For a child to be a Little Leaguer®, eligibility must first be established by way of residency inside the boundaries of a local Little League®, or the location of the school where the child attends is located inside a local league’s boundaries that is approved by Little League Baseball, Incorporated.
Beginning with the 2017 season, the following changes will be implemented for the Residency and School Attendance Eligibility Requirements:
• A school issued report card or performance record will no longer be accepted to establish school attendance. Either the school enrollment form or an official/certified school enrollment record dated prior to October 1, 2018 can be used to establish school attendance for the 2019 season.
• Also, residence shall be established and supported by documents containing the full residence which includes parent(s) or guardian(s) name, street address, city, state and zip code information, dated or in force between February 1, 2018 (previous year) and February 1, 2019 (current year), from one or more documents from EACH of the three Groups outlined below:
Group I
1. Driver’s License (photo ID of parent(s) or guardian(s) with qualifying residence address)
2. School records (home address of player’s parents or guardians)
3. Vehicle records (i.e., registration, lease, etc.)
4. Employment records
5. Insurance documents (with residence address)
Group II
1. Welfare/child care records
2. Federal records (i.e., Federal Tax, Social Security, etc.)
3. State records
4. Local (municipal) records
5. Support payment records
6. Homeowner or tenant records
7. Military records
Group III
1. Voter’s Registration
2. Utility bills (i.e., - gas, electric, water/sewer, phone, mobile phone, heating, waste disposal)
3. Financial records (loan, credit, investments, etc.)
4. Medical records
5. Internet, cable, or satellite television records
NOTE: Example – Three documents from the same Group (utility bill, cable bill, and bank statement) constitute only ONE document.
Be aware that players who established “residence” or “school attendance” for regular season and/or tournament eligibility prior to the 2016-2017 season by using the Tournament Player Verification form, and who can produce the form with proper proofs and signatures from the first year that the Tournament Player Verification form was used for that player, will be grandfathered and will NOT need to complete a new Tournament Player Verification Form.
In preparation for the 2019 Little League International Tournament, local leagues are to be aware that tournament Eligibility Affidavit will this year require all tournament teams to complete and carry a Tournament Player Verification form for every rostered player.
PROOF-OF-AGE REQUIREMENTS Acceptable Forms of Proof of Birth Date __________________________________________________
1. Original proof of age document, if issued by federal, state or provincial registrars of vital statistics in the country in which the Little Leaguer is participating.
2. If country of participation differs from the country of proof of age document, original proof-of-age document issued by federal, state or provincial registrars of vital statistics, or local offices thereof, are acceptable proof of age, provided the document was filed, recorded, registered or issued within one (1) year of the birth of the child.
3. An original document issued by federal, state or provincial registrars of vital statistics, or local offices thereof, listing the date of birth, with reference to the location and issue date of the original birth certificate, is acceptable. (The original birth certificate referenced must have been filed, recorded, registered or issued within one (1) year of the birth of the child.) Also issued by these agencies are photocopies of the certificate of live birth with the certification also photocopied, including the signature, and include the seal impressed thereon. Such documents are acceptable without “live” signatures, provided the original filed, recorded, registered or issued date of the birth certificate was within one (1) year of the date of birth.
4. For children born abroad of a parent or parents who are U.S. citizens, any official government document issued by a U. S. federal agency or service, is acceptable. For military dependents, Department of Defense identification cards and military hospital certificates are acceptable. These must be originals, not copies, and must refer to a filing, recording, registration, or issue date that is within one (1) year of the birth of the child.
5. A “Statement in Lieu of Acceptable Proof of Birth” issued by a District Administrator is acceptable.
NOT ACCEPTABLE AS SOLE PROOF OF BIRTH: Baptismal Certificate; Certificate of Blessing; Certificate of Dedication; Certificate of Circumcision, etc.; Hospital Certificate; photocopied records; passports.
A database listing the method for obtaining birth records from any U.S. state or territory is available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/index.htm.
For more information on residency please visit the Frequently Asked Questions on the Little League Web Site.