A draft option is an agreement between a manager and the Player Agent covering a special condition. There are four options available through the approved Little League® draft process.
Brother/Sister Option
The “Brother/Sister Option” is available when there are two or more siblings eligible to be drafted. After the first sibling is drafted, the manager of that team automatically has the option to draft the brother or sister of that player on the team’s next turn in the draft. If the manager does not exercise the Brother/Sister Option on the next turn, the sibling becomes available to be drafted by any other team.
Brother/Sister Option of a Player Currently on a Team
If a league is utilizing Draft Method ‘A’ as outlined in the Little League rulebook, players from the previous season remain on their previous season’s team. This may create a situation where a player currently on a team has a brother or sister in the draft. When this is happens, the “Brother/Sister Option of a Player Currently on a Team” option comes into play, and a manager may submit an option on the brother or sister of the player that is currently on his/her team. If a manager is interested in exercising this option, it must be submitted in writing to the Player Agent at least 48 hours before the draft begins. Once the draft begins, the manager must exercise this option within the first three draft rounds. If the manager does not draft the sibling within the first three rounds, the sibling becomes available to be drafted by any other team.
Sons/Daughters of Managers
When the manager of the team has a son or daughter eligible to be drafted, he/she may use the “Sons/Daughters of Managers” option to draft his/her child to the team. This option must be submitted to the Player Agent at least 48 hours before the draft begins. This option always takes priority over the other 3 options. The manager must exercise this option before a specified round, which depends on the division and league age of the player. Failure to exercise the option in or before the specified round results in the son/daughter becoming eligible to be drafted by any other team.
Sons/Daughters of Returning Coaches
If a league is using Draft Method ‘A’, it may be possible for a returning coach to exercise an option through the team’s manager. Since new coaches to the team cannot be appointed nor approved until after the draft, the option is only available to coaches returning to the team, provided the following two criteria are met by the returning coach:
- The coach has served as a coach or manager at any level for the past TWO years, AND
- The coach is returning to the same major league team as last year
If BOTH of the conditions listed above apply, the manager must submit this option to the Player Agent at least 48 hours before the draft begins. Just like the Sons/Daughters of Managers Option, the Sons/Daughters of Returning Coaches Option must be exercised before a specified round, which depends on the division and league age of the player. Failure to exercise the option in or before the specified round results in the son/daughter becoming eligible to be drafted by any other team.