For parents, grandparents, and guardians of Little Leaguers®, Your Voice is a way for you to share questions with Little League®, and an opportunity for us to provide some important information and guidance. We are excited about our continued conversations, and, as always, we invite you to share your thoughts, suggestions, and questions.
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Don from Ohio – How many innings can I expect my Little Leaguer® to play each game during All-Stars?
Little League – The Little League International Tournament Mandatory Play rule governs each player’s game participation, and is based on the total number of players on a team’s roster. If a team has 12 or fewer players in uniform at the start of a game, each player must play six consecutive outs on defense and have one at-bat per game. A team with 13 or more players in uniform at the start of the game must provide each player with one at-bat per game. Each league determines how many players will be carried on a tournament team roster. Mandatory Play requirements are determined by the number of players in uniform at the start of the game regardless of the number of players listed on the tournament affidavit.
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Brianne from North Carolina – Our family has a vacation planned, how long does All-Star season last?
Little League – The length of your Little Leaguer’s all-star season will be determined by the team’s success. The commitment has the potential to be summer-long. Games in the Little League International Tournament begin at the district level. District tournaments vary in length depending on the number of teams participating and the tournament format and may last anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks. If your league’s all-star team wins the district tournament, it will advance to the section or state tournament. If the team wins that next level’s tournament, it will continue to advance to the next tournament, which is determined by the number of teams playing in any given division, and state. A team that wins its region’s division championship, and reaches a World Series, is likely to be competing for approximately two months (the middle of June through August). Before placing your child’s name into the selection pool, as a family, you need to decide if the tournament experience is important enough to possibly postpone any vacation plans.
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Tyrone from Oregon – How are All-Star players and coaches chosen?
Little League – The players selected to represent the league on the Little League International Tournament team(s) must consent to be available for the duration of the tournament for as long as the team remains in contention. Ultimately, each league’s board of directors determines the selection method that will be used for each tournament team. Some leagues may place age-eligible players into a selection pool and have the tournament team manager and coaches, who are nominated by the League President and approved by the league’s Board of Directors, work with the league’s Player Agent to assemble the roster. Some leagues may hold player evaluations, but it is not required by Little League. Some leagues also have their players vote on who should be on the team. If a player participated in multiple divisions during the regular season, he/she must commit to one division for the tournament season. If one all-star team is eliminated, a player cannot be added to another tournament team roster.
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Laura from Texas – Who creates the schedule and decides on where the Little League International Tournament games are played?
Little League – Beginning with the District Tournament (the first level of the Little League International Tournament) the schedule is developed by the District Administrator (D.A.). Based on several factors, including the number of teams playing in any given division, field amenities and access, and driving distance from a league’s facility to the game site, the D.A. places games, and sets dates, and times. Each level of play must be completed in advance of the next level of tournament beginning.
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Cappy from New Hampshire – How often do tournament teams practice?
Little League – Each Little League tournament team manager establishes the team’s practice schedule, but it is common to expect on your child to practice five or six days a week leading up to the district, section, state, and region games. It’s also possible that there may be times when the team will practice twice in the same day, and have other team-related activities.
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Javier from Nevada – Is the Little League® International Tournament the same as the “Williamsport Tournament?”
Little League – Yes and no. The Little League International Tournament is governed by the Little League Baseball and Softball Tournament Committee located in Williamsport, Pa., but the tournament is operated for different age divisions of Little League Baseball® and Little League Softball®. The baseball and softball divisions of the program have tournament play available for players as young as 8-to-10 years old and 9-to-11 years old, which culminate at the state level. For baseball and softball players 10-to-12 years old (Major Division); 11-to-13 (Intermediate 50/70; baseball only); 13-to-15 (Junior); and 14-to-16 (Senior), tournament play concludes with a World Series played at different locations in the United States.
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If you have questions that can be answered in a future edition of Your Voice, please email: [email protected].