There are 38 Little League districts in New York State (that number includes 2-3 districts that are partially dissolved or in the process of being dissolved – see later note about District 11).
NHLL plays in District 10, which comprises Southern Oneida County, Eastern Madison County, and Herkimer County. Teams in District 10 include New Hartford, Whitesboro, Utica, Central Valley, Herkimer, West Canada, Frankfort, Westmoreland, NY Mills, Oriskany, Tri-County, and Little Falls.
Teams that win their District move on to the Sectional playoff. There are 8 Sections in NYS. We play in Section 2 North. If you start in Cazenovia, NY and draw a straight line north to the Canadian border and follow the Thruway East to Massachusetts, then you have captured Section 2 North.
Teams who advance to the Section 2N tournament play a round robin between the winner of the following districts:
District 9 (Madison County and Northwestern Oneida County, which includes Cazenovia, Camden, Canastota, Chittenango, Lee, and Vernon-Verona-Sherrill)
District 37 (the entire North Country, including Watertown, Pulaski, South Jefferson, Sandy Creek, Altmar-Parish, Williamstown, Lowville, Plattsburgh, Ogdensburg, Malone, etc.)
The combined District 11 and 12 winner. District 11 only has one remaining team (Mechanicville-Stillwater), and so rather than get a ‘free bid’ they enter the neighboring District 12 playoff with teams just east, northeast, north, and northwest of Albany (e.g., Saratoga, Rotterdam-Carmen, Scotia-Glenville, Schenectady, Duanesburg, Johnstown, Gloversville, Fort Plain, Fonda, etc.).
The two teams that finish the best in this Section round robin play in a single championship game to determine who will represent Section 2 North in the NYS tournament.
At this point there are only 8 teams left in the State. The younger tournament, which began in 1994 is double elimination, while the older tournament, which has been around since 1947, follows a more complex, pool play format.
For the 8-10 year old group and the 9-11 year old group, winning the State is where the road officially ends as far as Little League International is concerned. A private citizen in Rhode Island invites the winners of each of the New England and Mid-Atlantic states for an unsanctioned regional tournament, which is not affiliated with Little League International.
For the 12 and under group, winning the state means they enter the Metro regional tournament, to compete with the winners of New Jersey, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. The winner of this tournament advances to the LLWS, wearing the “Metro Region” colors, where you will see them on television competing against the other 19 regions around the Globe.