WELCOME TO WASHINGTON DISTRICT 9
If you missed the meeting, you can watch the recording as soon as its available
Every year before all-stars, ALL MANAGERS need to attend one of the two mandatory managers meetings. We go over important information that EVERY MANAGER is expected to know for the tournament. We encourage presidents and coaches to attend as well.
We will cover expectations of the managers, coaches, and teams. We will also cover tournament rules and guidelines. If you show up to your games and don't know this information, we will be off to a very rocky start, including delaying the start of games or postponing games completely!
If you are an all stars manager, you MUST attend one of the following meetings (even if you have attended a meeting in a previous year!)
Thursday, May 29 at 7pm at the Lake Washington Resource Center, Board Room (Recording)
Friday, May 30 at 7pm at the Lake Washington Resource Center, Board Room (Recording)
Girls with Game Experience
In 2019 Little League started the Girls With Game initiative, dedicated to honoring all the girls and women who have made the Little League program what it is today and those who inspire the future generation of female participants at every level.
Maria Pepe Little League Baseball Legacy Series
Time is running out to register your daughter for the first-ever Girls Baseball Event to be held at Howard J. Lamade Stadium and complex in Williamsport! Read more or register for this amazing opportunity!
Inclusion and Opportunity
Inclusion and Opportunity are cornerstones of Girls with Game 50. Each Little Leaguer has a chance to excel when inclusion and opportunity are a focus in the community.
Read more about female inclusion and get involved!
Little League Abuse Awareness Training
In the 2024 season, Little League required all umpires to take the USA Baseball abuse awareness training. Starting with the 2025 season, USA Baseball abuse awareness IS NOT accepted for umpires. All umpires MUST take the Little League Abuse Awareness training.
For the 2025 season, Abuse Awareness Training is REQUIRED for ALL volunteers. Remember that ANYONE with frequent contact with players, including ALL district staff, ALL local league staff, ALL coaches, ALL managers and ALL umpires, must complete a background check through JDP and complete this training. This is true even if the umpire is from a paid association!!
Once you complete the training, you will get a certificate of completion that you have to send to whoever is processing background checks for your league.
How do I take the training?
Here's how you do it!
Go to Little League Abuse Awareness Training
Click on Login to Training Portal if you already have an account, or click on Create an Account if you need to create an account
Go through the process to create an account for yourself (if you haven't done this already). Everyone will need to create their own training account - this is how you can download your certificate later
Answer the questions about your role (League official, district official, coach, umpire, etc)
Make sure you choose your league under Your associated league.
Once you have registered and logged in, there are a lot of courses to choose from, but the REQUIRED training is Abuse Awareness.
After you have completed your training, you will have met the requirement
You can download your certificate after completion, or you can always log back on to the training portal and choose All Courses, go to Abuse Awareness and there will be Certificate button you can click to see your certificate
Download the certificate and send it to whoever is handling background checks for your league.
There's a lot of information on this page. Please make sure to read all of it!
Please be sure to check the district website for additional information, like how to survive your first day of the tournament and how to see the latest tournament brackets (with scores)
Useful Links
These are described in more detail on the rest of the page, but here's a quick list.
RESIDENCY ELIGIBILITY CHECKLIST
All Star Manager's Meeting Recordings (Both 2026 meeting links are here!)
Little League Tournament Resources
Diamond Leadership Training (Mandatory for all coaches/managers)
D9 Affidavit Process Information - Tips & Information
Little League Data Center - Filling out your affidavit
Tournament Player Verification Form
Tournament School enrollment form
Little League Tournament Verification Checklist
Keep Your Little Leaguer Hydrated!
Staying safe in a thunderstorm!
Information Needed!
There are lots of things managers need to provide on top of getting the affidavits signed off on!
Manager/Coach Contact Information
We Need the manager’s and Coaches’ Contact information in case we need to contact you for anything last minute involving the tournament (game delay, game cancellation, location change, time change, etc.)
Don’t be the Manager or coach that does not complete the form and then gets mad when things change and you are not informed.
ALL-STAR MANAGER/COACH CONTACT INFORMATION
Programs Information
2026 PROGRAM ROSTER/PHOTO SUBMISSION FORM - must be downloaded and completed
Team Announcer/Pronunciation Form - download and fill out, bring to games
Affidavits
Affidavits must be completed online and paper copies submitted and approved by the District
You must access the little league data center to complete the AFFIDAVIT: LINK TO DATA CENTER
CONTACT YOUR LEAGUE PRESIDENT IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS
Useful Afidavit Links
Residency/School Atendance & Proof of Birth Requirements
Sample Baseball Affidavit (sample only! must be filled out on data center)
Sample Softball Affidavit (sample only! must be filled out on data center)
Announcers and Scorekeepers Required!
