While every local Little League® program may have its own media guidelines and policies in place for local games, practices, and other events, below are a list of general policies that members of the media should follow while covering any affiliated Little League program.
Who Should I Contact?
Issues of a local nature (game results, facilities changes, schedules, etc.) are best answered by those nearest the situation: the local league volunteer or District Administrator. However, inquiries dealing with the policies of Little League, or larger questions regarding the organization as a whole, should be directed to the Media Relations Department ([email protected]) at Little League International in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The media relations personnel are best equipped to answer any questions a reporter may have about the rules, regulations, or policies of Little League, or they will know how to find the answers.
Interview Requests
Any time a member of the media wishes to conduct an interview with a Little Leaguer®, the player’s parent(s) and/or manager or coach must be present throughout the entire interview.
Should a member of the media wish to contact a local league player or volunteer, the following steps should be taken:
- The media representative should call the appropriate regional center, identifying themselves as a working reporter (with the name of the outlet represented) and request the name and telephone number of the district administrator for the desired area.
- The media representative should then contact the District Administrator, and make the request, leaving a name, outlet information, email, and telephone number.
- The District Administrator will then contact the player or volunteer requested and provide them with the name, email, and telephone number of the media representative making the request. At that point, the player or volunteer will make the decisions whether or not to do the interview. NOTE: No volunteer or player is ever required to speak to the media, and may decline to do so at any time.
- If an interviewer already has access to the player or volunteer, he/she is asked to remember Little Leaguers and Little League volunteers are not professionals in this regard. They are also asked to respect the player’s or volunteer’s privacy and not publish or otherwise share personal information about those being interviewed, such as addresses, telephone numbers, or e-mail addresses. Little League International encourages its volunteers to speak openly with the media and to establish a good working relationship with reporters and editors.
Photographers/Videographers
Only working news photographers and videographers with proper news organization credentials are permitted on the field of play (as noted in Rule 3.15) in any level of Little League, and only with permission of the Umpire-In-Chief and the local Little League President or Tournament Director involved. Members of the media should not be permitted in dugouts, nor should they be permitted to occupy a position anywhere in fair territory.
Please note that any photo and/or video footage taken during any Little League activity may only be used for editorial purposes for coverage pertaining to Little League International and/or any of its affiliated programs or events. They shall not be transformed, distributed, or resold in anyway and may never be used for promotional or commercial purposes unless granted with written approval from Little League International through the Little League licensing application.
TOURNAMENT NOTE: Each venue and event may have different media restrictions for game-day coverage, so please check with the appropriate tournament staff and/or region center for details in advance of covering the game or tournament. For information regarding any of the Little League Regional or World Series Tournaments, click here.
TV/Radio/Streaming Rights
Little League International is the only body that can authorize or deny the webcasting, televising, or radio broadcasting of regular season, Special Games, or tournament games. A contract for these games must originate with the local District Administrator, tournament director, or local Little League president.
No telecast, broadcast, or webcast of any Little League Baseball or Softball game (in any division) can take place unless the proper contract is completed and approved. This applies to all productions, even if they are unsupported by advertising or sponsorship.
If a league is self-producing a commercial-free webcast, Little League International requires notification using the Local Little League-Produced Webcast Agreement. All other webcasts require a contract agreement between the league, the district and the third-party company before the webcast can be streamed (live or recorded).
All commercial webcasting contracts are available here. Any questions can be directed to [email protected].
Media Credentials
Media outlets looking to cover local Little League events should reach out to the local league’s League President and/or other Board members to notify them of their interest in covering the event. When attending a Little League affiliated game and/or practice, it is required that the member of the media display their media credentials and/or other apparel that distinguishes their media outlet at all times and must adhere to the direction of league officials.
For information on acquiring media credentials for the Little League Baseball World Series or other Little League World Series or Regional events, click here.
Photograph/Logo Requests
If a media organization requires one or more high-resolution photographs and/or logos from the Little League World Series or related events, it should contact the Media Relations Department at Little League International in Williamsport by email at [email protected]. This service is for news media only.
Photos and logos may be used for editorial purposes for coverage pertaining to Little League International and/or the Little League World Series and should not be transformed, distributed, or resold in any way. They may never be used for promotional or commercial purposes without written permission from Little League International.
Volunteer Contact Information
The agreement Little League International has with its local leagues includes a promise not to provide names, addresses, e-mail addresses, or telephone numbers of local league volunteers or players to members of the media without written consent. Regional and District personnel are similarly prohibited from releasing this information. Thus, nobody at any level should provide the media, or anyone else, with the personal contact information of players and volunteers without the written consent of the parents of the players and volunteers.
Is It Really Little League?
Thank you for taking the time to learn about Little League Baseball and Softball. We encourage you, as a member of the media, to learn more about the Little League program in your area, and become familiar with the District Administrator nearest you.
One of the challenges we face in Little League is making sure the words “Little League” are used properly. Sometimes, an organization will call itself “Little League,” when, in fact, it is not affiliated with Little League at all. In these cases, unsuspecting parents and children may be fooled into thinking they are playing in a “real” Little League program.
In other cases, the media reports on a situation involving “Little League Football,” or “Little League Basketball.” However, there is no such thing in either case, and Little League has been diligent in trying to correct these errors.
So, we ask this: If you have any doubts about what is “real” Little League, please ask our media relations department before going with a story that might not be factual.
If you would like your news organization included in regular electronic mailings of news releases, please email Kevin Fountain, Little League Director of Media Relations, at [email protected].
Trademark Protection
Little League Baseball, Incorporated, is a Federal Incorporation granted by way of a bill signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 17, 1964, and amended Sept. 24, 1974, to reflect the admission of girls. The legislation, which received unanimous approval in both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, is Public Law 88-378. It is the highest recognition that the federal government can accord. It provides for incorporation of Little League Baseball in all 50 states as an educational institution, endowing the program with protective integrity by the U.S. Government.
Action of the President and Congress places Little League in the same category as Red Cross, Boy Scouts, Boys Clubs of America, and a select group of others similarly chartered. However, Little League is the only youth sports organization so honored. The Federal Charter of Incorporation requires Little League to submit its annual report directly to the U.S. Congress each year.
The following are registered trademarks and service marks of Little League Baseball and Softball. These marks are protected both by a special Act of Congress and registrations with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. All rights in and to any and all marks of Little League Baseball, Incorporated, are reserved.
- Little League®
- Little League Baseball®
- Little League Softball®
- Little Leaguer®
- Little League® Baseball and Softball
- Little League Challenger Division®
- LL®
- LLB®
NOTE: Little League Baseball is listed in the Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual. The words “Little League,” “Little Leaguer,” etc. should only be used in conjunction with youth baseball and softball programs chartered with Little League Baseball, Incorporated.