Year after year, we are required to tell children that have played Little League Baseball or Softball all season that they are ineligible for tournament play (All-Stars) because an adult was either misinformed or did not follow the established rules and regulations of Little League Baseball and Softball. This is truly something that I do not enjoy and it very disheartening for everyone involved. The sad truth is that in almost every case, something could have been done to get these children eligible, but league officials are often not informed until it is too late. When adults make a mistake, the children should not have to suffer the consequences. Since reliable information is not always accurate or available to you, I have decided that you all need to be informed of the facts of certain Little League Rules and Regulations as it affects you and your children who participate. Our first article addresses some residency requirements. You may request additional information by emailing the District Administrator
Randy Bivens at [email protected]
What Are League Boundary Areas?
We have multiple leagues in Maryland District 1, each with a defined boundary area. You must have an established residence in the boundary area to participate with that league.
Players are now eligible to participate with a league if the school that they attend is physically located within the league boundary. This applies to the current academic year and adequate proof* must be provided at the time of registration.
Residence shall be established and supported by documents containing the full residence which includes parent(s) or guardian(s) name, street address, city, state and zip code information, dated or in force between February 1 of the previous year and February 1 of the current year, from one or more documents from EACH of the three Groups.
For more info visit the following link residency-requirements
IF YOUR RESIDENCE OR YOUR CHILD'S SCHOOL DOES NOT FALL WITHIN ANY CHARTERED LITTLE LEAGUE BOUNDARY AREA, YOUR CHILD CAN STILL PARTICIPATE IN LITTLE LEAGUE. CONTACT US AT [email protected] BEFORE THE SEASON STARTS AND WE WILL EXPLAIN ALL OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU.
How Do I Find My Home League?
What If My Home League Doesn’t Have Enough Players To Field A Team?
Not every league will have enough players registered to field a team in every division of Little League Baseball and Softball. In those cases, your home league will combine with an adjacent league in Maryland District 1 for the regular season and tournament play. You still must register your child with your home league. Example: West End Little League only registers 4 players for Junior Division Baseball. An adjacent league, Federal Little League, has registered 32 players for the same division. We would combine the players from both leagues and submit a Combined Team Application to the East Region for both regular season and tournament play. Once approved, Federal would draft 3 teams of 12 players each from the 36 player pool and charter and insure 3 teams under Federal Little League. West End would also be required to charter 1 Junior Division Team but would receive a refund for the required insurance since they did not actually field a team. The teams would then play the regular season and all West End players would be eligible for tournament play, provided the meet the other eligibility requirements.
What Should Happen at Registration?
When registering your child, the league must verify that a legal guardian resides within the league boundary area. If not, they must refer you to the league where a legal guardian resides. We understand that in some cases, parents live in different league areas. Either parent can register their child with the league that they reside in for that year. Players cannot switch leagues mid-season. You should also bring a copy of the child’s birth record to verify their league age.
What If My Residence Changes Off-Season- Can Our Child Still Play With The League They Played For Previously?
Yes, but the league must process a II (d) Waiver through the District Administrator - CONTACT US AT [email protected]
“Regulation II (d) The Board of Directors of the Local League, with the approval of the player involved, reserves the right to continue as a player, any individual (1) whose residence changes from within the boundary to outside the league’s boundary or (2) who lives outside the league’s boundaries because of a revision of such boundaries even if the child then resides in the territory of another league. Current Major League, Minor League or Tee Ball players or any sibling whose brother or sister met the criteria under II (d) at one time may be retained. Any player meeting (1) or (2) above may be retained for the remainder of his/her career, including Little League, Senior and Big League competition. NOTE: A player who qualifies under this regulation and elects not to participate for a playing season is not eligible to be retained for the subsequent season.”
What if it is Inconvenient or Just Undesirable to Let My Child Play With Our Home League. Can I Register with Another League?
Your child may legally play with another league for REGULAR SEASON ONLY with the consent of the league where you reside. Before your child participates in any activities, the league that you wish to play with MUST apply for and receive approval for a *Residency Waiver Request. This allows your child to play with another league for regular season only. They would be ineligible for tournament play. This waiver must also be applied for yearly. It does not carry over from year to year.
Are There Any Other Exceptions to Residency Requirements or any other rules of Little League Baseball and Softball?
Can our child play with Little League and a travel or other recreational team in our area?
Visit the Travel-teams link
"Individual players who play on Little League teams are permitted to participate in non-Little League Baseball and Softball programs. However, players who do participate in any non-Little League activity, and miss games or practices because of such participation, may be suspended or dismissed from their Little League team by action of the local Little League Board of Directors.
Uniforms, equipment, and any assets belonging to the local Little League (to include any uniform bearing the Little League shoulder patch), cannot be used for non-Little League activities, or in any game or tournament not specifically approved by Little League International. Any player or team that does so may be declared ineligible for further participation in Little League for that year, by action of the Tournament Committee or Charter Committee in Williamsport. The Charter Committee also reserves the right to suspend or revoke the local Little League’s charter for such violations.
Little League International respects the rights of a parent to allow a child to participate in any legal activity. However, Little League International also has the right to limit participation in its activities to players who comply with its rules, regulations and policies."
What qualifies someone to be a Little League Baseball or Softball coach or manager? Are coaches required to take some sort of training?
Coaches and managers are selected by the local leagues from their pool of volunteers. There are several factors to be considered. Availability, commitment and willingness to work with the children who participate in our programs are obviously criteria used by every league when selecting volunteers. There are no set qualifications other than being of good character. If you're willing, we can train you. Little League International requires that all volunteers that have repeated access to children are required to submit a volunteer application yearly and submit to a background check. The requirements of all our league's safety programs* mandate that coaches and managers attend First Aid and Fundamental Skills Training every 3 years. At least one member of the coaching staff must attend every year. Maryland District 1 offers baseball/softball coach training annually taught by the ADA Training/Managing & Coaching Coordinator. The fee associated with this course is zero to any District 1 Manager, Coach and or Parent. Maryland District 1 highly recommends that all managers and coaches be required to take these courses annually.
Why are registration fees so high?
To put a team of 12 players on the field for 12-14 regular season games and 8-10 practice sessions, the cost to the league averages about $1800. That’s taking into account that they only need to replace and repair equipment - not buy everything new. Registration fees account for around $1500. For every team a league puts on the field, they are $300 in deficit. Participation in International Tournaments- Add another $500-$800 per team entered.
The leagues must make up the difference with fundraisers and sponsorships. Some leagues can generate income by operating concessions, but this the majority of our leagues do not.
Bottom Line- registration fees do not begin to cover all costs.