Welcome to Dugout Ready
Built by a rec league parent-coach, for rec league parent-coaches.
Hey, Coach. I built this because I've been exactly where you are.
I've seen every version of the spreadsheet get passed around. I've tried the half-baked apps that don't account for the real stuff... the kid who shows up after you already printed the lineup, the league rules that say every player has to rotate through the infield, the parent who's convinced their kid is playing outfield too much.
We love coaching. But building a fair lineup that follows the rules, keeps the parents happy, and doesn't take 45 minutes in the parking lot before the game? That part's hard. Dugout Ready was made to fix that.
This tool is built for the nuances. And we're hyper-responsive to feedback... if something doesn't work the way you need it to, tell us. We'll add it.
Here's a quick walkthrough of what you've got:
The whole setup takes about 5 minutes. You'll be building lineups by your next game.
⚾ Your Teams
Select a team or create a new one.
⚾ Team Info
Coaching Staff
Field Configuration
When ON: The catcher position is left open. All outfield spots stay filled. This is the preferred option for most youth coaches since outfield coverage matters more than having a catcher (the backstop handles passed balls).
When OFF: The algorithm leaves an outfield position open instead, filling catcher normally.
Example: You have 9 players and 10 positions. With this ON, you'll see 9 players across P, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, LF, LC, RC, RF with no one at C. The backstop catches pitches.
📱 GameChanger Info COMING SOON
GameChanger is the mobile app most youth leagues use to track games, stats, and team communication. This section will include a link for all parents to download the app, instructions on how to find your team, and tips for using the chat feature to stay connected during the season.
League Rules
Get your league's specific rules dialed in so every lineup is compliant.
Every league does it differently. Some send rules in an email. Some post a PDF on their website. Some hand you a spreadsheet at the coaches meeting. And some give you a 10-page packet at draft night and expect you to memorize it.
This section helps you organize all of that into one place. Drop your rules in however you have them, and we'll sort through them for you. Or just toggle the settings manually if you already know what your league requires.
🤖 AI Rules Analyzer BETA
Got your league rules in an email, a PDF, a Google Doc, or buried on a website somewhere? Drop them in below however you have them. Our AI will read through everything and auto-fill the rule settings for you.
Copy from an email, PDF, Word doc, or wherever you got them. Just paste the full text here.
📋 Rule Settings
Configure your league's rules below. Toggle each rule on or off and adjust the values. The lineup generator enforces these automatically.
⚾ Infield Rules
🔄 Position Rules
🪑 Bench Rules
🏆 Playoff / Extra Innings
📝 Additional Rules
I know it's a little complicated to get this set up at first, but see below for a quick 60-second video showing how the fielding lineup takes into account the rules you set here, and how it all ties into the batting order.
Save Team Info First
Head over to Team Setup and save your team info to unlock the roster.
👕 Uniform Info
Set up your team's uniform details. This info can be shared with parents so they know exactly what to buy and what the league provides.
📅 Game Info
When OFF (Regular Season Rules):
โข No player at the same position more than 2 times
โข Every player gets 2+ infield innings
โข No player sits twice before everyone has sat once
โข No back-to-back bench innings
โข Catcher = max 1 infield credit
When ON (Playoff Rules): Full rotation rules enforced through inning 5. After inning 5, rules relax so you can optimize for winning: catchers can repeat, your best infielders can stay put, and position limits loosen.
Tip: If you're in a regular season game but want tighter control in late innings, leave this OFF. The algorithm will enforce fair rotation the entire game.
📝 Manually Enter Prior Games
Started using this tool mid-season? Add your previous games here so you can track game balls for those games too.
🏆 Game Ball Tracker
🌟 Season Game Ball Totals
📅 Saved Games
📋 Season Totals
Cumulative position breakdown across all saved games. Use this to track fairness over the entire season.
