Methods for Existing Leagues
It is recommended that managers not select more than eight players in a given age group. The team roster may be comprised of players of league age 9, 10, 11, and 12 unless modified by the local league according to options established by Little League. The local league may opt to allow only 10, 11, and 12, or 11- and 12-year-olds, to tryout for the Major Division.
Secrecy: Players shall never be told the position in which they were drafted.
Bonus Picks: Each manager requiring eight or more players prior to the draft to complete the roster will be allowed one bonus pick at the completion of round four. If more than one manager is allowed bonus picks under this section, the order of rotation will be identical to that being followed in the draft.
NOTE: All other draft methods for local league Major Divisions and above, other than the three outlined below, must be approved by the Charter Committee prior to the draft.
Plan A – Conventional Draft Plan
When a thorough tryout program has been completed, the last-place team of the preceding season gets the first choice in every round of the draft, the next to last place team gets the second selection in every round and the remaining teams select in the reverse order of standing.
For the purpose of explanation, let us assume that there are four teams in the league.
First Round:
- Fourth place manager selects the first player
- Third place manager selects the second player
- Second place manager selects the third player
- First place manager selects the fourth player
Second Round:
- Fourth place manager selects the fifth player
- Third place manager selects the sixth player
- Second place manager selects the seventh player
- First place manager selects the eighth player, etc., until the rosters are completed.
Plan B – Redraft
This draft is actually in two separate parts. The first part includes those players who:
A. are returning from a Major team in the same division, AND;
B. have registered for the current season.
This first draft of returning players must be completed before the second part of the draft, and all returning players who qualify under both conditions above must be drafted. Managers are not permitted to waive a draft choice.
The second part of the draft includes all players who are eligible for selection and have attended the required number of tryout sessions.
The draft rotation follows the reverse order of finish from the previous season, with the last place team’s manager receiving the first pick, then the second-to-last place team, and so on, or the managers draw numbers to determine who will select the first player. For instance, in a four-team league, the manager of the last place team from the previous season makes the following player selections: 1st choice, 8th, 9th, 16th, 17th, 24th, 25th, etc.; The manager of the team that finished in third place makes the 2nd choice, 7th, 10th, 18th, 23rd, etc.; The manager of the team that finished second in the previous season makes the 3rd choice, 6th, 11th, 14th, 19th, 22nd; The manager of the team that finished in first place gets 4th choice, 5th, 12th, 13th, 20th, 21st, etc., until selections are completed.
NOTE 1: Because there are no players returning to a particular team, and because coaches cannot be named until the draft is completed, Options 2 and 4 (see “Options On Sons, Daughters, And Siblings”) do NOT apply when using this draft method plan.
NOTE 2: When the second part of this draft method begins, the draft order starts with the team that is due to draft next after the completion of the first round.
Alternate Method for Plan B: Instead of having two separate drafts (one for returning players, and one for new players), a league may elect to conduct a regular draft wherein, if a number of returning Major League players has not been drafted by the time that same number of draft picks remain, those returning players must be the only players eligible from that point forward in the draft. (Example: With nine picks left in the draft, there are nine players who were Major League players in the previous season still not drafted for the current year. Those nine players become the only nine eligible players, and must be drafted.)
Plan C – Blind Draft Method
Step 1: Decide how many Major teams your league will operate for the season. Take the number of eligible 12-year-olds that signed up that opted for Major level play and divide by the number of Major teams.
Step 2: Each manager is assigned a team name (i.e., Rockies, Padres, etc.) and allowed to place their child/children on the roster. No 10-year-olds should be placed on any roster until all other eligible 12- and 11-year-olds are given a roster spot.
Step 3: All eligible 12-year-old names are placed in a non-transparent container; a single name is selected at random and placed on the next team’s roster. Each name is drawn and placed on the next team roster until all 12-year-olds have been selected.
NOTE: According to Regulation V – Selection of Players, all candidates who are league age twelve (12) must be drafted to a Little League (Major) Division, Intermediate (50-70) Division (baseball), Junior League and/or a Senior League team(s) in accordance with Regulation IV(a).
Step 4: All eligible 11-year-olds that would like to be considered for play at the Major level are placed in the non-transparent container. Each name is drawn out and placed on the next team roster until either all 11-year-old names have been selected, or the team roster is full.
Step 5: All eligible 10-year-olds that would like to be considered for play at the Major level are placed in the non-transparent container. Each name is drawn out and placed on the next team roster until either all 10-year-old names have been selected, or the team roster is full.
Step 6: All eligible 9-year-olds that would like to be considered for play at the Major level are placed in the non-transparent container. Each name is drawn out and placed on the next team roster until either all 9-year-old names have been selected, or the team roster is full.
Methods for Local Leagues in their First Year of Operation
Plan A – Serpentine Draft Plan
The managers draw numbers to determine who will select the first player. In a new four-team league, the manager who draws number one makes the following player selections: 1st choice, 8th, 9th, 16th, 17th, 24th, 25th, etc.; The manager who draws number two makes the 2nd choice, 7th, 10th, 18th, 23rd, etc.; The manager who draws number three, 3rd choice, 6th, 11th, 14th, 19th, 22nd; The manager who draws number four, 4th choice, 5th, 12th, 13th, 20th, 21st, etc., until selections are complete.
Plan B – Team Draft Plan
Another way of balancing the teams in the first year is to use a plan developed with success in some communities. Under this plan, the manager and coaches of all the teams select the best players during the tryouts for the regular league. Normally, they select at least 60 players (four-team league) in the age pattern desired (Example: 32 twelve-year-olds, 20 eleven-year olds and eight nine or ten-year-olds.)
Managers and coaches should attempt to divide the players into four teams of equal strength, with the player agent coordinating the activity. When they play several practice games to double-check their judgment, and make any switches of players between teams which seem desirable, the teams are numbered and the managers draw the numbers out of a hat to determine which team each will manage the next season. In this plan, an equitable understanding must be established to permit a manager to acquire a son or daughter for that manager’s team by a player trade if this seems desirable.
Plan C – Blind Draft Plan
Step 1: Decide how many Major teams your league will operate for the season. Take the number of eligible 12-year-olds that signed up that opted for Major level play and divide by the number of Major teams.
Step 2: Each manager is assigned a team name (i.e., Rockies, Padres, etc.) and allowed to place their child/children on the roster. No 10-year-olds should be placed on any roster until all other eligible 12- and 11-year-olds are given a roster spot.
Step 3: All eligible 12-year-old names are placed in a nontransparent container; a single name is selected at random and placed on the next team’s roster. Each name is drawn and placed on the next team roster until all 12-year olds have been selected.
NOTE: According to Regulation V – Selection of Players, all candidates who are league age twelve (12) must be drafted to a Little League (Major) Division, Intermediate (50-70) Division (baseball), and/or a Junior League team(s) in accordance with Regulation IV(a).
Step 4: All eligible 11-year-olds that would like to be considered for play at the Major level are placed in the non-transparent container. Each name is drawn out and placed on the next team roster until either all 11-year-old names have been selected, or the team roster is full.
Step 5: All eligible 10-year-olds that would like to be considered for play at the Major level are placed in the non-transparent container. Each name is drawn out and placed on the next team roster until either all 10-year-old names have been selected, or the team roster is full.
Step 6: All eligible 9-year-olds that would like to be considered for play at the Major level are placed in the non-transparent container. Each name is drawn out and placed on the next team roster until either all 9-year-old names have been selected, or the team roster is full.