DULLES LITTLE LEAGUE
TOURNAMENT TEAM SELECTION PROCESS & INFO
Each year, Dulles Little League (DLL) enters teams into Little League sanctioned post-season tournaments. These are commonly referred to as "All-Star teams," and are composed of 11-13 players the league's managers believe give DLL the best chance of winning a competitive tournament. A variety of players will be needed to make the teams. Pitchers, catchers, power hitters, middle infielders, speedy outfielders, smart base runners, among others, are all needed to make a balanced team. We wouldn't be very successful if we had 12 ace pitchers who couldn't hit or 12 power hitters who can't play defense! The key is finding the right balance, the right chemistry, and the right attitude. Please bear in mind that the goal is to form a winning team, not to simply recognize the best players.
DLL has had some success in previous years and the following teams have been a great source of pride for our community.
- 8/9 District 16 Championship in 2023
- Juniors District 16 and Virginia State Championship in 2021
- 9/10/11 District 16 Championship and Virginia State Runner up in 2021
- 8/9 District 16 Special Games Championship in 2019
- 9/10 District 16 Championship in 2013
- 10/11 District 16 and Virginia State Championship 2006
- DLL swept the District 16 tournaments in 2005
These are competitive tournaments that our teams enter with the goal of winning, but win or lose, the hard work and dedication put in by the players selected for these teams foster the qualities of sportsmanship, teamwork, and camaraderie – building character and forging friendships that will last a lifetime.
TEAMS
There are five levels of post-season play for our DLL players based on a player’s league age, as well as their current spring division. We also have the opportunity to form two teams at each level based on our two charters (National and American). See the chart below for some general guidelines.
| All Star Team | Player's League Age
(age as of 8/31 of current year) | Division |
| Little League Juniors | 13,14 | Juniors, Middle School, Seniors |
| Little League Majors | 10, 11, 12 | Majors |
| Little League 9 - 11 | 9, 10, 11 | Majors, AAA |
| Little League 8 - 10 | 8, 9, 10 | Majors, AAA, AA |
| District 16 Special Games 7 - 9 | 7, 8, 9 | AAA, AA |
In general, teams are usually composed of players who are on the older end of the age group as well as playing in a higher division. This is a general guideline and exceptions may be made based on player interest, availability, team need, talent or other circumstances as determined by the managers and DLL’s Board of Directors.Each of the teams will compete in the District 16 Tournament which includes the Little Leagues in Loudoun and Fauquier counties. Those leagues are:
- Upper Loudoun Little League (Purcellville)
- Central Loudoun Little League (Leesburg)
- Dulles Little League (Ashburn)
- Loudoun South Little League (South Riding)
- Lower Loudoun Little League (Sterling)
- Greater Fauquier Little League (Fauquier County)
The District 16 Tournament is played using a double elimination format. Winning teams advance on and losing teams enter a separate bracket. All teams are guaranteed two games, but if you lose twice, you are done. Winners of the District 16 Tournament will advance as follows, and those tournaments usually use a pool play and/or bracket format. The dates for all tournaments can be found on the website on the All Star Schedule document.
Juniors and Majors teams
Our Juniors and Majors teams will compete with the goal of eventually making their way to the Little League World Series in Taylor MI, and Williamsport, PA and being on ESPN! The winner of the District 16 tournament will advance to the Virginia State Tournament. The VA state winner will advance to the Little League Southeast Region Tournament, and that winner will advance to the Little League World Series. It could be a long, but exciting road!
9/10/11 and 8/9/10 Teams
The winner of the District 16 Tournament will advance to the Virginia State tournament. The VA state tournament winner will advance to the Tournament of State Champions Southeast Region Tournament. ***The SE Region TOSCs have not been hosted since 2019 and are TBD for 2024.
7/8/9 Special Games Team
There is no state tournament at this level.
RULES
Tournament rules are sometimes different from our local DLL rules. The biggest adjustment for most players is the playing time. Obviously, anyone selected to one of the tournament teams is recognized as a talented player and a valuable member of the team. In tournament play, however, mandatory play consists only of using a continuous batting order. All players will bat in order, but playing time in the field is not required. It is up to the manager of the team to decide on his best defense each game.
