LITTLE LEAGUE® DISTRICT TRAVEL PROGRAM:

All children are welcome on the Little League® field. As we look to provide more opportunities to support the baseball and softball players in our communities, the Little League® District Travel program was established to bring a new, competitive playing opportunity.

No other youth baseball and softball organization values the safety and well-being of all its participants like Little League International does. The District Travel Program is an opportunity to bring a “select team experience” to your community that is rooted in Little League’s core pillars, following all Little League playing rules and regulations including our arm safety guidelines, and structured to bring additional playing opportunity within the Little league program.

WHAT DISTRICT ADMINISTRATORS NEED TO KNOW:

• Districts offering this program will be provided with a new league ID (separate from their regular district ID); essentially, by bringing this opportunity to your district, you’re creating a new, distinct “league” within your district. To indicate you’re interested in starting this program, contact [email protected].
  
  
•  Using that new league ID, the district is responsible for chartering and insuring all teams entered into the travel program through the Little League Data Center. This program is treated as a charter in and of itself.
  
  
• D.A. or District staff is responsible for all background checks of volunteers (coaches, umpires, etc.) within their District Travel Program and appointing managers and coaches. Background checks must be completed for all individuals volunteering within the District Travel Program, regardless if they have been approved to volunteer within their local leagues.
  
  
• Players must be registered in a local league and actively participating on a regular-season team in a local Little League program.
  
  
• Leagues may submit one or more teams to the applicable divisions of play. The goal of this program is to provide additional playing opportunities for those baseball and softball players interested. D.A.s or District staff are encouraged to work with the leagues in their district to provide combined district travel teams, establish player pools, and find ways for all players interested to have an opportunity to participate in the Little League District Travel program.
  
  
• For baseball, pitch counts carry over from regular-season games and/or Little League International Tournament games to travel games and vice versa. A Game Pitch Log and Pitcher Eligibility should be maintained and shared within the league. For softball, days of rest regulations also apply.
  
  
• Games do not count toward players’ Little League International Tournament eligibility.
  
  
• Games must be played against other teams in the district or may be played against other teams in other districts provided the other district has also chartered district travel teams in the same division of play. These teams may not play against any non-Little League teams whatsoever (including special games vs non-affiliated teams).
  
  
• The District is fully responsible for funding and operating the program but may charge a league or player registration fee, as necessary.
  

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Can a local league enter multiple teams into the District Travel Program?
The District Administrator or appointed District Staff member approves number of teams entered into the travel program. D.A.s, who essentially are serving as the league president, can restrict to one team per league or allow multiple teams from a league to participate in the District Travel Program. It is recommended that all leagues and Districts work together to provide an opportunity for as many players as possible to participate.

What if the District Travel team is the same as the Little League International Tournament team?
Participation in District Travel and a local league are separate and distinct. All players participating on a District Travel team must be registered in a local league and actively participating on a regular-season team. To be selected to an International Tournament team, players must meet all eligibility requirements as outlined in the current year’s Little League Rules, Regulations, and Policies. Participation on an International Tournament team is not restricted to players that participate only on the district travel team and vice versa.

When will the District Travel season operate and will it conflict with the regular season?
The District Administrator will establish a schedule and should work with local league presidents to avoid conflicts with regular-season schedules.

Who will assign umpires?
It is recommended that the District U.I.C. schedule and assign umpires. It should be noted that all umpires who participate in the District Travel program must meet all volunteer eligibility requirements.

Why does a District Travel Program need to conduct its own background checks?
Whoever operates the District Travel Program is ultimately responsible for the safety of all the participants. This responsibility cannot be delegated to others. The D.A. needs to verify the information independently reviewing the results of background checks. The D.A. will be held responsible if the background check contained disqualifying information that was missed or not reviewed by a local league.

Can we play non-Little League teams?
Little League District Travel Teams are not permitted to play non-Little League teams or in non-Little League Tournaments. All leagues should be reminded to review Regulation I(g) when supporting participation outside of Little League.

Do District Travel games count towards tournament eligibility?
District Travel games do not count toward tournament eligibility for players or local leagues.

Can we play Little League District Travel teams from other Districts?
Yes. Leagues are permitted to participate against leagues from other districts provided it is reviewed and approved by District Administrators.

Do all players who register for District Travel have to be assigned to a team?
No. This is a competitive opportunity, and Little League International recognizes that the District Travel team selection will be different than a regular-season team, where it is not permissible for players to be cut or denied a chance to play. However, if there are more players interested in participating on a District Travel team than there are roster spots, the District Administrator is encouraged to find playing opportunities for those players, either through additional teams, player pools, or additional opportunities, that will help foster the love of the game and skill development for these players.

What about conflicts on using pitchers in a District Travel game when the regular season manager wants to use that pitcher for an upcoming Regular Season game?
District Travel Programs are encouraged to limit the number of pitches a player may pitch (Example: Pitchers in District Travel games may throw a maximum of 35 pitches), to provide more opportunities for pitchers to also field that position in their regular-season games. Communication between coaches and families will be important in making sure all pitching regulations are followed. Pitch Count Logs and Pitcher Eligibility Forms are available through LittleLeague.org, to assist in these efforts.

Can a District Travel Program allow 11- and 12-year-olds to play on 50-70 field if the local league is structured for them to play on a Little League-sized field for regular season play?
Yes, the same age range per division applies to the District Travel Program, which does not have to follow the same structure as a local league, as long as it is structured in accordance with Little League regulations.

Is there any level of Little League International Tournament play for District Travel teams?
No. However, District Administrators who operate a chartered District Travel league are able to organize special games tournaments that involve other Little League District Travel teams.