Policy And Administrative Questions
 How many teams can a league have? What is the structure of Little League?
What is the responsibility of the league President when it comes to appointing managers?
Why isn't it mandatory for all 12-year-olds to play in the majors?
What is the penalty if a league continues to break the rules?
Is there a recommended procedure for selecting the league's All-Star team?
How does the draft work in Little League?
How is a player's "League age" determined and what are the ages for each division?
What publications are available from Headquarters, and how do I get them?
Special Fyi For Little League Umpires
The umpire is expected to know all the rules and judge
every call correctly. Spectators expect this no matter what the level of the game
being played. Little League or Professional Major League. The fact that Major
League Pros complete a six week training course and then spend 5 years or more
working minor league games honing their skills before they reach the Majors and
the average Little League ump has maybe 2 days training and zero years experience,
is of no consequence to the Little League fan. They expect perfection from both.
To be successful as a Little League umpire you need to gain rules knowledge and
field experience at a faster rate than that expected of a prospective Major League
Pro. Plus, you will experience more "strange" plays than the prospective Pro,
because Little Leaguers don't know how to play the game yet, and will do many
more unexpected actions than minor league pros.
This already difficult job is made tougher due to the fact the Little League Baseball,
Inc. rules and regulations book, does not contain the "Casebook of approved rulings"
that are included in the "Official Rules of Baseball". Although the casebook is
not printed in the Little League book, the rulings do apply to Little League except
where specific statements are made to the contrary.
I suggest all Little League umpires obtain a copy of "The Official Rules of Baseball"
or "Make the Right Call" published by MLB. A book titled "The Right Call" is published
by Little League, and should be obtained also. Having knowledge obtained from
these books will greatly improve your ability to manage a game and deal with the
situations that frequently occur during Little League games.
Hopefully, in the majority of games that you work, plays that require extensive
rules knowledge will not occur. However, when they do, you need to know the rules
better than the Manager who confronts you and challenges your knowledge of the
rules.
When managers realize you have a solid knowledge of the rules ugly game situations
will diminish. They may still think you're blind and your judgment stinks, but
if they think you know the rules, they may not make a scene when you make a ruling.
-Jim Booth
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