Pitch Count
1. This is a summary of mandatory Little League International (Williamsport) Rules regarding pitch count limitations and CYBSA procedures for implementation. These Rules and Procedures apply to all player-pitch baseball divisions and all games unless otherwise specifically noted below or in another CYBSA Local Rule or document, and must be STRICTLY FOLLOWED AND ENFORCED. These Rules and Procedures do not apply to softball. Note that there are two (2) different elements to the pitch count rules: the number of pitches a player may throw in a day; and the number of days a player must rest/not pitch between pitching appearances.
2. NOTE: The eligibility rules based on innings pitched in a game and innings pitched in a week are no longer in effect. A player’s eligibility to pitch is based solely on the following rules.
3. Maximum Pitches Per Day: The manager/coach must remove the pitcher from a game when the pitcher reaches the limit for his/her age group as noted below, but the pitcher may remain in the game at another position:
League Age: | 13-16 | 95 pitches per day |
| 11-12 | 85 pitches per day |
| 9-10 | 75 pitches per day |
| 7-8 | 50 pitches per day |
Exception: If a pitcher reaches the limit above while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to pitch until that batter reaches base, is put out or the third out is recorded. This is the only exception. (There are no exceptions for completing no-hitters or perfect games.)
Note 1: In the case of an intentional walk (permitted in the Major League and Junior League only), as of 2008 the rule calling for the umpire is to award first base to the batter without a pitch being thrown or counted for purposes of these rules as been deleted.
Note 2: A pitcher who delivers one or more pitches in a game cannot play the position of catcher for the remainder of that day. A pitcher cannot pitch in more than one game in a day.
4. Minimum Days Rest: Managers/coaches must ensure that pitchers age 16 and under adhere to the following rest requirements before the player may pitch again:
Pitches |
| Required Rest |
61 or more pitches |
| Three (3) calendar days including a game |
41 – 60 |
| Two (2) calendar days including a game |
21 – 40 |
| One (1) calendar day |
1 – 20 |
| Zero (0) |
|
|
|
5. Notes:
(a) A player may not pitch in more than one game in a day.
(b) A “calendar” day of rest is different from and often less than 24 hours of rest.
(c) There is no carryover effect on the number of pitches a player may throw in his next appearance; that is, once a player is eligible to pitch under the rest requirements, he is eligible to throw the maximum number of pitches for his league age.
(d) A day of rest is just that, so if under the above rules a player must observe 3 calendar days of rest, he or she is not eligible to pitch again until the 4th day.
(e) Under these rules as amended in 2008, a player who has pitched 41 or more pitches may not pitch in the next game regardless of the days of rest.
6. Example 1: A league age 10-year old player throws 15 pitches on Friday night. That player is eligible to pitch again on Saturday morning, and may throw up to 75 pitches.
Example 2: A league age 11-year old player throws 21 pitches on Monday night. He cannot pitch on Tuesday (his one calendar day of rest). He is eligible to pitch again on Wednesday and may throw up to 85 pitches.
Example 3: A league age 12-year old player throws 65 pitches on Wednesday. He is not eligible to pitch again until Sunday, provided his team has played a game in the interval.
Example 4: A player pitches 45 pitches on Saturday. His team does not play again until the following Saturday. The player is not eligible to pitch in that game.
7. Suspended and Resumed Games: In the case of suspended games continued on a later day, the continuation of the game is the same as a new game for purposes of these Pitch Count Rules as they pertain to the pitcher of record for each team at the point the game was suspended. Example: A league age 11-year old pitcher has thrown 70 pitches on Monday when the game is suspended. If the game resumes on Thursday, he cannot continue pitching because he has not observed 3 days of rest. If the game resumes on Friday, he may continue pitching, and may throw up to 85 pitches that day.
8. Official Pitch Count Recorder: Under Williamsport Little League rules, the CYBSA must designate an “official pitch count recorder” for each game. In all CYBSA games, the official pitch count recorder shall be the home team designated pitch count recorder (which can be but need not be the home team’s scorekeeper). At the outset of a game, each team must designate a coach or parent as its pitch count recorder/scorekeeper who will keep the pitch count. Both teams’ pitch count recorder must count the pitches thrown by all pitchers for both teams each inning. (The CYBSA will make recommendations for pitch counting to coaches at the outset of the season and provide same on the CYBSA website.) At the end of each half inning, both teams’ pitch count recorders must compare and confirm the count(s) for each pitcher who appeared in the half inning and the total game count for any pitcher who was relieved during that half inning. In case of an irresolvable disagreement between the teams’ recorders as to a count, the official pitch count recorder (home team) determines the actual “official” count, after consulting (briefly) as appropriate with the umpire and/or coaches. It is assumed that such disagreements will be rare as both recorders/scorekeepers should presume each others’ good faith. In all cases the official pitch count recorder should record the official count for each pitcher, inning by inning, on a Pitch Count Record. (The Pitch Count Record form is provided by CYBSA.) Managers should keep Pitch Count Records with their scorebook and have them with them at games.
9. The official pitch count recorder must provide the current pitch count for any pitcher when requested by either manager or any umpire. The official pitch count recorder should inform the umpire when a pitcher has thrown the maximum number of pitches. However, the manager is responsible for knowing when his/her pitcher must be removed and the failure of the official pitch count recorder or the umpire to notify the manager does not relieve the manager of his responsibility to remove the pitcher.
10. At the end of the game, both teams’ recorders/scorekeepers should again compare and confirm pitch count records with the totals for all players who pitched in the game for either team. The official pitch count recorder (the home team) should then provide the official Pitch Count Record to the winning team’s manager/coach (or in the case of a tie game the home team’s manager/coach). That manager/coach is responsible for reporting the final score of the game and the pitch count totals for each pitcher on both teams for that game to the League Coordinator and all managers by email by 11:00 a.m. on day following the game.
11. Pitching Logs: Based on the pitch counts reported after each game, the CYBSA League Coordinator will maintain and make available for review a division-wide pitching log. However, managers should also maintain their own team’s Pitch Count Records as a team log, and it is the responsibility of each manager/coach to know which of his teams’ players is ineligible to pitch on a given game day under these rules. A manager must confirm the names of ineligible pitchers to the opposing team’s manager upon request at the outset of a game.
12. Player’s League Age: For all purposes under these and all CYBSA rules and procedures, and the Williamsport Little League Rules, a player’s league age for the season is his or her age on April 30 of the current season (and not his or her age on the day of the game). (E.g., a player who turns 12 on April 30th or earlier is a 12 year old for these purposes for the entire season; a player who turns 12 on May 1st or later is an 11 year old for these purposes for the entire season). CYBSA will provide coaches with the players’ league ages for the season at the outset of the season. Coaches are responsible for checking ages/birth dates, raising any questions, and then observing the relevant rules
13. These Rules and Procedures will be strictly enforced. It is the responsibility of a team’s manager/coach to ensure compliance. All situations not specifically addressed herein, or by some other/ future CYBSA memo, are governed by the Williamsport Little League Rulebook. All the Local Rules and all CYBSA policies and procedures are subject to CYBSA Board interpretation, modification and/or amendment in its mandate to look after the best interests of the players and nothing herein is meant to limit that discretion.