Page Search
Q: I've never played softball, am I welcome?
A: YES!! We welcome brand new players and love teaching them the sport. You'll learn to play a fun game, get to be outdoors, and meet some great folks as LVGSL is an excellent way to meet new people in the LGBT community.
Q: How do I join LVGSL?
A: Register with our league via this website, and make plans to attend one of our Player Rating Clinics. Clinic dates and times will be posted to the league schedule when they are determined. They're usually two weeks prior to the start of each season.
Q: Do I have to attend a Player Rating Clinic?
A: No, it is highly encourage that new players attend one of our clinics; however, you can also practice with an established team as well. Attending a clinic will place you in our draft and ensure you get placed on a team.
Q: Where and when are the Clinics?
A: Player Rating Clinics are free to attend. Dates and times are announced at the start of each year. At the clinic, you will meet members of our board, meet our coaches, and we will help you locate a team. Be sure to wear athletic clothing and bring a softball glove. Metal cleats are not allowed, please wear rubber ones.
Q: When does the season start?
A: LGVSL has two seasons per year: spring and fall. Our spring season starts in February each year ending in late May, and our fall season typically starts in September and ends in November or early December.
Q: When and where are games played?
A: Game will be played at Sunset Park, Doc Romeo, Warm Springs, and/or Lorenzi Park. Exact locations will be published once the league receives confirmation from the City of Las Vegas and Clark County Parks and Recreation. Games are played on Sundays between 9 am-4 pm.
Q: When is practice?
A: LVGSL does not schedule team practices as those are up to each individual team. Some teams practice once or twice a week and others may not practice at all. When we introduce you to our coaches, you can ask them for more details about their teams.
Q: What does it cost?
A: Spring Season is $65 and Fall is $35. Those who play in the spring get to play in the fall for free.
Q: How do I find a team?
A: After you register you will be added to the email list for that season. We will send out information about Player Rating clinics, usually held 2-3 weeks before a season starts, where you can find a team. We will do our best to place every player who attends the clinics on a team. At the clinics, we will introduce you to our coaches and you can chat with them about their teams, tell us what you are looking for in a team, and get matched up to play!
Q: How competitive is the league?
A: Our league has seven divisions of play. A, B, C, D, E, Women's Upper, and Women's Lower. The A division is our most competitive level of play and has our most experienced players; E is our division for those who want a more recreational level of play or are beginners, and B, C, D, is in between. A, B, C, D, and E are open divisions, meaning men and/or women can be on the roster. They do not follow co-ed rules but instead use NAGAAA modified softball rules. Our Women's Divisions are great for any women who prefer to play using a women's ball and not play against men.
Q: What do I need to play?
A: You'll need turf shoes or cleats (no metal spikes), a softball glove, appropriate sports attire, and a desire to have fun! Most teams will have a selection of bats to use that are owned by the players, so you can wait until you start playing before investing in your own. But, if you do buy a bat, it must be USA/ASA approved.
Have a question not covered here? Contact us at info@LVGSL.com
LVGSL new coaches primer
So you want to start a new team in LVGSL, but you aren’t quite sure where to start or what’s expected of you? Here are some FAQs to set you on a path to success.
1. How much does it cost to start a team?
In addition to the fee paid by each player upon registering (currently $65 for a spring/fall registration; $35 for a fall-only registration), each team pays a fee of $500 in the spring (plus $50 forfeit bond). This fee can be paid by an individual, or by a team sponsor. If you are unable to secure a sponsorship from a business, a common option is to split the team fee among all the players on the roster. The coach can collect that money from the players individually, then submit one payment to the league. Note: Teams that are starting in fall season will pay $250, not $500. The $500 fee covers both the spring and fall seasons.
2. What’s a forfeit bond?
Each team has an escrow account with the league. Every donation made to a team is tax-deductible, and if specified as a team donation rather than a league donation, is accounted for within the team’s escrow account. That account must maintain a balance of $50, as that money is used to pay umpire fees should the team forfeit. Note: If your team forfeits a game because it has fewer than 8 rostered players available, but you still play a scrimmage with pickups and the umpire works the game, you are not required to pay the umpire fee. Also, if you give sufficient advance notice so that the UIC can remove an umpire from the schedule, you do not pay the fee. The forfeit fee is only paid by teams that give no advance notice and do not play a game, leaving the umpire with no work for that hour he or she was scheduled.
