Frequently Asked Questions
Does SRVGAL have age and grade requirements?
USA Softball recently adopted updated age guidelines and is now using August 31st as the cut-off for determining a players age for the following season. One of the big benefits of this change is that it allows players born in September - December to remain with players in their same grade as they move up in age. (Previously those players were playing with girls a grade ahead of them every other year.)
As the new USA Softball age guidelines now align with the age requirements for schools in California, SRVGAL has decided to do away with Grade Based divisions and use the 6U, 8U, 10U, 12U, 15U naming for all divisions moving forward. We will still continue to use the Red and Blue designations for drafted divisions and White for our recreational divisions.
New this season, we split our Pre K/K division in two to form a true PreK/K division and a 6U division. Also, we have added a new division called 8U Red. Teams in this division will be formed through tryouts and drafts.
When does the season start and end?
The 10U Red, 12U Red, & 15U Red divisions begin their practices December 20,2023.
The 8U Red, 10U Blue & 12U Blue divisions begin their practices January 11, 2024.
The 6U, 8U White, 10U White, 12U White, 14U Open, & Senior divisions start their practices on February 10, 2024.
Red & Blue games begin on March 2, 2024. White games begin March 9, 2024.
The season is scheduled to conclude the 3rd week of May.
(These dates are subject to change due to field availability.)
When and where are practices?
Practices will be held once during the week and once on a weekend. Practice days and locations vary from team to team and are not determined until the teams are formed and will be based on field & coach availability. Once games start most team will have one practice time either during the week or on the weekend.
Teams may also choose to leverage our indoor academy for additional hitting practices throughout the season. These are generally in addition to any practices, but sometimes used in lieu of a field practice.
When and where are games?
Red & Blue games begin on March 2, 2024. White games begin March 9, 2024.
The season is scheduled to conclude the 3rd week of May.
(These dates are subject to change due to field availability.)
All divisions play one game during the week and one game on a Saturday. White divisions, with the exception of the Senior Division, have no travel outside of the San Ramon and Danville area. The Red & Blue divisions & the Senior division may have limited travel to neighboring communities (Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore, Castro Valley).
How do I register and how much does it cost?
To register your player, click on the Registration 2024 button on the home page of the SRVGAL website. Registration will open mid-September.
The registration fee for our Pre-K/K, 6U& 8U White grade divisions is $375.
The registration fee for our 8U Red, 10U White, 12U White, 15U Open divisions is $425.
The registration fee for our 10U Red/Blue, 12U Red/Blue, & 15U Red divisions is $450
The registration fee for our Senior division is $325.
These rates remain unchanged from our 2023 season.
Registration for 8U Red, 10U Red/Blue, 12U Red/Blue, and 15U Red closes 11/3/23.
A $25 late fee will be added to the registration fee after 11/3/23.
See our complete refund policy below.
Registration for Pre-K/K, 6U, 8U White, 10U White, 12U White, and 15U Open divisions closes 1/19/24.
After 1/19/24 registrations will be accepted as space is available. A $25 late fee will be added to the registration fees after 1/19/24.
See our complete refund policy below.
Additional details, for our Senior division, can be found below.
When do I need to sign up for the Senior Division?
We accept registrations for our Senior division until all the local school district high school softball teams have been formed. If a player does not make their JV or Varsity softball team and they would like to participate in our Senior division, they may register at that time without any financial penalties. The local high school teams usually make their final roster cuts in the beginning of February. If a senior player registers for SRVGAL and is drafted to her local school softball team (for example SRV Wolves or Cal Grizzles), a full refund will be given without any financial penalty.
Should I sign up for White, Open, Blue or Red and which divisions require tryouts?
All divisions play one game during the week and one game on a Saturday. White divisions, with the exception of the Senior Division, have no travel outside of the San Ramon and Danville area. The Red & Blue divisions & the Senior division may have limited travel to neighboring communities (Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore, Castro Valley).
The Pre-K/K, White, Open & Senior divisions are designed for the recreational player. When you register your daughter for these divisions she will be placed on a team without the need for tryouts. Each team is determined from the geographical area, school attended, and parent volunteer participation.
