Little League World Series

About Little League World Series

The Little League World Series is a baseball tournament for children aged 11, 12 and 13 years old. Named for the World Series in Major League Baseball, it was first held in 1947 and is held every August in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania in the United States. (The postal address of the organization is in Williamsport, but the stadium complex is in South Williamsport.) Initially, only teams from the US competed, but it has since become a worldwide tournament. The tournament has gained popular renown, especially in the United States, where games from the Series and even from regional tournaments are broadcast on ESPN.

In 2006, the age limit was changed such that players could turn 13 after May 1, not August 1, as had previously been the case. As the competitions take place in the Northern Hemisphere summer, many of the players have already turned 13 before the World Series. The 2006 tournament also marked the end of the American Broadcasting Company broadcasts under the "ABC Sports" name. As of September 1, 2006, all Disney sports properties are under the ESPN title, regardless of which channel from Disney airs the sporting event.

The Little League World Series is one of eight tournaments sponsored by Little League International. Each of them brings baseball or softball all-star teams from around the world together in one of four age divisions. The tournament structure described here is that used for the Little League Baseball World Series. The structure used for the other World Series is similar.