The more that changes, the more that stays the same.

We wanted to find out what role 'Fall Ball' should play in the year - just another season? more instructional? more fun? Here's what you told us...

What's the main purpose? Who should get to play? What bats are allowed? How long is the season? How many innings per game? Rules for pitchers? What about batting order? How many fielders? Should players rotate on field? What sort of uniform?

First, a few observations from WebBall...

•  We're pleased everyone wants something more out of it that a weekend tournie.
•  We expect that with the number of people wanting full length games that every field is lighted.
•  It seems few people agreed with our attempt to limit pitcher duration, but most want some limits.
•  Obviously the younger ages are more in favor of 'everyone bats' because that's how some of them play now.
•  Encouraging coaches to rotate players through the positions but not wanting to impose the rule almost guarantees it won't happen - would you REALLY put in a player who wasn't a good shortstop (or catcher, or...) in a game you want to win?
•  Most interesting are the number who want both full uniforms and a full second season - obviously some people never get enough serious baseball!

Although it could not be made a regulation, I believe it is beneficial for the players to play with different players than they played with during the regular season, as well as under a different coach. Often, a different environment will bring out a strength, or help to [identify] a weakness in a player this age (9-12).
- Donna

{Make it} quick & fun. Players have had the past 6 months of instruction and trying to win, [so] try new spots, use wooden bats, bat everyone, make out own line-ups, get refreshed, rather thaan another intense competitive season.
- Coach Moon

I'd like to see it more laid back. The all-star kids just got off a stressful season with worrying who makes the all-star team and traveling and playing tourneys. It should be more of a cool down period and just having fun. They shouldn't even get to know their stats or record.
- Scott

Making fall ball competitive is a losing proposition, due to the fact that so many players are doing other things. It is hard to be competitive when the players showing up differ every week. On any level that I have ever coached, people just seem to have a more laid-back approach in the fall. Maybe it's because the regular season is so competitive. You may as well make it instructional.
- Craig Rische

Try to keep ages close so that younger players are not intimidated and old players don't dominate. Likely that the younger players have been sitting a lot so give them a change to excel among peers.
- Mike Myers

We play a 10 game season [different age brackets] with games every Saturday starting in late August. There is a single elimination tournament at the end of the season (we have 16 Pee Wee teams in the park). Tournament seeding is done by random draw, so coaches will have less of an incentive to have to win every game. This helps encourage coaches to move kids around a little more. For the 6-8 year olds we have 2 innings of kid pitch (to start the game) followed by 3 innings of coach pitch. The coach pitch allows newer kids the chance to hit. The kid pitch allows coaches to prepare pitchers for the spring. We practice twice a week. Kids who play fall ball are usually well ahead come spring season. Spring season is much more competitive. Fall still has full 12 round draft, but there are no tryouts. Spring results are used, with unknown kids picked at random. Over all it is a lot of fun. Many kids who have never played before are urged to start in the Fall season.
- Dave Hester