Little League is an ALL-volunteer organization! Having parents volunteer to be scorekeepers and announcers for each game is a very small ask for your team to provide. Before each game, the teams must agree on what position they will provide. If a team does not provide either an announcer or scorekeeper the game will NOT be started.
All teams are required to have at least 1 (preferably several) parents who can properly score the game using a paper scorebook (Game Changer can NOT be used or referenced as the official book).
District Training is provided free to all parents at this link – SCOREKEEPING CLINICS
Rules Information
Umpires will no longer check equipment before the game. The manager is SOLELY responsible for ensuring equipment is legal and proper.
Use of improper equipment (like a catcher's mask without a dangling throat protector) will be corrected. Use of that same improper equipment again in the same game will result in the ejection of the player and the manager.
Use of illegal equipment (like a bat that doesn't meet Little League standards) will result in the immediate ejection of the player AND the removal of the manager from the remainder of the international tournament. No warnings
Yes, the ENTIRE tournament. Pine tar is now allowed *on the grip* of the bat, but NOT on the taper or the barrel of the bat. If Pine tar is on the taper or barrel of the bat, then the bat shall be removed but it is only an ejection if it happens again.
If in doubt about a piece of equipment, check with the umpires BEFORE the game to be sure! But remember, even pre-checking does not remove the manager's responsibility!
District 9 Tournament Rules: District 9 Rules and Notes
Little League Baseball Tournament Rules: Baseball Tournament Rules
Little League Softball Tournament Rules: Softball Tournament Rules
2026 Tournament Rules Summary: Rules Summary
Latest Rule clarification: Explanation From Little League
2026 Significant Updates .pdf: 2026 Significant Updates Handout.pdf
Approved Tournament Bat List: LATEST BAT LIST
Helmet C-Flap (Sticker/Decal Summary Page: Helmet C-Flap & Sticker/Decal Summary.pdf
We're Little League, NOT Travel Ball
Nothing irritates a Little League District Administrator more than an All-Star Manager or Coach who does not know the difference between Little League and Travel/Select ball.
Never refer to a Little League team as 10u or 11u or anything "u". Little League does NOT have "u" ball.
Little League divisions are 8-9-10-year-olds, 9-10-11-year-olds, Majors, Intermediate (Baseball), Juniors & Seniors.
In Travel ball, you can be 7 years old and play on an 11u team, the 'u" means anyone under the age of 11 can play on the team. Not so in Little League. To play with 11-year-olds in Little League, you must be 9, 10 or 11. You cannot be 8 or 7 or whatever "u".
The moral of this is - Don't use the term "u" when talking about Little League. There is NO such thing in Little League and we have NO idea what division you are actually talking about.
Parent and Fan Conduct
Building Double-Elimination Brackets
Have you ever wanted to make a double elimination bracket like Little League uses in the international tournament? Maybe you didn't want to, but maybe you needed to! The official brackets can be hard to follow and even harder to format in a way that makes them easy to post.
Now you can use an Add-in for Microsoft Excel to help create them. It won't create the whole bracket for you, but it will guide you step by step through scheduling the games and it will create a bracket for you that you can save to PDF and post. The bracket it creates will also automatically update as you enter the scores in the bracket!
This add-in is available from the Office Add-ins store and its totally free. You can see a quick demo of it in action here: BracketBuilder Demo
To install it, click on Add-ins from the ribbon:
And then click on "More Add-ins" at the bottom of the gallery:
Once you are in the store, search for "Bracket" to find the Bracket Builder add-in:
No rules means no game
Little League requires a certain number of games to be played in order for players and leagues to be able to play in the international tournament (also known as "All Stars"). What does Little League mean when they say "a game", though?
We all agree that if you played a game against another team and you decided that each batter only gets 2 strikes and that innings only had 2 outs, then that wouldn't be an official game. But what if you decided at the plate meeting that you only had 6 players, so you want to borrow 2 players from the other team? Is that an official game? Or what about a game where the coaches decided the pitcher should pitch from 36 feet instead of 46 feet?
None of those are official games. Why? Because they didn't play by approved rules.
In order for a game to count as an Official Game, the game MUST be played by Little League rules, including any APPROVED local rules (or interlock rules). If the game doesn't play by approved rules, then it isn't an official game. If its not an official game, then that game CANNOT be used to qualify for the international tournament.