For other Tournament rules, please download the Little League Baseball Rulebook and search Tournament Rules.
TIME COMMITMENT
Be aware that there is a rather large time commitment involved, and if the team advances beyond the District 16 tournament, there can also be considerable travel and hotel expenses associated with the state tournament and beyond. By making themself eligible for selection, the player (and parents) pledge their commitment and consent to the time and expense involved. If selected, the player may be sacrificing much of their summer to compete with the DLL All-Star team for which (s)he was chosen.
The time commitment may begin as early as May 15th, with the teams practicing five or six days per week until the start of the District tournament (see website for dates). Players are expected to attend all practices and games unless reasonably excused (e.g. emergencies), and are expected to remain with the team at least through the state tournament should they advance that far. Plan on committing to at least the end of July. A Juniors or Majors team that goes "all the way" will have been playing ball from mid-May through late August.
While tournament rules state that each player must be in the continuous batting order in every game, there is no amount of defensive playing time guaranteed. For some shorter games that may mean a player receives only one at bat. Please consider that this may be the case before you commit to your team. Once you have made the commitment, you are expected to honor the commitment or risk forfeiting future consideration to tournament play.
PROCESS
Under Little League International rules, the DLL Board of Directors has the authority to form our tournament teams in any manner we choose as long as all players meet the eligibility rules and are placed on teams within their appropriate charter (National or American). Besides age restrictions, eligibility rules include address verification (players must present proof of residence within league boundaries - and the paperwork is more intensive than that of obtaining a U.S. passport!), or school enrollment verification, and must have played in at least 60% of their DLL team's spring games.
The process and approximate timing of each phase are detailed below.
Player interest/commitment –mid to late April
All eligible players in Juniors, Middle School, Majors, AAA and AA in the current spring season are asked to complete our All Star Interest registration to pledge their commitment to the team if selected. Players who are eligible for more than one team have the option of committing to one or all.
Example: A league age 10 player in AAA is eligible for both the 9-11 team and the 8-10 team. That player may express interest in:
1. The 9 - 11 team only.
2. The 8 - 10 team only.
3. Both teams. In this case the managers of the older division will form their roster first, then the younger division.
Manager selection – early May
All eligible manager candidates are invited to nominate themselves for consideration to manage the appropriate team in their charter. Eligible managers include all Juniors, Middle School, Majors, AAA, and AA managers and named assistant coaches of spring DLL teams.
The DLL President will select a subcommittee of Board members to handle All-Star manager selections. Interested managerial candidates will submit an online application, then meet with the appointed subcommittee to discuss their interest, coaching philosophy and experience. Once those interviews have concluded, the Subcommittee will meet privately to select the All-Star managers. Coaching experience, baseball knowledge, history of volunteering, behavior and reputation will be among the factors considered by the subcommittee when reviewing and selecting the All-Star managers. Selected managers will be permitted to propose their primary assistant(s) to the subcommittee for final consideration and approval.
Player selections – early to mid May
Once managers have been selected for each team, player eligibility and commitment have been established, all managers from AA - Juniors will meet by division/charter to provide input for the rosters of the appropriate All star team. A member of the DLL Board will moderate each meeting.
The most common method of doing this is to agree on which players are unanimous and add them to the roster. This is followed by discussion on what other roles are needed to round out the team. Certain types of players may be needed to make a more balanced team, offensively and defensively. (Listed earlier were pitchers, catchers, middle infielders, power hitters, etc) The All-Star manager makes the final decision on which players complete the roster.
Official announcements - May 15 at the earliest
Under Little League rules, rosters cannot be announced until May 15, and not until the eligibility of team members has been established.
In the end, the team does not always comprise the "best" players. There will be solid players who are disappointed in not being selected, and there will be role players who are thrilled to be named to the team in any capacity. The managers face some very difficult decisions, especially in narrowing down the final candidates for the last few roster spots. Whether your child is selected or not, please support the managers' decisions and encourage your child to be happy for those who were selected and come out to the games to cheer the team on to victory.
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