We offer many levels of play for all ages. Players of any age and ability level should be able to find an appropriate level for them. Fairfax Little League goes to great lengths to ensure each child is placed on a team with his/her peers. The chart below summarizes the various levels of Softball that are offered. Additional information is below, which includes more details on the levels of play, schedules, time commitments, etc.
Note: If you experience any issues during the registration process, email [email protected]
Softball
Fairfax Little League Softball currently starts at the AA level.
For girls not yet old enough to play Little League Softball, our Tee Ball through Single A baseball programs allow girls the opportunity to prepare themselves to play Softball.
| Level | Typical Grade Levels | Typical League Age Range | Allowable League Age Range | Typical Weekly Schedule | Pitching | Evaluation & Draft |
| AA | 3rd - 4th | 8 - 9 | 7 - 10 | 2 Practice, 1 Game | Player | Evals - Yes,
Draft - No |
| AAA | 4th - 5th | 9 - 10 | 8 - 11 | 1 Practice, 2 Games | Player | Yes |
| Majors | 5th - 7th | 10-12 | 9 - 12 | 1 Practice, 2 Games | Player | Yes |
For Softball, all League Age 7 & 8 year olds must sign up for the AA level and League Age 11 & 12 year olds must sign up for Majors level. At the request of a child's parent or at the determination of the league, League Age 7 & 8 year olds may be moved to Single A and/ League Age 11 & 12 year olds may be moved to AAA.
Frequently Asked Questions:
When are games usually played? All teams should have at least one game on Saturday. If multiple games are listed, the second game is almost always played on a weeknight.
What is "League Age"? A child’s League Age determines the level(s) that the player is eligible for. For Softball, a child’s League Age is the actual age of the child on December 31 of the current year. The League Age determines the level(s) that the player is eligible for. League Age can be found using the Little League Calculator.
What is the difference between the typical age range and the allowable age range? While the registration system will allow anyone to register if they fall within the "allowable" age ranges, most players at the listed level fall within the "typical" range. Depending on the player's ability level and experience, they may play above or below the typical age range listed. Players with little to no experience may start at a level below what is typical, and those with significant experience and/or ability may play at a level beyond what is typical for their age group.
What if we feel our child should be able to play at a level outside of what is listed? As with almost any rule, exceptions can be made. We recognize there are certain instances where it may be appropriate for a player to play above or below the listed age ranges. For example, it may be appropriate for a 12-year old who has played little to no softball to play AAA instead of Majors. If you think it may be warranted, please contract our Softball Player Agent ([email protected])
AA SOFTBALL consists primarily of players that are in 3rd or 4th grade (up to “league age” 10) with a few experienced 2nd graders.
Players are selected to teams based on an evaluation. This level is a combination of coach and player pitch with priority focused on developing fundamental pitching skills in players. Coaches pitch the first 3 innings with max of six pitches and players pitch the last three innings as skill level increases during the season. The Softball mound is 35 ft from home plate and the ball size is 11’. Parent volunteer or coaches serve as game umpires.
If you registered before the waitlist is activated, you should expect to be contacted by your Manager/Coach in mid-March in the Spring and late August in the Fall.
Schedule -- The Spring regular season starts in late March or early April and generally runs through the first or second week in June. The Fall regular season starts in late August or early September and generally runs through the end of October. Weather permitting, practices start a couple of weeks prior to the regular season. There will typically be more than one practice per week prior to games starting. AA teams typically play one game on weekends and have two practices each week. No games are scheduled on the weekends associated with Fairfax County's Spring Break, Memorial Day, Labor Day.
Games are subject to a time limit - no new inning shall start later than 1 hour and 40 minutes after the scheduled start time and the game terminates after 6 complete innings or completion of the last legally started inning.
If you have any questions about AA, contact [email protected]
AAA SOFTBALL consists primarily of players that are in 4th or 5th grade (up to “league age” 11) with a few experienced 3nd graders.
Players are selected to teams based on an evaluation and draft. This level is player pitch. Player pitch has no walks, with coach coming in at ball 4 and has up to 5 pitches. The Softball mound is 35 ft from home plate and the ball size is 11’. FxLL youth and adult umpires for games.
If you registered before the waitlist is activated, you should expect to be contacted by your Manager/Coach in mid-March in the Spring and late August in the Fall.
Schedule -- The Spring regular season starts in late March or early April and generally runs through the first or second week in June. The Fall regular season starts in late August or early September and generally runs through the end of October. Weather permitting, practices start a couple of weeks prior to the regular season. There will typically be more than one practice per week prior to games starting. AAA teams typically play two games per week and have one practice each week. No games are scheduled on the weekends associated with Fairfax County's Spring Break, Memorial Day, or Labor Day
Games are subject to a time limit - no new inning shall start later than 1 hour and 50 minutes after the scheduled start time and the game terminates after 6 complete innings or completion of the last legally started inning.
If you have any questions about AAA, contact our Softball Player Agent ([email protected])
MAJORS SOFTBALL consists primarily of players that are in 5th or 6th grade (up to “league age” 12) with a few experienced 4th graders. Players in games hit a ball pitched by another player.
Players are selected to teams based on a draft. Players who must play at the Majors level or above based on age are guaranteed to be selected to a team. Players who are still eligible to play in the AAA division and are not drafted to a Majors team will be entered into the pool of players available for the AAA draft and will receive a refund for any difference in registration fees. Note, Majors is considered the most competitive division, and as such has different minimum Player Participation requirements than other divisions. All teams still bat a continuous batting order (with all players reporting for a game batting sequentially before the order returns to the top of the lineup), but players are only guaranteed to play 2 of every 6 innings defensively, and there is no requirement that players play an infield position on defense or that bench innings be evenly distributed among players. Please consider these factors when selecting the most appropriate division for your player.
If you registered before the waitlist is activated, you should expect to be contacted by your Manager/Coach in mid-March in the Spring and late August in the Fall.
Schedule -- The Spring regular season starts in late March or early April and generally runs through the first or second week in June. The Fall regular season starts in late August or early September and generally runs through the end of October. Weather permitting, practices start a couple of weeks prior to the regular season. Majors teams typically play two games per week and have one practice each week. There will typically be more than one practice per week prior to games starting. No games are scheduled on the weekends associated with Fairfax County's Spring Break, Memorial Day, or Labor Day.
Games are not subject to a time limit in the spring. In the fall, no new inning shall start later than 2 hours after the scheduled start time and the game terminates after 6 complete innings or completion of the last legally started inning.
If you have any questions about Majors, contact our Softball Player Agent ([email protected])