Seasons
News and Announcements
The District 12 Challenger league, run through Malden Little League is underway. The Challenger League is always looking for help. If anyone is interested in becoming a Buddy and help out these great kids then please give Marie Shea a call.
Games are played on Sunday Evenings from 4pm - 5pm
and 5pm - 6pm @ Bruce Field in Malden.
This years goal of the District Safety Initiative is to have 100% compliance from all league with their safety plans. For leagues that need help with their Safety Programs, the Distict is always willing to help. I've put together a Sample Safety Plan in a PDF File located below this paragraph as well as the Handout Section.
Introduced in 1994, ASAP has already increased Little League's overall safety awareness and reduced insurance costs for participating leagues. This summer, the annual ASAP Awards will recognize the leagues with the best safety programs.
You can always find Vital Safety Information from Little League's Official website. If you follow the Link below you will be directed to Little League Internationals ASAP Requirements. There is more Information once you explore the website. If you ever have any question please don't hesitate to contact a District Official or the District Information Officer at any time.
A well-run Little League will find that incorporation is a good idea when its board of directors discovers that being incorporated could protect them individually in lawsuits. (Operating Manual - Incorporation, Little League.)
Generally, if an incorporated league is sued, the corporation is sued, not the individuals. However, if individuals are personally liable, they may still be sued individually.
Investigating whether your league is incorporated is easy. The president merely needs to call his/her Secretary of State (Division of Incorporation) for information. The incorporation may have lapsed, and will need to be renewed. If not incorporated, the league can request an information packet from Little League Headquarters on how to accomplish this.
Little League Baseball, Incorporated, is exempt from federal income tax as an Internal Revenue Code Section 501 (c)(3) organization. This is important, since as such, contributions made to Little League are deductible by the contributor. Little League has obtained tax-exempt status for over 4,000 local leagues through a group exemption letter received from the Internal Revenue Service in 1981. Local Leagues have the option to seek their own tax exempt status by filing a separate application (Form 1023) with the IRS or by applying to be included under Little League Baseball’s federal group exemption number (Tax Exemption Legal Bulletin - PDF). To request verification of your league’s inclusion under our group exemption number, please submit a written request with your league ID #, league name, league’s federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) issued by the IRS and the league officer contact information that it should be sent to. The request can be mailed to Little League International, P.O. Box 3485, Williamsport PA 17701 or faxed to 570-322-2376.
Obtaining exemption from state and/or local sales taxes is different in many states and municipalities. As an organization entitled to federal income tax exemption as a non-profit educational entity, a well-run Little League will apply for exemption in its state. As such, it does not have to pay sales tax when purchasing goods such as equipment, plumbing and electrical supplies and groceries for the concession stand. (Remember, items sold by a Local Little League may be subject to sales tax at the time of sale.)
Note: In some states there may be a corporate income tax. For more information on state tax laws, contact the Department of Revenue in your state.
Local leagues in the U.S. are also required by federal law to annually file a year-end statement with the Internal Revenue Service. Form 990EZ with Schedule A is used if the league raises and spends more than $50,000 but less than $200,000. If the league raises and spends more than $200,000, Form 990 with Schedule A must be used. Leagues that normally have gross receipts less than $50,000 and do not file a Form 990 or 990EZ must file the e-Postcard 990N. Failure to file for three consecutive years will result in revocation of tax exempt status.
The forms must be filed by the 15th day of the fifth month following the end of the fiscal year. Since the fiscal year for most well-run Little Leagues end on September 30, the form must be filed by February 15 each year.
For more information on federal taxes, contact the local office of the Internal Revenue Service.
A database of all of these Operations Tips can be found here: http://www.littleleague.org/leagueofficers/Tips_Successful_League/2010-2011.htm
ASAP Safety Plan Requirements Explained
Reasons why your Safety Plan may be Rejected
All Forms MUST be mailed to Williamsport, PA. Electronic submissions are NOT accepted.
Requirement 1
Have an active Safety Officer on file with Little League International.
This position needs to be a dedicated person.
Update your Little League through either:
- The Little League Data Center
- Or return the League Officer Change Form to Little League, fax to (570) 322-2376
Requirement 2
PUBLISH and distribute a paper copy of the applicable safety manual to all appropriate and applicable volunteers.