Rule Requirements
The official Little League rulebook (get the Rulebook App) outlines all the required rules that must be followed. This includes the requirement that EVERY person that comes into regular contact with the kids (coaches, managers, player helpers, umpires) have a background checked performed BY THE LEAGUE through JDP. EVERY person must also complete the Little League Abuse Awareness training. If the umpires, coaches, and managers for a game have NOT completed their background check AND abuse awareness training, then the game is NOT being played by Little League rules, and the game IS NOT official.
Local/Interlock Rules
Can leagues (or interlocks) make additional rules? Absolutely! Every league (which includes leagues that are formed as interlocks) can write additional rules. These rules CANNOT override on official rule (for example, they cannot decide that there is no infield fly rule), but they CAN ADD to the rules. For example, a league could require all players to play a certain number of innings in the infield. The only requirement is that the district review and approve all local/interlock rules.
Please contact rules@washdist9.org for more information
2026 District 9 Softball - All-Star Tournament Brackets
8-9-10 Softball (PDF) (XL)
9-10-11 Softball (PDF) (XL)
Little League Softball (PDF) (XL)
JUNIORS SOFTBALL (PDF) (XL)
2026 District 9 Baseball - All-Star Tournament Brackets
8-9-10 Baseball (PDF) (XL)
9-10-11 Baseball (PDF) (XL)
Little League Baseball (PDF) (XL)
Intermediates Baseball (PDF) (XL)
Juniors Baseball (PDF) (XL)
Seniors Baseball (PDF) (XL)
&
What is the Little League Challenger Program?
The Little League Challenger Program is Little League’s adaptive baseball program for individuals with physical and intellectual challenges.
Who can participate in the Little League Challenger Program?
Any individual with a physical or intellectual challenge may participate. If an individual can participate in the traditional Little League Baseball or Softball program with reasonable accommodations they should do so. The Little League Challenger Division accommodates players ages 4-18, or up to age 22 if still enrolled in school. The Senior League Challenger Division accommodates players ages 15 and above (no maximum age).
Is there a cost to participate in the Challenger Program?
Each local Challenger Program sets its own policy with respect to registration fees. No player may be denied the opportunity to participate based on the inability to pay a registration fee.
What rules are followed during a Challenger game?
Flexibility and adaptability are key during Challenger games. Little League provides all chartered teams with a rulebook that includes a best practices guide to operating a Challenger Game. Typically games are 1-2 innings long and last about an hour. All players play defensively and bat every inning.
What are “buddies” and what role do they have in the Challenger Division?
Buddies are individuals who assist Challenger athletes in the areas of batting, base running and defense, but only as needed. Often buddies are peer athletes who are participating in the Little League Baseball or Softball program.
For more information on the District 9 Challenger Program please contact us using this form -
How do I sign up?
Contact your local league, but if they can't help you contact us. We will find you a local team. We want to make sure that Anyone who wants to play... WILL PLAY
For more information on the District 9 Challenger Program please contact us using this form -
CONTACT US FORM
Are you ready to take your volunteering to a new level? Are you ready to help be a role model for todays youth? Little League is the place for you... What ever your talent is, we can find a way for you to help... Contact us today.
This is a great opportunity for beginners and advanced scorekeepers to brush up on your skills at your own pace. Each team should have several parents who can keep score and pitch count to support their team. This course prepares you for the upcoming regular and postseason tournaments. (Every parent of an All-Star player, needs to know how to keep score.)
This training is for anyone in any league or baseball organization - District 9 is one of the premier Little League Districts in Washington State and covers 13 leagues on the Eastside of Seattle. This training video was produced by Redmond West Little League and is open to EVERYONE.
Keep up with all our free clinics and educational sessions at www.washdist9.org
In the postseason, all official scorekeeping is done with paper books.
PAPER SCOREKEEPING CLINIC TRAINING
https://youtu.be/-karsolVC3k
Washington District 9 Paper Scorekeeping Training online video
GameChanger is a great way to provide real-time information to family and friends during the regular season and post-season. Learn more about how to use GameChanger for Little League
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er81qWRiuAo
Washington District 9 Paper Scorekeeping Training online video
In addition to our district resources, GC University has lots of great tutorials on how to do lineups, score certain plays, etc. Read more at https://gc.com/home/gcu/main
PITCH COUNTS
Whether you are using GameChanger or a keeping a paper book, remember to count all pitches!
Include foul balls, even with two strikes
Illegal Pitches are always a ball and always count as a pitch
BALKS only count as a pitch if the pitch was actually delivered
This means that the official pitch count will often NOT be the same as the count of balls and strikes.