3. How do I create a roster?
There are two ways to acquire players for your new team: recruiting and drafting. Recruiting players to your team in the offseason is common. Ideally, you’d want to recruit players from a lower division (for example, if you’re starting a C team, you’d want to seek out players in the D division who are ready to graduate to a higher level of competition), but of course that’s not a rule. People tend to want to play with their friends, and this is an adult league, so if you’re starting a new team with your friends, they are adults fully capable of making their own decision on where to play. As a courtesy, you or the player should notify the player’s current coach as soon as possible of any team change. It’s bad form to spring a decision on a coach late in the process and leave them in the lurch. If you’re starting an E team, of course you don’t have the option to recruit from a lower division.
4. What are my roster limitations?
International Pride Softball occasionally changes its player and team thresholds, but as of 2024 they can be found on Page 16 of the Governing Manual, here: https://ipridesoftball.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IPS_GoverningManual_04.06.2024.pdf
5. How do I order jerseys?
Coaches use several vendors to outfit their teams. Lazer Sports, Kaiz, Sin City Sublimation and Boombah are commonly used vendors in LVGSL.
6. How do I set up a practice?
The City of Las Vegas will not book a practice field for you without insurance and allocation paperwork. That’s all covered by LVGSL, so if you want to book a practice field at Doc Romeo, Veterans Memorial Park or Lorenzi Park, you need to book it through the league’s allocation. That takes time and plenty of advance notice, and adds layers of red tape to the process. However, booking a field with Clark County can be done easily on your own. The fee is $12 an hour for a field permit, and you must book it in person at the county field office at Sunset Park (the white building across from Fields 5 and 6).
7. Where do I get lineup sheets and scorebooks?
LVGSL provides lineup sheets for coaches. When we play at Doc Romeo, there will be a box of sheets on the bleachers behind Field 6. At Sunset, it will be on a ledge in the concession window behind Field 11. Take only what you need for the day. This enables us to determine accurately when it’s time to purchase more lineup sheets.
LVGSL also provides scorebooks that are to be used for each game, as well. They are found in the same area. Each field should get one scorebook each day. After your game, pass it on to the home team for the next game, or to a member of the league scorebook committee. If you do not know how to keep a scorebook, ask a board member and we will teach you. It’s vital that every game is properly scored and recorded.
In addition, any lost and found items will be displayed in the same area.
8. I don’t understand a ruling in a game. How do I get my question answered?
Any time something happens in a game that confuses you as a coach, the umpire will be able to explain the rule to you. If you think an LVGSL rule isn’t being followed (for instance, if an umpire tells you he’s calling strikes based on a 10-foot ceiling, but you know LVGSL uses a 12-foot ceiling), you can pause the game by asking the umpire to appeal to the Umpire-In-Charge, or if he’s not available, to a board member. Bear in mind that the vast majority of calls in a game that you disagree with will be judgment calls. Maybe the umpire missed a call. Maybe you thought that ball was foul that he called fair. But it’s his call and he will not be overruled by the UIC or a board member in those cases. Only ask to appeal if you believe the umpire has misapplied a rule.
9. Do I have to go to the board meetings?
We encourage every team to be represented at every board meeting, either by the coach or a proxy. Board meetings are done virtually, through Teams, and are held at 6:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month, except for December (no meeting).
10. What can I use my team’s escrow money for? And how do I access that money?
The money in your escrow may be used for any softball-related purchase. So uniforms, equipment, field rentals, batting practice, league registration, tournament registration, etc
You simply have to provide receipts with a “request for funds disbursement” form (which can be found on the website under league documents>general documents>financial). Attach that form and a receipt to an email sent to the treasurer at treasurer@lvgsl.com and the treasurer will deduct the amount from your escrow and issue you either a check or direct deposit (preferably direct deposit; checks are expensive). The request must be approved by myself and the women’s commissioner before the reimbursement is issued, so it may take a few days.
I know that seems like a hassle but it’s for tax compliance proposes. And after you’ve done it a couple times it really is pretty easy.
Here’s that RFD form: click here.
11. So I’m kind of a big deal now, right?
Kind of, yeah. You’re a leader. Your players will take their cues from you, as will your opponents. Familiarize yourself with the LVGSL’s governing documents and really take time to read and absorb the language you’re signing onto when you register with the league. The governing documents are found here: