Pitch Count Limits & Mandatory Rest Rules

In an effort to reduce the risk of elbow and shoulder injuries among young baseball pitchers, Little League Baseball adopted important rules to limit the number of pitches a pitcher can throw in a game and how much rest he or she must take between pitching appearances.

Pitch Count Limits

Minimum Days of Rest

Days of Rest Calculator

Pitcher and Catcher Limits

• Pitcher to catcher ban: Any pitcher who delivers 41 or more pitches in a game may not play catcher for the remainder of the day.
• Catcher to pitcher ban: Any player who has played catcher in more than three innings (three innings plus one pitch in the fourth inning) in a game is not eligible to pitch on that calendar day.

Pitch Count Threshold Exceptions

If a pitcher reaches the pitch-count limit while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to pitch until one of the following occurs: (1) the batter reaches base; (2) the batter is retired; (3) or the third out is made to complete the half-inning. The pitcher will only be required to observe the calendar days of rest for the threshold reached during that at-bat, provided the pitcher is removed or the game is completed before the pitcher delivers a pitch to another batter.

Examples

• On Monday, the pitcher has thrown 19 pitches when a new batter comes to the plate. The pitcher throws 7 pitches before the batter hits a single and advances to first base. The manager then removes the pitcher from the mound. Although the pitcher threw 26 pitches, the pitcher is charged with 20 pitches for the purposes of this rule and may pitch again on Tuesday.
• On Tuesday, the pitcher has thrown 34 pitches when a new batter comes to the plate. The pitcher throws 5 pitches before the batter hits a fly ball to right field for the second out of the inning. The manager then removes the pitcher from the mound. Although the pitcher threw 39 pitches, the pitcher is charged with 35 pitches for the purposes of this rule and may pitch again on Thursday.
• On Wednesday, the pitcher has thrown 64 pitches when a new batter comes to the plate with a runner on first base. After the fourth pitch to the batter, the catcher throws out the runner attempting to steal second base for the third out of the inning. The manager then removes the pitcher from the mound. Although the pitcher threw 68 pitches, the pitcher is charged with 65 pitches for the purposes of this rule and may pitch again on Saturday.
• On Monday, the pitcher has thrown 39 pitches when a new batter comes to the plate. The pitcher strikes out the batter on the 5th pitch. The manager then removes the pitcher from the mound. The pitcher is charged with 40 pitches for the purposes of this rule and may play catcher that day.

Other Pitching Limitations

• 3 Days in a Row Prohibited: A pitcher may not pitch in 3 consecutive days, regardless of the number of pitches thrown.
• Multiple Games Per Day Prohibited: A pitcher may not pitch in more than one game in a day.
• Intentional Walks: When the defense elects to intentionally walk a batter under Rule 6.08(a)(2), four pitches are added to the pitcher's pitch count.
• Returning as Pitcher in the Same Game: In the Major Division and below, once a pitcher is removed from the mound, he or she cannot return as a pitcher. In the Intermediate (50/70) divisions and above, if a pitcher is removed but remains in the game in a different position, he or she can return as a pitcher anytime in the game, but only once per game.
• Minor Division: Players league age 12 may not pitch in Minor division games.

Suspended Games

• If suspended games are resumed on another day, pitchers of record at time game was suspended will be allowed to pitch to the extent of their eligibility for that day if they have rested the proper amount of days.
• Even if a game does not complete the first inning, pitchers who participated during the first inning must adhere to the appropriate rest requirements.

Enforcement

To ensure that pitching rules are strictly followed, Little League imposes a number of other requirements:

• Every game must have a designated scorekeeper or official to track pitch counts as the official pitch-count recorder.
• The pitch count recorder must provide the current pitch count for any pitcher when requested by either manager or any umpire. The pitcher count recorder must notify the umpire-in-chief when a pitcher has reached the pitch limit, who will, in turn, notify the pitcher's manager that the pitcher must be removed.
• Failure of the pitch count recorder to notify the umpire-in-chief, and/or the failure of the umpire-in-chief to notify the manager does not relief the manager of his/her responsibility to remove the pitcher when that pitcher is no longer eligible to pitch.
• Violation of the rule can result in a protest of the game in which it occurs.

Sources

Regulation VI

Rule 4.12

Rule 6.08(a)(2) - Note 2