Print and distribute the safety plan to all staff: concession manual to concession workers, equipment policies to facilities crew, first aid to managers and coaches, etc. Keep copies in common areas for all volunteers.
While safety plans may be posted on the internet, individuals must be provided with printed copies to carry with them to the areas where their duties are performed.
Samples can be found in the example safety manuals on the Safety Program Page
Include all relevant material for coaches, including these minimum standards.
Keep a complete copy for your league. Send a copy to your District Administrator or District Safety Officer. Little League International does not keep copies for leagues' future use.
- Talk Safety (Article on Importance of raising safety awareness)
- Add to Safety Plan Annually
Requirement 3
Post and distribute emergency and key officials' phone numbers.
- Include league president and safety officer, consider head umpire, board members.
- Include emergency procedures for handling injuries and who to contact to track/report them.
- Include emergency phone numbers for ambulance, police, fire department, etc.
- Emergency Plan (Examples for emergency contact phone list, site map and emergency procedures)
- Emergency Plan (En Espanol)
Requirement 4
Use the Little League official Volunteer Application Form and check for sexual abuse.
Managers, coaches, board members and any others, volunteers or hired workers, who provide regular services to the league and/or have repetitive access to or contact with players or teams must fill out an application form as well as provide a government-issued photo identification card for ID verification. Check name spellings and numbers for accuracy.
When using First Advantage for background checks, Social Security numbers are required. You must enter these numbers into the database and then redact the social security number and/or other personal information from the paper copy for added protection.
Leagues must at a minimum conduct a search of the Department of Justice's nationwide sex offender registry (http://www.nsopr.gov/) using Volunteer Application Forms, on all applicable.
Little League International currently provides each league with access to 125 free criminal background checks per year. The First Advantage National Criminal File database contains more than 350 million records including criminal and sex offender registry records covering 50 states and the District of Columbia. Little League's 125 free background checks provided through First Advantage, will re-set as of Nov. 1st.
Little League strongly encourages all leagues to also utilize the national criminal records search available through the Little League website.
In addition to meeting the minimum requirement of checking the United States Department of Justice National Sex Offender Registry (http://www.nsopr.gov/), Little League strongly encourages all leagues to also utilize the national criminal records search available through the Little League website. This additional criminal records check may provide additional important information regarding the criminal records of individuals whose crimes do not require that they be listed on a sex offender registry. For example, convictions for assault, battery, theft or drug offenses would not result in a report to sex offender registry.
Information on how to utilize this benefit, as well as how to conduct background checks, can be found on the Child Protection Program page.
Important: Anyone refusing to fill out the Volunteer Application is ineligible to be even a league member.
League president must retain these confidential forms for the year of service.
Do not send in volunteers' filled out forms; provide a blank copy of league's application form from correct year with league safety plan.
- Background Checks - local leagues must annually conduct a nationwide search that contains the applicable government sex offender registry data ( The United States Department of Justice National Sex Offender Public Registry is free and available at http://www.nsopr.gov/ )
- Volunteer Badges (Example of way to make sure volunteers have been checked)
- Volunteer Badges (En Espanol)
- Volunteer Application 2014
(For first time volunteers or for returning volunteers that last year did not use the First Advantage(formally LexisNexis) background check tool) - Returning Volunteer Application 2014
(For returning volunteers that last year used the First Advantage(formally LexisNexis) background check tool) - Volunteer Application 2015
(For first time volunteers or for returning volunteers that last year did not use the First Advantage(formally LexisNexis) background check tool) - Returning Volunteer Application 2015
(For returning volunteers that last year used the First Advantage(formally LexisNexis) background check tool)
Requirement 5
Provide and require fundamentals training, with at least one coach or manager from each team attending (fundamentals including hitting, sliding, fielding, pitching, etc.).
It is not necessary for the first aid and fundamentals training to be held before your league's Safety Plan is submitted. It is acceptable for scheduled dates/locations to be listed to meet the requirement.
Document the date, location, and who is required to attend as well as who did attend. Intent is to provide training to ALL coaches and managers; a minimum of one participant per team must attend training annually.
Training qualifies a volunteer for 3 years; but one team representative is still required each year to attend the training.
High school, college or experienced league coaches can be great resources to provide the training to a league's coaches/managers.
Break down the training to specific divisions of play, giving the needed information for Minor Leagues separate from Little League, or Juniors, Seniors, etc. Provide training appropriate to the age and skills of the players involved. Give softball and baseball specific training as needed.
