Tournament Play
The Dobbs Ferry Youth Little League offers many opportunities for our players and community to participate and play in various tournaments throughout the spring, summer and fall.
Tournament play and preparation often require our coaches to hold tryouts for these events depending on the number of players a coach chooses to carry with respect to the number of players wishing to participate.
Tournaments are a great teaching tool for our players as it teaches trust, teamwork, camaraderie, as well as good sportsmanship through baseball and softball. These events are typically very competitive among the teams participating, but we encourage our parents and our coaches to lead our players by example both on and off the field with proper behavior and decorum during tournament practices, games, and through the heat of competition.
The DFYLL wants to ensure to all families that tournament play is optional, and that a fair and balanced process will be used to evaluate players as our coaches build their rosters.
Invitational Tournaments
Recently, we have been entering our Little League into invitational tournaments in Ardsley, Scarsdale, Larchmont and Elmsford.
Our 12U softball team won the Larchmont Season Finale tournament in 2023, going 4-0 to take the crown back to Dobbs Ferry.
Invitational tournaments are often governed by bodies other than Little League International such as USA Baseball and Softball, USSSA Softball, etc and we are subject to the rules provided through each tournament's director including but not limited to age requirements, lineup/roster requirements, game play, game clocks, etc. Such rules may vary from tournament to tournament and each coach/coordinator is required to have a complete understanding of the rules prior to beginning play.
Invitational tournaments typically ask the players to play multiple timed games in one day in a pool play to single-elimination format. Invitational tournaments can span anywhere between 1-3 days.
The DFYLL does not charge our families to participate in tournaments. However, often times a tournament may provide a souvenir such as a shirt of hat for the player, that which is not provided by the DFYLL.
2024 Little League All-Star Tournament
Little League International has announced the start dates for it's annual All-Star Tournament for 2024, which begins with a tournament inclusive of any eligible Little League from within our District 20 boundary.
Little League tournament play begins at the 10-and-under level (minors) division and includes all levels up through the 16-and-under level (seniors) division. The Dobbs Ferry Youth Little League typically participates in the minors (10U), majors (12U, World Series level), and sometimes 14U (Juniors) and 16U (Seniors) tournaments should divisions have enough interest to participate.
The baseball and softball tournaments are what ultimately culminate in the Little League World Series events in August, with baseball's championship tournament taking place in Williamsport, Pennsylvania and softball's championship tournament taking place in Greenville, North Carolina. There are four tournaments an All-Star team must win in order to reach the Little League World Series tournament (Schedule):
SOFTBALL
District Tournament (June 14 - June 27)
Section Tournament (June 28 -- July 3)
State Tournament (July 4 - July 18)
Regional Tournament (July 21 - July 26, aired on ESPN+/ESPN)
Little League World Series (August 4 - August 11, aired on ESPN/ABC)
BASEBALL
District Tournament (June 21 - July 11)
Section Tournament (July 11 - July 17)
State Tournament (July 4 - July 18)
Regional Tournament (August 3 - August 9, aired on ESPN+/ESPN)
Little League World Series (August 14 - August 25, aired on ESPN/ABC)
Note: The 10-and-under journey ends with the state tournament for baseball and softball.
Each tournament is in double-elimination format unless otherwise noted by Little League International. Tournament schedules are announced the week leading up to the start of play, and are provided by District 20.
In 2022, the DFYLL's senior league baseball team reached the district championship game against White Plains. In 2023, the league's 12U/majors softball team reached the quarter final game against Eastchester.
Tournament teams are often selected via a tryout process which is governed by Little League International. Participation on these teams come at no extra cost to our families but do require an extra commitment (practice and attendance potentially past the conclusion of the school year) leading up to and through tournament play until a team is eliminated.
In addition, each family must provide an original birth certificate as well as signed forms proving the player attends a school within the boundary of Dobbs Ferry (Springhurst, Masters, DFMS, or DFHS). Each player is required to participate in 60% of a 12-game minimum schedule, or be able to demonstrate the same number of games played at either modified, junior varsity, or the varsity level.
Lastly, the rules in tournament play are vastly different than that in the regular season, and must be followed to the letter by both parents and coaches throughout the tournament season. To see those rules, click here.
In addition, District 20 has a page dedicated to tournament play and provides all of the necessary resources for coaches and parents. Click here for more information.
For more information on tournament play, please contact your coach or division coordinator.