds of players across more than 20 fields is a challenging effort. The league scheduler will determine the practice night(s) for each team. DLL attempts to use block scheduling (e.g., teams generally play the same day/night each week), but there may be times when you practice or play on a day other than your normal practice/game day.
Where will practices and games be played?
All of our games and practices will be scheduled in the immediate Ashburn area at fields within our league boundaries. DLL has access to a number of elementary school and county fields. The availability of these fields is subject to the discretion of Loudoun Parks and Recreation.
Are games typically scheduled during holiday weekends?
Games will NOT be scheduled during the Loudoun County Spring Break, Memorial Day weekend or Labor Day weekend, though managers have the discretion of requesting optional practices on those dates.
How many games will each team play?
The exact number of games played by each team will be determined based on total registration and field availability.
During a Spring DLL season, teams in the T-Ball, Instructional Rookie, Single A, and AA divisions will play approximately 12 games. AAA teams will play approximately 14 games, and Seniors, Juniors and Majors teams will play approximately 15 games.
During a Fall DLL season, teams in all divisions will generally play 10-12 games depending on field availability and available daylight for weeknight games.
Why does DLL solicit volunteers?
Dulles Little League is a volunteer organization. The league asks each family to make a volunteer commitment in one or more areas. This volunteer activity has the potential for being extremely rewarding. The league also offers a $100 opt-out fee per family in lieu of volunteering. Contact a DLL Board Member to learn more about volunteer opportunities including Team Manager, Assistant Coach, Field Maintenance, Opening Day Coordinator, Tryout Coordinator, etc.
What is the Challenger division?
The Challenger Program provides boys and girls with disabilities the opportunity to experience the emotional development and the fun of playing Little league Baseball. Contact Wendy Melcher (
) with questions or for more information on DLL's Challenger program. Note that the Challenger Program is only offered during a DLL Spring season.
What is planned for the Spring Opening Day Ceremony?
Each Spring, DLL typically promotes a DLL Festival consisting of opening day ceremonies with a parade, food and games. The Spring Opening Day Festival is typically scheduled on a Saturday in mid-April.
Does DLL field any All-Star teams for participation in Little League sanctioned tournaments?
At the end of the regular Spring season, DLL will field several All-Star teams for participation in Little League-sanctioned tournaments. The tournament teams are selected from among the players who participated in the regular season. DLL will have two teams in the tournament for League Age 11 and 12 year old players, two teams in the tournament for League Age 10 and 11 year old players, and two teams in the tournament for League Age 9 and 10 year old players. The 11/12 tournament culminates in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA for the top 16 teams from around the world. The 10/11 and 9/10 tournaments results in the crowning of a Virginia state champion in each of those age groups.
How do I contact a DLL Board member with a question or comment?
Send an email to one of DLL's Board of Directors. Contact info is available on the DLL website under Board of Directors.
What is DLL's mailing address?
Dulles Little League
PO Box 946
Ashburn, VA 20146
Since DLL is run completely by volunteers, the league does not maintain an official office location, or have a central phone number.
How are the final, regular season Spring standings determined?
The regular season standings posted on the DLL website are unofficial and based solely on the following criteria:
Raw Winning percentage (Wins / Games)
Points (Wins * 2 + Ties)
Runs against
Once all regular season games are completed for a division, the following criteria will be applied to establish the final/official standings:
Winning percentage, all games. (Tie games count has one half a win and one half a loss.)
If still tied, head-to-head record of tied teams
If tied, winning percentage in games against the same league (AL/NL)
If still tied, least runs allowed in head-to-head play of the tied teams (assuming all tied teams have played each other the same number of times)