Districts can assist by providing training sessions on a district-wide basis.
Training should be modified annually to meet the local needs of players and their facilities.
- Michele Smith Conditioning (Techniques for conditioning)
- Michele Smith Conditioning (En Espanol)
- Michele Smith Stretching (Techniques for stretching)
- Michele Smith Stretching (En Espanol)
- Warm-Up Exercises
- Learn-Teach Dangers of Over-Use
- Weather its Safe to Play
- Curveballs-Catchers-Fatigue
- Fundamentally Sound Ball
- Avoid Collisions
Requirement 6
Require first-aid training for coaches and managers, with at least one coach or manager from each team attending.
It is not necessary for the first aid and training fundamentals to be held before Safety Plan is submitted. It is acceptable for scheduled dates/locations to be listed to meet requirement.
Due to their training and education, it is not necessary for licensed medical doctors, licensed registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and paramedics to attend first aid training in order to meet requirement; however, it is recommended that leagues utilize these professionals from their league/community to present the training.
Other individuals who attend various outside first aid training and courses are not exempt.
Document the date, location, and who is required to attend as well as who did attend. Again, the intent is to provide training to ALL team coaches/managers; a minimum of one participant per team must attend training annually.
Training qualifies volunteer for 3 years, but one team representative still needed each year.
- First Aid Training
- First Aid Clinic Outline (Outline from EMTP program for giving first aid training)
- First Aid Clinic Outline (En Espanol)
- Could You Save a Life
Requirement 7
Require coaches/umpires to walk fields for hazards before use.
Recommend leagues use form to track and document any facility issues needing to be fixed.
Common sense activity — look for rocks, glass, holes, etc.
Specify who is responsible for doing this — home coach, visitors, umpire, or all?
- Hey Coach (Checklist poster for coaches reminding of the need to check the field before playing begins)
- Umpire Guidelines (Card for umpires to make sure field is checked before playing begins)
- Umpire Guidelines (En Espanol)
Requirement 8
Complete the annual Little League Facility Survey
As a requirement each year, it can help leagues find and correct facility concerns.
Available online from web site - http://facilitysurvey.musco.com/ or email mailto:asap@musco.com?subject=Facility%20Survey%20Needed
Keep a copy on file for future needs; Little League does not maintain copies of surveys.
Excel spreadsheet and PDF available below for easy filing or recording for future use and records.
- Facility Survey Explained (Explains how the Facility Survey should be used annually to check for problems)
- Facility Survey (PDF)
- Facility Survey (XCL)
Requirement 9
Have written safety procedures for concession stand; concession manager trained in safe food handling/prep and procedures.
Local restaurant operators are good resources for training assistance.
Training should also cover safe use, care and inspection of equipment.
See concession suggestions: April and June, 2000, issues of ASAP News available on our website.
- Concession safety (Food handling essentials guideline)
- Concession safety (En Espanol)
- Barbeque Safety (Maintenance and proper use of barbeque grills and cooking guidelines)
- Barbeque Safety (En Espanol)
- Wash Hands (Poster for restroom reminding of need to keep hands clean)
Requirement 10
Require regular inspection and replacement of equipment.
Coaches and umpires inspect equipment before each use by players.
Don't just discard bad equipment: destroy it or make it unusable to stop children from attempting to "save it" from waste.
Recommend use of form to remind coaches and to track equipment needs.
- Safety Procedures (Several safety guidelines for coaches, managers, and umpires prior to games and practices)
- Safety Procedures (En Espanol)
- Equipment Checklist
- Low-Impact Balls
- Protect with Proper Equipment
Requirement 11
Implement prompt accident reporting and tracking procedures.
Requiring accident forms be filed with safety officer within 24-48 hours of an incident is common.
Track "near-misses" as a proactive tool to evaluate practices and avoid future injuries.
Share information on accidents and "near-misses" with District staff.
Forms are available below and on the Forms & Publications page.
- Accident Notification and Tracking (Guidelines for Chartis Accident Notification Form and ASAP Injury Tracking Sheet)
- Accident Notification and Tracking (En Espanol)
Requirement 12
Require a first-aid kit at each game and practice.
Many leagues have a complex, but each team needs some form of first-aid kit for off-site practices or travel/tournament games.
