Website Manager

Bordentown Little League

Bordentown Little League

Evaluations & Draft Processes

2023 Draft Night has not been set.

It is expected to be in February

Majors: Time and Date TBD
Minors: Time and Date TBD
Juniors: 
Time and Date TBD



Baseball Evaluations


Ages 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and those 5-7, or others wanting to "Play Up" Please Read the below in entirety. 

Baseball evaluations are limited to those divisions that have "Kid Pitchers"(Juniors, Minors, Majors) except those players requesting to "Play Up".  This is why ages 8 through 12 need to go to evaluations.  It is to also ensure the player is placed in the Division they will best succeed in as there is age overlap between Divisions.  Evaluations are used to attempt to evenly split up teams at the divisional team drafts.  Nominated Managers, some invited coaches from other divisions, and BLL Board members all evaluate players and provide ratings.  We now also average out all the individual ratings for each player to provide a better and clearer overall rating.  These are shared to all Managers at the team drafts to promote even teams.  They are also returned to the Player Agent and not circulated.  The kids will be rusty, nervous, (doing something in front of a bunch of adults lined up along a Fence) and anxious.  This is not a tryout with the Phillies, Yankees or Trenton Thunder.  Please remind them of that and do not coach from behind the Fence.  Just support your child, and be positive.

Evaluations are also used to decide if a player can "Play Up" and is not a safety risk playing up or sometimes playing down in their league age determination division.  ALL PLAYERS REQUESTING TO PLAY UP IN A DIVISION MUST ATTEND THE EVALUATIONS - NO EXCEPTIONS. Otherwise the player cannot be considered to "Play Up".   Because a player wants to play up, they must go to the oldest age group of that upper Division's Evaluation (except 7-year old's), since they will be playing with that age group, not just the those one year older.  This will help the child and parent ultimately make the correct decision for the player to continue to pursue "Playing Up".  There are no guarantees that a player will be rated capable to play up or the division may not have the space for a player to "Play Up" due to division player numbers. 

10-year old's requesting to play Majors and played Minors last spring must attend the 12-year old evaluations.
8-year old's requesting to play Minors and played Juniors last spring must attend the 10-year old evaluations.
7-year old's requesting to play Juniors and played Rookie Ball last spring must attend the 8-year old evaluations.

5-year old's requesting to play Rookie (Coach Pitch) and played BLL Tee Ball last spring must advise the Rookies and Tball Director.

At the evaluation your child must have all their proper equipment, cup, sneakers, helmet, glove, and bat.  Suggest long sleeve shirts and pants due to temperature.  When it is your child's turn, they will be called out into the practice area and will warm up and play catch with a volunteer or adult.  Then will be thrown some grounders, line drives and then lobs to evaluate how they 1) Throw 2) Catch 3) Field grounders.  Then they will have an opportunity to pitch from a mound which is encouraged.  They will also go into a batting cage and hit off a live pitcher.  Then additionally they will be evaluated for 4) Hitting 5) Pitching and then players will be observed for how well they follow directions and listen.  No bats will be swung outside the batting tunnel.

BLL Baseball - Division Rules

Below includes a direct link to the rule and regulation updates to the 2023 Little League® Official Regulations, Playing Rules, and Operating Policies. Please note, the outlined in areas in red, are the significant updated changes that will be implemented. In addition to the Little League Rules, BLL and our District has specific rules for each division.  Baseball Coaches and Managers must review and follow exactly.

Little League 2023 Updated Rulebook

Little League International Pitch Count Rules

Junior Division Rules

Division Directors

Minor Division Rules

Modifying Helmets with Additional Attachments: What You Need to Know

The safety of all our participants is our utmost concern, and, like the vast majority of youth organizations, Little League® requires our batters to wear helmets that meet National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) specifications and bear the NOCSAE stamp.

As the popularity of helmet attachments (c-flap, etc.) increase throughout baseball and softball, Little League® International has begun to receive inquiries from our families, players, and volunteers as to whether or not they’re permitted in Little League play.

Altering a helmet in anyway (drilling holes, removing padding, etc.) may cause a manufacturer to void the NOCSAE certification of that helmet, making it illegal to use in Little League play. If you have altered your helmet or intend to, please contact the helmet manufacturer to determine if altering the helmet will void the NOCSAE certification.

What are helmet attachments?

Helmet attachments are products that are sold separately from helmet, that you, the consumer, are responsible for attaching to the helmet. They include the “c-flap,” and similar face guards which is a hard-plastic extension that attaches to the ear-flap of a batter’s helmet.

How is this different from a facemask?

A facemask is an attachment that covers the entire face and typically does not require the helmet to be altered by drilling holes into the helmet to attach the facemask. Many manufacturers sell helmets with a facemask already attached that are NOCSAE certified.

Can we use them?

In order to use a helmet attachment in Little League play, the helmet manufacturer must provide a notice indicating that affixing the protector to the helmet has not voided the helmet’s NOCSAE certification. That notice must be shown to the umpire prior to the game. Little League International has issued a letter to all youth batting helmet manufacturers for clarification on whether or not adding to their helmets voids their NOCSAE certification.

If the manufacturer’s response is not listed below and/or if you have not received a notice, or the notice is not available, helmets with an attachment are not permitted to be used.

What’s NOCSAE?

The mission of the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) is to commission research in sports medicine and science and establish standards for athletic equipment, where feasible, this includes batters’ helmets. Little League International regulations mandate that helmets meet NOCSAE specifications and bear the NOCSAE stamp.

Why can’t we use them without manufacturer approval?

According to NOCSAE, adding “products to a helmet previously certified as meeting the appropriate NOCSAE standard will make the certification voidable by the helmet manufacturer. Such additions to the helmet create a new and untested model, as defined in the NOCSAE standards.” You can read their release at NOCSAE.org. Little League is asking manufacturers to clarify whether or not their helmets with an added attachment are still NOCSAE certified, and therefore, permitted for Little League use.

Copyright © 2024 Bordentown Little League  |  Privacy Statement |  Terms Of Use |  License Agreement |  Children's Privacy Policy  Log In