The Blue division is competitive while less so than Red. To play in a Blue division each player must attend one of our tryouts. Teams are determined by tryouts and a coaches' draft, with no consideration given to where the player lives. A link to sign up for a tryout will be provided in the registration confirmation email.
The Red division is the most competitive level of play. To play in the 8U Red, 10U Red, 12U Red, & 15U Red divisions each player must attend one of our tryouts. Teams are determined by tryouts and a coaches' draft, with no consideration given to where the player lives. A link to sign up for a tryout will be provided in the registration confirmation email.
Accepting a Commitment Waiver is required for all players registering for a Red or Blue team.
My daughter is going to try out for a Red or Blue team. When will my daughter find out if she made a team?
The 2024 Red drafts are occurring on the following dates at 7:00 pm:
· 15U Red Draft on Monday, December 18, 2023
· 12U Red Draft on Tuesday, December 19, 2023
· 10U Red Draft on Wednesday, December 20, 2023
· 8U Red Draft on Tuesday, January 16, 2023
The players that are drafted by a Red team will be called and notified by their coaches within 24 hours of the Red draft night. If a player was not selected in the 10U or 12U Red draft, she will automatically be placed in the pool for the Blue draft. If a player is not selected for a 15U Red draft, she will automatically be placed on a 15U Open team. If a player is not selected for an 8U Red team she will automatically be placed on an 8U White team.
The 2024 Blue drafts are occurring on the following dates at 7:00 pm:
· 12U Blue Draft on Wednesday, January 10, 2024
· 10U Blue Draft on Thursday, January 11, 2024
The players that are drafted by a Blue team will be called and notified by their coaches within 24 hours of the Blue draft night. If a player was not selected in the Blue draft, she will automatically be placed on a age appropriate White team.
My daughter is going to play in the White or Open division. When will she find out which team she is on?
Players will find out after February 7th which team they are on and who the coaches are. There is a coach meeting on February 7th in which the coaches are given their team rosters. The coaches will either call or email each family personally after that night. In the younger divisions, team assignments are made according to grade, home address, and school attended. There is a spot on the registration form to request a friend. We do our best to meet every request but do not make any promises. If the friend's address places her in a different geographical division, we may not be able to honor the request. Another consideration in team formation is a player’s evaluated skills. Each player’s skill level is determined by the coaches’ ratings from the previous season. The league works hard to make teams compatible within divisions by balancing each team with a similar mix of skill levels. Players are not guaranteed a favorite coach, the perfect practice time or location, or a team full of best friends. Rather, the league’s focus is on forming teams that have an equal chance of success.
Can my daughter play with her friends or request a specific coach?
The online registration for the PKK, White, Open, & Senior divisions has a spot to list a friend or a coach request. We can't guarantee every request but please know that we do our very best to meet as many requests as we can.
Teams in our Red and Blue divisions are formed by draft with no consideration given to friend or coach request.
What if I am interested in coaching a team?
Please click on the Registration 2024 button on the homepage of the SRVGAL website to fill out a coach application. All applicants will be contacted by the appropriate age group coordinator to have a phone interview. All persons selected for coaching assignments will be required to provide personal information and permission to SRVGAL to run a comprehensive background check. All coaches are required to complete three online training courses (Concussion Safety, SafeSport, & ACE), attend the Big Coach meeting on January 17th for Red/Blue teams or February 7th for White/Open teams, and attend in person softball skills training. (Specifics on these additional trainings will be provided by the division coordinator during the interview process.)
What is SRVGAL’s refund policy?
In the event you should change your mind and decide that your daughter is not going to play this season you can withdraw and request a refund before 12/18/23 for the Red/Blue divisions. The final day for refunds for all other divisions is 1/19/24. The only exceptions are: if a senior player is drafted to her local school softball team (for example SRV Wolves or Cal Grizzles), if your family moves out of the area, or your player is injured prior to the start of the season and will be unable to play. Refunds will be given to those players. A $20 processing fee will be taken from all refunds. To request a refund, send an email to our League Administrator at
that includes the name of your daughter and the reason for the request.
What equipment does my daughter need to have?
