What do you think is the ideal number of kids to have on a select team?
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How many games will you play? Locally or travel? What age?
I like to start with 14-16 players. 14 gives you enough to field a team and have guys to come in as role players or have a pitcher on the bench to get loose. 16 is plenty where you have extra pitchers and have a complete bench to work with. The only bad thing is it is tuff to get everybody in the game. I have been lucky enough to have a good offense so that I am able to get 15 out 16 in a game but that doesn't happen all the time. For state playoffs I like to go to 18-20 so that I have plenty of pitching and plenty of opinions to work with for any situation that might come up. This is all for travel ball. If it is just a local little league team you should be able to get by with 12-14 kids.
We play 10U with 10 kids. Ideally, we would like to get 11-12 but we are selective. Every player plays every game and we have been pretty successful with this formula.
10 is the perfect number if you have dedicated people.
In most tourneys you can bat 9 plus EH and have open substitution. No one has to sit out more than 1 inning at a time.
If you have to carry 15 kids to field a team then you don't have the right kids/parents.
In most tourneys you can bat 9 plus EH and have open substitution. No one has to sit out more than 1 inning at a time.
If you have to carry 15 kids to field a team then you don't have the right kids/parents.
Personally, I like 11 players.
One EH and a rested relief pitcher. I like my EH to be my backup catcher. Many leagues and tournaments allow the EH to enter the game in case of injury.
12 can work for very game intense tournaments.
If you plan on a tournament like Cooperstown, where you play 2,3 or more games a day, then I would probably pull in 2 or 3 extra pitchers.
One EH and a rested relief pitcher. I like my EH to be my backup catcher. Many leagues and tournaments allow the EH to enter the game in case of injury.
12 can work for very game intense tournaments.
If you plan on a tournament like Cooperstown, where you play 2,3 or more games a day, then I would probably pull in 2 or 3 extra pitchers.
12 has always been the perfect number. More and there is too many people sittign on the bench, and with 12 you can always sit someone out if they are slacking off or something. Also if you plan to bat eveeryone it takes foreveer to get through 14 kids.