Local hospitals and medical supply companies are good sources.
If necessary, fund through special drive.
- First Aid Kits (Tells leagues what a well?stocked first aid kit should include)
- First Aid Kits (En Espanol)
Requirement 13
Enforce Little League rules including proper equipment.
Most Little League rules have some basis in safety — follow them.
Ensure players have required equipment at all times, even catchers warming up during infield.
Make sure coaches and managers enforce rules at practices as well as games.
Make sure all fields have all bases that disengage from their anchors, as required starting in 2008.
Remind managers, coaches they are not allowed to catch pitchers (Rule 3.09); this includes standing at backstop during practice as informal catcher for batting practice.
- Coaches Code of Conduct (Reminder of general rules and standards that coaches are expected to adhere to)
- Coaches Code of Conduct (En Espanol)
- Disengabe-Able Bases (Make sure all fields have bases that disengage from their anchors, as mandatory in 2008. This needs to be included in your ASAP plan.)
- Disengabe-Able Base Manufacturers (Manufactures of Disengable-Able bases)
- Don't Swing (Poster reminding players to leave bats down until up to plate)
- Lightning Safety Flyer (NOAA flyer on lightning facts, safety)
- Mower Safety (Poster for equipment sheds, etc.)
- Players Catch (Reminder on rule against warming up pitchers)
- Safety Code (General reminder of conduct rules for players and adults)
- Safety Code (En Espanol)
- Volunteer Code of Conduct (Volunteer Code of Conduct for coaches to sign)
- Volunteer Code of Conduct (En Espanol)
- Protect Volunteers
Requirement 14
Qualified Safety Plan Registration Form
Your Safety Plan will not be shown as received without this form.
Requirement 15
League Player Registration Data or Player Roster Data, Coach and Manager Data
- This data must be submitted via the Little League Data Center
Mandatory requirement for an approved ASAP plan.
Please visit this resource page to learn more about ASAP Requirement 15
ASAP Requirement 15 Resource Page
Dear Little League® Official:
Please accept this letter as a reminder of your league's responsibility to submit a federal tax return to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Any non-profit organization that does not file the proper 990 Form with the IRS for three consecutive years automatically loses its federal tax exemption resulting in the organization's income becoming taxable and contributors being unable to report their contributions as tax deductions. This year's filing deadline is February 17, 2015.
For leagues with gross receipts in excess of $50,000 but less than $200,000, IRS Form 990-EZ with Schedule A should be filed with the IRS. For Little Leagues with gross receipts in excess of $200,000, Form 990 with Schedule A should be filed. Leagues with gross receipts less than $50,000 must file an e-Postcard (Form 990-N) to retain tax exempt status. Please note the IRS can impose a penalty of $20 a day, up to a maximum of $10,000 when a return is filed late unless there is a reasonable cause for delay.
Please include your League I.D. Number and Employer Identification Number (E.I.N.) on the tax return along with the correct name and address of the current league president. Each separately chartered league, even if operated by the same board, is required to have its own E.I.N. and file a separate return. Forms and instructions are available on the IRS website at www.IRS.gov. The address where the tax return should be filed is:
Internal Revenue Service Center
Ogden, Utah 84201-0027
It is also the responsibility of each league to furnish Little League Baseball® Incorporated with a copy of your league's annual financial report. This is a requirement of any league enrolled under the Little League Federal Group Tax Exemption and 501(c)(3) organizational status. Enrollment in the Group Tax Exemption affords your league exemption from certain federal taxes and allows your league to accept charitable contributions. The financial report must show revenues and expenses for the respective fiscal year and the financial status of the league at the end of the September 30th fiscal period. Please be sure your League I.D. Number is noted on the financial statement. If you haven't already done so, please forward a copy of your league's financial statement to:
Little League Baseball, Incorporated
539 U.S. Highway 15
P. O. Box 3485
Williamsport, PA 17701-0485
If there have been any changes to the E.I.N. assigned to your league, please forward written notification to Little League Baseball Incorporated so we may update our records to assure compliance with the IRS regulations and assure your league is recognized under the group exemption. Please be sure to check with your state and file the appropriate state forms as well if required.
If you need additional information, you can contact me at 570-326-1921 ext. 2228 or at bbassett@LittleLeague.org.
Sincerely, Becky Bassett
Operations Coordinator