We’re not just umpires. We’re Little League Umpires.
Last year during the Little League World Series, someone said “those aren’t Volunteer Umpires, those are Umpires that Volunteer.” That made me angry – we aren’t either of those things. We’re not just umpires. We are Little League Umpires.
Teamwork, community, inclusion, fun, and integrity. These are the core values of Little League and as Little League Umpires we are responsible for teaching life lessons and leading by example as we adjudicate softball and baseball games. In fact, as role models for the youth in our community, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard than just being an umpire.
We often find ourselves in confrontational situations with parents, coaches, and even players. This is amplified by the current national culture of blaming/attacking officials at all levels. But we can’t lose sight of our responsibilities as a Little League Umpire. At all times we must fairly adjudicate the game and demonstrate respect to everyone. As umpires, developing the youth of our community starts with always modeling the very behaviors we are teaching.
Yes, we have rules to enforce, but we must do it with respect to everyone involved. We don’t yell across the field and we never belittle or berate coaches, players, or parents.
Yes, we must be decisive in our calls, but we should never be rude, dismissive, or disrespectful when approached by a manager or coach. We don’t go on to the field looking for ways to eject people – we must diffuse situations before they require an ejection. These are the things that Little League wants to teach the kids, so these are the things we must do as Little League Umpires.
Yes, there will be times when someone is clearly over the line and removing them from the game is necessary. But even then, we must not argue or escalate the situation – we must do this calmly and respectfully. When tempers flare on the field, we have to rise above it.
We are a critical part of Little League’s mission to teach life lessons through the games of softball and baseball. Every game is an opportunity to improve the lives of at least eighteen kids and countless adults. We must never forget how important our behavior is on the field.
So the next time someone asks you if you are an umpire, be sure to proudly tell them you’re not just an umpire, you’re a Little League Umpire.
The Goal of the District 9 Tournament is to have Managers and Coaches who will instill “Life Lessons” in their players by teaching - Leadership, teamwork, discipline, sportsmanship, dedication, good citizenship and fair play.
District 9 is serious about making sure the Little League Tournament experience is "FOR THE KIDS". To assist Parents and fans we have prepared a short list of Do's and Don'ts for cheering at Little League Tournaments...
Please Remember... These are kids, umpires are human (they will make mistakes), Coaches & Umpires are volunteers, they are your neighbors and business associates. This is NOT MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL, this is Little League...
Cheering Guidelines for Parents and Fans
The below examples are offered to help parents and fans enjoy the District 9 All-Star Tournament experience and to provide a greater understanding of the Little League Un-Sportsmanship [Rule 4.06(3) and 9.01(d).
Appropriate cheering Examples
T
Ata Boy Tommy * Go Tommy * You got this Tommy * You can do it Tommy
Go Team Name Go * Way to Go Tommy
Screaming and yelling excitable is great as long as it is not coaching or putting another player down.
Inappropriate cheering (Coaching) Examples
Move up in the box * Watch for the change up * Choke up on the bat
Bend your knees * Swing straight through
Watch the runner * This kid has nothing you can hit it * Tag the runner
Basically anything that sounds like coaching or telling a player what to do during the game is not acceptable.
Also don’t say anything that puts down another player… Like - This pitcher has nothing you can hit his stuff.
Remember this is your child’s game… NOT YOUR’S
Want to learn about player stress during All-Stars? Go to this link - http://www.llwadistrict9.org/wp-content/2013_brackets/guide_parents.pdf
Below is a Public Service Announcement from Little League International on Parent Cheering
NEWS
2025 Letter to D9 Leagues and Families
2025 Baseball Interlocks and Combination Teams
Special Games/Tournament Application
Building Double Elimination Brackets
Abuse training is required for all volunteers!
District Resources page updates
Little League ICYMI for Parents
ON DECK
League Reference
Find links to answer most of your league and district related questions on the League Reference Page
Safety Plans
Get ready to get your Safety Plans together! Check out the ASAP Changes for information about the upcoming ASAP changes this year.
Abuse Awareness
Click here for the latest status on items due district
Tournament Hosting Information
2026 Tournaments
District 9 League Hosting Capabilities
Tournament Hosting Requirements
General Information
For a complete list of events visit the 2025-2026 District Calendar page
Great Reading for ALL Little League Coaches and Parents Don’t be a Bleacher Coach
A must read for those engaged in Social Media Be mindful of your Facebook posts
Tournament Calendar
If you want to see all the tournaments in a calendar view, click here.