Frequently Asked Questions for Camas Junior Baseball What are the major differences between other youth baseball leagues and Junior
Baseball? The primary difference is that JUNIOR BASEBALL
is an advanced skills league playinig by amended high school rules, as opposed to most of the other youth league rules. Probably
one of the most prominent rule differences is about base stealing. In the other traditional leagues, a player cannot steal
a base on a pitched ball until the ball crosses home plate. In JUNIOR BASEBALL a player may take a lead off the base and steal
at any time during the pitch. As the kids get older and more experienced, the "base stealing" rule makes for some
very exciting baseball. The rule also teaches the kids smart base running techniques. They will need the techniques if they
continue playing baseball as they get older. Possibly the best thing about JUNIOR BASEBALL is that when it comes to playoff
time, a team goes as a unit. No "all-star" team is created. Another major difference is the size of the field. In
other youth leagues, the field size remains the same through the age of 12 (46' pitching and 60' bases). In JUNIOR
BASEBALL the field size grows as the kids grow. 8-10 years olds play on a field with 45' pitching and 60' bases. 11-12
year olds play on a field with 50' pitching and 70' bases. Thus, pitching does not dominate JUNIOR BASEBALL because
of the mound distance. I like the principles of Junior
Baseball. How should my community evaluate whether a switch to Junior Baseball would be beneficial to our children? Any successful move to JUNIOR BASEBALL from Little League or Babe Ruth always occurs
because of strong local support. If people are hesitant (and they probably will be since change is always difficult) suggest
that the area put together an independent Federal level team (probably Midget or Junior Federal) to participate in JUNIOR
BASEBALL invitational tournaments. In these tournaments, they will get to see how high school baseball is played, and will
see how good the competition is in JUNIOR BASEBALL. If there appears to be some interest, contact the district in your area
to see if they can send some board members to explain JUNIOR BASEBALL to a local group. Then, if you eventually get to the
point of a possible transition, contact an area that has recently "made the switch" to get advice on how to make
the transition to a new association. The conclusion—it's
not simple, but it can be done and it's well worth the effort!!!
General Questions
Who
do I contact if I have a concern or question?
Questions
or concerns should be addressed to the Board of Camas Junior Baseball.
What is "Junior Baseball"?
JUNIOR BASEBALL is a non-profit organization formed to provide an opportunity for Camas, Washougal and Skamania County
youth from ages 8-16 to participate in an organized baseball experience. The goal of JUNIOR BASEBALL is to provide each child,
regardless of skill level, an ability to compete in baseball against other players of similar skill and age. As such, players
are divided into separate divisions based on age and skill level (see "Junior Baseball Divisions"). JUNIOR BASEBALL
games are played according to the rules of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) with some modifications
to tailor the rules to the age and skill level of the players. For example, JUNIOR BASEBALL base lengths and pitching distances
are reduced from the high school level to accommodate younger players, but increase progressively with the age of the players.
The intent is to provide all ages of players the opportunity to play the complete game of baseball (leading off, stealing,
etc.) but to progressively increase playing distances as the age and skill of players increase.
Junior Baseball Divisions What are the different Age Divisions? JUNIOR
BASEBALL provides opportunities for players 8-16 years of age. Players are grouped into four distinct age divisions, Midget,
Junior, Senior and Cubs. The Midget Division is made up of players aged 8, 9 and 10, Juniors are aged 11 and 12, Seniors are
aged 13 and 14, and Cubs are aged 15 and 16. The age of the players are generally determined by their age on July 31 of the
year of the baseball season, though there are exceptions for older players who wish to participate with their school classmates
(see the JUNIOR BASEBALL rules). Within each age group (except Cubs), players are also separated into three distinct skill
levels (See "What are the Different Skill Divisions"). What
are the different Skill Divisions? Within each Age
Division, Junior Baseball teams are separated by the relative skill level of the players. This separation is necessary to
meet the JUNIOR BASEBALL goal of assuring that all players participate against other players of equal age and skill. For all
divisions except Cubs, players are separated into three distinct levels: National, American and Federal. Generally, the National
level is for players with recreational level skills. The American level is for intermediate skills, and the Federal level
is for players with the highest skill level. Cubs' players are not separated by skill level. How are players assigned to teams of the correct Skill Level? JUNIOR BASEBALL rules require that CJB conduct a skill evaluation of players prior to forming teams, and that teams
be formed by placing players on teams of equal age and skill. At these player skill assessments, coaches and/or CJB officers
are responsible for evaluating the players and placing them on teams of the proper skill level. JUNIOR BASEBALL has found
that where player skill evaluations are completed and teams are formed according to these evaluations, the need to "move"
teams during the season is very rare. League Play and
Game Results How long is a Junior Baseball
season? The length of a normal JUNIOR BASEBALL season
will vary according to the age/skill level of the team being considered, and whether a team advances to post-season play.
In general, regular league play normally begins in early May and continues through late June or early July. Teams that advance
to a District tournament will continue until approximately mid-July. Teams that further advance to the State tournament may
continue playing into the first weekend of August. If
a player is late in arriving to a game, can he play? Yes.
He is put in the bottom of the batting order, and may be inserted at time of arrival, regardless of inning. This is a JUNIOR
BASEBALL exception. High school rules differ. How can
a baseball game end in a tie? A game can end up in
a tie because of time restriction, darkness, or weather. Details are in the "JUNIOR BASEBALL" and "NFHS"
rule rulebooks. How are league game results reported
and tracked? JUNIOR BASEBALL does not track each individual
team throughout the regular season. This responsibility is left up to each District. Each District has their own system for
reporting and tracking regular season games. Why are
pitching / innings recorded on game results cards? JUNIOR
BASEBALL rules limit the number of innings that a player can pitch during a game or in seven consecutive days (depending on
the age/skill level). These rules are intended to protect the health of the players. Each district tracks this information
closely. Coaches that "over-pitch" any player may have to forfeit the game where the innings pitched exceeded the
maximum innings allowed by rule. Do invitational tournament
games count against regular game pitching limits? No.
The JUNIOR BASEBALL rules that limit the number of innings that a player can pitch only applies to league games. The number
of innings pitched by a player during invitational tournaments DO NOT count in subsequent games played in the regular season
schedule. Coaches are strongly encouraged to consider the innings pitched in invitational tournaments, however, when using
pitchers in the subsequent league games so that the health of any player is not threatened! | 
