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Tulsa National was disqualified from the Little League World Series due to an eligibility scandal.
Any hopes of Tulsa National winning the 2026 Little League World Series officially went out the window on Wednesday evening when a judge dissolved a temporary restraining order initially granted to the squad.
Now, parents of players on the team are speaking out on the matter and claiming that its initial disqualification was a miscarriage of justice.
Tulsa National was disqualified after they were found to have fielded an ineligible player earlier in the process. The parents, however, believe that the team should be able to continue its run because the ineligible player was due to an alleged clerical error.
Tulsa National Parents Issue Statement On Little League World Series DQ
“Our 13 boys did nothing wrong,” the parents said in a statement. “They do not determine eligibility, approve waivers or certify rosters. Players and parents rely on Little League administrators at the local, state and regional levels make those determinations.”
The parents of Tulsa National have released a statement following the judge’s ruling.
“To our own Oklahoma administration, the Southwest Regional administration, and Little League International: this one is on you.
“They deserved better. We are reviewing the tulsa national… https://t.co/QUVbze2z9B pic.twitter.com/2hUYcTXWVd
— Maren Angus (@Maren_Angus) August 11, 2026
“We are deeply disappointed by today’s decision to dissolve that TRO, particularly because testimony from opposing teams-teams that were not parties named in our TRO-played a role in the proceedings.”
The parents argued that the ineligible player only played in the earlier rounds of the tournament, and not the regional. Additionally, they claimed that the player immediately left the team after it was determined that they were not age-eligible.
However, not everyone is buying that excuse.
“The defense of ‘well we used an ineligible player in the previous tournament that helped us quality for the current tournament but that player isn’t on the team now so why does it matter’ is one for the ages,” former NFL offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz wrote.
“These parents just don’t know about what breaking a rule means. You can’t have an ineligible player in one tournament, advance, and then take the player off the roster for the next tournament. Very simple,” said LA Times writer Eric Sondheimer.
Ultimately, it’s hard to buy the parents’ defense. Knowingly or not, the team benefited from an ineligible player. That alone in grounds for disqualification. Is it unfortunate? Sure. But the rules are there for a reason.