Little League World Series teams, ages, pitch count and more to know for 2026 tournament originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
A staple of the annual sports calendar, the Little League World Series will bring the spotlight back to the lush baseball diamonds that pockmark Williamsport, Pa., in August.
The best youth teams from the United States and the rest of the world will take part in the festival, which lasts for a little more than a week and has served as a platform for some of sports' biggest stars. Boog Powell, Gary Sheffield, Chris Drury, Cody Bellinger, Mo'ne Davis and Ceddanne Rafaela are some of the standouts who came to prominence while playing on the fields in Williamsport.
Last year's tournament proved eye-catching, with Chinese Taipei dispatching Nevada in the final to pick up its first title since 1996. Who will emerge through the mire and stake their claim to the crown this time around? Only time will tell.
With that, here's a complete guide to the rules, regulations and more at this year's Little League World Series.
MORE: Full bracket, times, channels, scores for every LLWS game
Little League World Series teams 2026The Little League World Series consists of 20 teams, with 10 hailing from the United States and 10 more coming from other parts of the world.
United States teamsRegionTeamLocationGreat LakesWest Side Little LeagueHamilton, OhioMetroBayonne Central Little LeagueBayonne, New JerseyMid-AtlanticEast Side Little LeagueWest Chester, PennsylvaniaMidwestDavenport Northwest Little LeagueDavenport, IowaMountainPaseo Verde Little LeagueHenderson, NevadaNew EnglandBridgewater Joe Lazaro Little LeagueBridgewater, MassachusettsNorthwestSoundview Little LeagueTacoma, WashingtonSoutheastPhenix City Youth Baseball Little LeaguePhenix City, AlabamaSouthwestBoerne Little LeagueBoerne, TexasWestSweetwater Valley Little LeagueBonita, CaliforniaInternational teamsRegionTeamLocationAsia-PacificWest Seoul (B) Little LeagueSeoul, South KoreaAustraliaRyde Little LeagueSydney, New South WalesCanadaLittle Mountain Little LeagueVancouver, British ColumbiaCaribbeanLos Nacionales Little LeagueSantiago, Dominican RepublicPanamaPariba Little LeaguePariba, CuracaoEurope-AfricaSouth Czech Republic Little LeagueBrno, Czech RepublicJapanJoto Little LeagueTokyo, JapanLatin AmericaMinisterio Sobre Las Alas Del Aguila Little LeagueLeon, NicaraguaMexicoMunicipal De Tijuana Little LeagueTijuana, Baja CaliforniaPuerto RicoDavid Doleguita Little LeagueChiriqui, Panama2026 Little League World Series bracketYou can download a PDF of the full 2026 Little League World Series bracket here on the tournament's official website.
MORE:Full list of teams to qualify for 2026 LLWS baseball tournament
Little League World Series locationThe Little League World Series is contested in Williamsport, a sleepy town located in the northwestern quadrant of Pennsylvania.
For the sixth time in as many seasons, two MLB sides will accompany the Little League hopefuls at Bowman Field. The Brewers will take on the Braves on Aug. 23.
MORE:15 star athletes who once played in the Little League World Series
How old are Little League World Series players?This year, the eligible age range for participants is 10 to 12 years old as of Aug. 31, 2026. That means kids as young as 9 can participate, as long as they turn 10 later in August.
In 2020 and 2021, the league accepted only 11- and 12-year-olds. Before then, the age group allowed children as old as 13 to participate.
MORE:Explaining how many innings are played in the LLWS
What is the LLWS pitch count limit?Pitch limitations vary by age, with 10-year-olds limited to pitch counts of 75. Pitchers who are 11 or 12 can throw as many as 85 pitches in an outing.
With the Little League World Series allowing 10-year-olds to participate in the tournament, pitch limitations very by age, per Little League Baseball regulations.
