The safety and well-being of all participants in the Little League® program is paramount. The background check laws in your state may require that local Little League® programs complete additional action(s) beyond the requirements set forth by Little League’s Regulation I (c) 8 and 9.

Simply processing background checks on the required volunteers is not enough. It is incumbent upon the League President and the Board of Directors to thoroughly assess the criminal history of each volunteer and make a responsible judgment on behalf of the children and fellow volunteers in the league when making the decision to approve, or deny, their participation in the league.

Effective with the 2021 Little League season, Regulation 1 (c) 9 requires: A background check must include the review of the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s Centralized Disciplinary Database and Little League’s Ineligible list. Background checks conducted by JDP for local little leagues include all of the required database searches. Local leagues may utilize other background check providers but will need to confirm the provider’s ability to satisfy all of the above requirements for a complete search, which may require contacting the Little League International’s Security Manager to gain access to the Little League International Ineligible list.

  • Little League Regulation 1 (c) 9 also states: A league shall not permit any person to participate in any manner, whose background check reveals a conviction for, guilty plea, no contest plea, or admission to any crime involving or against a minor. In addition, if an individual listed on either of the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s Centralized Disciplinary Database or the Little League International Ineligible list, they are not permitted to participate in any manner

Leagues should also remember if an individual appears on the National Sex Offender Registry, the league must immediately notify Little League International’s Security Manager, before the individual in question may assume any role with the local league.

Again, it is imperative for a league to review each potential volunteer background check after the check is complete. On the J.D. Palatine (JDP) platform, a red flag would indicate if a potential volunteer has a charge on their background check. During this process, the local league must first determine if this charge prohibits them from participating by Little League Regulation. If not, the league official conducting the background check must present this information to either the League President or local board to determine if this individual is fit to participate in any manner in the league.

Complete information about the background check regulation – I (c) 8 and 9 – including resources for local league volunteers, is available at LittleLeague.org, on the Child Protection Program page.

For assistance, or answers regarding Little League background checks, contact Little League International’s Security Manager.