Throughout World War II, Little League's growth was hampered by the fact that many fathers in the U.S. were in the military. By 1946, there were only 12 teams patterned after the Little League model originally devised by Carl Stotz in 1938 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

In 1947, the board of directors for the original Little League decided to organize a tournament for all known Little League programs (there were 17) and called it the National Little League Tournament. It was later renamed the Little League Baseball World Series.

The 12 teams that participated in the first series in 1947 were:

Willliamsport (Original Little League)	Williamsport Sunday School League	Maynard Midget League (Williamsport)	Lincoln League Stars (Williamsport)
Brandon Boys League (Williamsport)	Milton (PA) Midget League	Montour (PA) Little League	Montgomery (PA) Little League
Jersey Shore (PA) All Stars	Lock Haven (PA) All Stars	Hammonton (NJ) All Stars	West Shore Original Little League (PA)

The Champion was Maynard Midget League of Williamsport, which defeated Lock Haven All Stars in the final game, 16-7.

More than 2,500 spectators witnessed the championship game in 1947, and the results were printed in newspapers around the country. The publicity helped spread Little League nationwide, and within a few years, Little League programs were in in every state. When Little League added other programs (Senior League division, Softball, etc.) it added tournament play and World Series tournaments in those divisions. There are now 7 World Series tournaments played every year in the various divisions.

In 2023, over the course of 30 days, approximately 935 Little Leaguers ages 10 - 16 from 78 different baseball and softball teams around the world will compete to determine the 7 World Series Champions for 2023.

Need more Baseball and Softball World Series excitement? See all the World Series highlights at http://videos.littleleague.org/.

Rookie Baseball/Softball: League Age 7 & 8

Sandlot Baseball/Softball: League Age 8 & 9

Minors Baseball/Softball: League Age 8-11

Little League Baseball/Softball: League Age 10-12

Intermediate Baseball: League Age 11-13

Junior Baseball/Softball: League Age 12-14

Senior Baseball/Softball: League Age 13-16

• BASEBALL
• 2023 LLB WS - August 16-27, 2023 - Williamsport, Pennsylvania
• 2023 ILB (50/70) WS - July 30 - August 6, 2023 - Livermore, California
• 2023 JLB WS - August 13-20, 2023 - Taylor, Michigan
  

• SOFTBALL
•  2023 LLS WS - August 6-13, 2023 - Greenville, North Carolina
• 2023 JLS WS - July 30 - August 5, 2023 - Kirkland, Washington

Players are eligible for District Tournament participation provided they meet the criteria established by the Little League Residency and School Attendance Player Eligibility Requirement, meet the league age requirement for the applicable tournament division, and have participated in at least eight regular season games (six regular season games for Senior League) during the current spring season.  Additionally, parents must agree to have their child included in the pool of players for All-Star consideration, understanding the time commitment required. 

Establishing Player Eligibility in a Local Little League®	Little League® Residency and School Attendance Eligibility Checklist	Little League® Baseball and Softball School Enrollment Form

Participating in All-Star tournament play is a choice should your child be selected.  While it is a privilege to play, it is also a commitment with added practices and games.  Practices begin immediately following regular season championships and often occur daily leading up to tournament play. Missing a few practices and even a game does not necessarily prevent selection to an All-Star team; however missing an entire week takes an opportunity away from another player who could commit to preparing with the team.  If you realize that your child has several conflicts during the All-Star tournament schedules, it may be a wise decision to pass on a tournament selection.

Selection of All-Star Team Managers:
The Coaches Committee will nominate Team Managers from the eligible divisions of play. Team Managers are not required to have a child selected to a team to be eligible for selection. Final approval of each Team Manager will be made by the League President.

**Note: Beginning with the 2023 Tournament Season, all managers/coaches, and any replacement coaches, must complete the Diamond Leader Training prior to being appointed to a tournament team.   Register and take the course.  It is recommended that you print your completion certificate and include it in the tournament team paperwork.

Selection of All-Star Players:
Regular season Team Managers may nominate up to five players from their team for All-Stars. All-Star nominees are then voted on by the appropriate All-Stars selection committee for the particular age division. The top nine vote receivers make the team with the final roster spots being determined by the All-Star Team Manager and All-Stars selection committee. The Board of Directors will then decide if teams can be formed from these results or if tryouts for any specific All-Star teams are necessary.