Ever wonder how the ECLL draft works and how teams are formed? Here is the section right from our ECLL Bylaws -
ARTICLE XXIII – PLAYER DRAFTSection 1. The drafting of teams will be conducted within the guidelines set forth in the Little League Baseball, Inc. Operating Manual.
Section 2. Manager’s Option – When the manager has a child eligible to be drafted, that player is protected from being drafted by the other managers until after the specified round based on the players league age. League age 12 – 3rd round, league age 11 – 4th round, league age 7-10 – 5th round. If a manager fails to pick his/her child by the specified round as stated, then that child may be drafted by any of the other managers.
Section 3. Coach’s Option – A manager may now have the option of declaring an assistant coach before the draft. This must be done in writing to the Player Agent at least 48 hours prior to the draft by emailing the Baseball Player Agent at
[email protected] or the Softball Player Agent at
[email protected]. The assistant coach must be registered online and be approved by the Board of Directors prior to the draft. The coach’s child must also be league age eligible for the division in which the coach will be volunteering. If all of the above conditions are met, then the coach’s child is protected from being drafted by the other managers until after the 1st round. If the manager fails to pick his/her coach’s child in the 1st round as stated, then that child may be drafted by any of the other managers.
Section 4. Brother/Sister Option – The brother/sister option is available when there are two or more siblings eligible to be drafted in the same division. After the first sibling is drafted, the manager of that team automatically has the option to draft the brother or sister of that player on the team’s next turn in the draft. If the manager does not exercise the brother/sister option on the next turn, the sibling becomes available to be drafted by any other team.
Section 5. Evaluation for draft, also called tryouts, will be held by age groups. There will be at least 2 scheduled tryouts for each age group. All players 7 and up registered for baseball or softball must attend 1 tryout. If any player age 7 and up for baseball or softball fails to attend a minimum of 1 tryout, said player will not be allowed to be chosen by a manager during the draft. That player, instead, will be placed randomly on a team in the lowest division eligible based on his/her league age.
Section 6. Parents may request assignment preferences for Farm and Tee Ball divisions only, as these teams are assigned and not drafted. ECLL cannot guarantee assignment requests. Any requests for player or manager assignments for Single A division and above will not be allowed as these divisions are drafted by managers.
Section 7. The drafts for Baseball and Softball shall be conducted in order of Majors, AAA, AA, and A. At each level, the Player Agent will ensure that no eligible player candidate is allowed to fall below the highest level at which they played the previous season. For example, a AAA player from the preceding season must be drafted at least to AAA. They cannot be allowed to be undrafted by the end of the AAA draft and fall to AA.
Section 8. The specific order in which teams within each division shall draft shall be determined by blind draw prior to the start of the draft. Selection of team names she be in reverse draft order.
Section 9. Trades will ONLY be allowed in the draft room immediately following the draft. The President, Vice President or next Executive Board member available at the draft will review and approve or deny each trade that is proposed. There will be no trades once you leave the draft room.