Equipment your player should bring to tryouts, practices and games is as follows:
· Water bottle for personal use only
· Softball glove
· Softball bat - Click here for a short video on how to buy a bat.
· Softball Batting Helmet – Must be NOCSAE Certified and include a face mask. Click here an example picture.
· Softball Fielders Mask
· Catcher Gear (if you have gear)
· Softball sliding pants & proper athletic attire.
· Softball Cleats – No Metal Spikes Allowed. Soft plastic and rubber spikes are permissible. Girls in the younger age groups may play in tennis shoes. Soccer cleats are permitted
SRVGAL has some equipment (Bats, Helmets, Fielders Masks, Catchers Gear) to loan individual players. All equipment used, SRVGAL or player provided, must comply with USA Softball regulations. Catchers must wear catcher’s helmets; batting helmets are not allowed.
Does SRVGAL provide uniforms?
Players will be issued a SRVGAL jersey that is theirs to keep when the season ends. This jersey must be worn in all official league games. The coach for each team will determine what the players will wear to complete the uniform.
What is the parent volunteer rebate policy?
Coach & Assistant Coach Rebate Policy
Every Coach & Assistant Coach is eligible for a $150 rebate at the end of the season. The $150 rebate will be processed automatically by the League Administrator. No paperwork is required. Only one rebate per SRVGAL player will be issued. The rebates will be processed by June 30th with a credit going back to the credit card that was used to pay for registration.
Board Member Rebate Policy
Every Board Member is eligible for a full rebate of their player(s) registration fee at the end of the season. Board members with multiple players will only receive one full rebate of registration fees. The rebate will be processed automatically by the League Administrator. No paperwork is required. The rebates will be processed by June 30th with a credit going back to the credit card that was used to pay for registration.
When is Picture Day? When is Pitch, Hit, & Run?
Picture Day: 3/24/24
Pitch, Hit, & Run: 3/24/24
(These dates are subject to change based on field availability.)
How does the playoff week and All-Star Day work?
All the divisions 8U Red and older are involved in the playoff week. The Pre-K/K, 6U, & 8U White divisions will have games until May 17, with an optional end of year tournament for 8U White.
Playoffs, Championship games are planned for May 6 – May 18. Game times and days will be determined towards the end of the season.
All Star Day is planned for May 19.
(These dates are subject to change based on field availability.)
What other playing opportunities does SRVGAL offer?
Stompers Elite and NorCal Valley Stompers are SRVGAL’s travel ball teams. Players typically come from the blue and red divisions. Tryouts for the summer will happen in April. Girls wishing to play year-round travel ball can try out for our NorCal Valley Stompers program.
Does SRVGAL have a training facility?
The SRVGAL Academy is the training home for all SRVGAL players.
Updated information about the SRVGAL Academy will be published soon.
What do I need to know about for the safety of my player?
Eyeglasses: Players who wear eyeglasses must wear glasses that are safe. Lenses must be unbreakable, and frames must be unbreakable plastic or sturdy metal. Thin wire-framed glasses may not be worn. Contacts are permitted.
Face/Mouth Guards: Players may wear approved face or mouth guards to protect themselves while playing in the field. SRVGAL recommends all players playing an infield position wear a face mask. Please see specific division rules for specific guidelines.
Injuries: Players wearing orthopedic casts, braces (metal, carbon fiber, hard plastic and like devices) or splints (air or metal) shall not be eligible to participate in any game, practice, tryout, or training session.
Jewelry: No jewelry may be worn while participating in any game that, in the judgment of the umpire, constitutes a safety hazard to either the player wearing the jewelry or any other player.
Pets: All dogs bite and they are also a distraction at the games. For those reasons we ask you to please be courteous and leave your pets at home.
What is the SRVGAL Game Monitor?
SRVGAL requires a Game Monitor (GM) at every game to handle any issues related to any negative behavior that may arise.
The SRVGAL Game Monitor Policy was instituted in the 2018 season in order to ensure that all games are conducted in a positive environment and act as an advocate for our teenage umpires. Click here for a description of the policy and complete listing of the Game Monitor’s responsibilities.