The designated rest period per pitch count is the same for all Little League players aged 14 and younger, and it remains the same as in previous years:
PitchesDays of rest66-85451-65336-50221-3511-200Little League World Series field size- 46 feet: Pitching rubber to home plate
- 60 feet: Length of basepaths
- 225 feet: Home plate to outfield fence
Little League World Series games will be held at the Howard J. Lamade and Little League Volunteer stadiums. Both venue boast the same dimensions; the pitching rubber is 46 feet from home plate, while basepaths are 60 feet. The outfield wall stands 225 feet away from home plate.
both of which have the same basic dimensions of 46 feet from the pitching rubber to home plate, 60-foot basepaths and 225 feet between home plate and the outfield fence.
MORE:Little League World Series' mercy rule, explained
Who won the LLWS in 2025?Tung-Yuan Little League from Taipei hoisted the Little League World Series trophy in 2025, downing Mountain region heavyweight Summerlin South Little League (Nevada) in a memorable championship tilt.
The Chinese Taipei-based side emerged as victors behind a standout showing by flamethrower Lin Chin-Tse, who flirted with perfection across five scoreless innings and added a three-run triple for good measure.
The win represented Chinese Taipei's first LLWS crown since 1996.
List of past Little League World Series championsChinese Taipei owns the most titles in Little League World Series history. Japan is next with 11 titles, while California has won eight times.
YearWinner1947Williamsport, Pa.1948Lock Haven, Pa.1949Hammonton, N.J.1951Stamford, Conn.1952Norwalk, Conn.1953Birmingham, Ala.1954Schenectady, N.Y.1955Morrisville, Pa.1956Roswell, N.M.1957Monterrey, Mexico1958Monterrey, Mexico1959Hamtramck, Mich.1960Levittown, Pa.1961El Cajon, Calif.1962San Jose, Calif.1963Granada Hills, Calif.1964Staten Island, N.Y.1965Windsor Locks, Conn.1966Houston1967West Tokyo, Japan1968Wakayama, Osaka, Japan1969Taichung, Chinese Taipei1970Wayne, N.J.1971Tainan, Chinese Taipei1972Taipei, Chinese Taipei1973Tainan, Chinese Taipei1974Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei1975Lakewood, N.J.1976Chofu, Tokyo, Japan1977Kahosiung, Chinese Taipei1978Pingtung, Chinese Taipei1979Chiayi County, Chinese Taipei1980Hua-Lien, Chinese Taipei1981Taichung, Chinese Taipei1982Kirkland, Wash.1983Marietta, Ga.1984Seoul, South Korea1985Seoul, South Korea1986Tainan, Chinese Taipei1987Hua-Lien, Chinese Taipei1988Taichung, Chinese Taipei1989Trumbull, Conn.1990Tainan County, Chinese Taipei1991Taichung, Chinese Taipei1992Long Beach, Calif.1993Long Beach, Calif.1994Maracaibo, Venezuela1995Tainan, Chinese Taipei1996Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei1997Guadalupe, Mexico1998Toms River, N.J.1999Hirakata, Osaka, Japan2001Maracaibo, Venezuela2002Valley Station, Ky.2003Musashi-Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan2004Willemstad, Curacao2005Ewa Beach, Hawaii2006Columbus, Ga.2007Warner-Robins, Ga.2008Waipahu, Hawaii2009Chula Vista, Calif.2010Edogawa Minami, Tokyo, Japan2011Huntington Beach, Calif.2012Tokyo Kitasuna, Tokyo, Japan2013Musashi Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan2014Seoul, South Korea2015Tokyo Kitasuna, Tokyo, Japan2016Maine-Endwell, N.Y.2017Tokyo Kitasuna, Tokyo, Japan2018Honolulu, Hawaii2019River Ridge, La.2020Canceled due to COVID-192021Taylor, Mich.2022Honolulu, Hawaii2023El Segundo, Calif.2024Lake Mary, Fla.2025Taipei, Chinese Taipei
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