ETAA Baseball

Pitching - Pitch count

How Many Pitches or Innings Should I Allow My Player to Throw?

This is a common question of a youth coach or parent of a young pitcher. The question is really pretty straight forward, but the answer actually involves many variables that need to be considered. The first thing you must realize is that it's an important issue. We see kids falling and bouncing back up, they rarely seem to pull a muscle or have other aches and pains that we, as adults, have become used to. Kids seem to bounce back quickly from most everything, so does it really matter if their arm is a little sore from pitching? Yes, it does matter! The pitching motion puts a large amount of strain on the throwing arm, particularly on the shoulder and elbow. I personally remember that 3 of the best pitchers from my little league never pitched in high school because they had hurt their arms before they ever reached that level. Now I don't know if it had anything to do with how many pitches they were allowed to throw or not, but the point is that young arms are developing and fragile and need to be taken care of. Kids will do pretty much what they are told, so it's up to parents and coaches to make sure that a pitcher's arm is taken care of.

Pitch Count and Other ASMI Recommendations

Pitch Counts

Age	Max. Pitches Per Game		Max. Games Per Week
8-10	52	2
11-12	68	2
13-14	76	2
15-16	91	2
17-18	106	2

Recovery Times

Age	1 Day Rest	2 Day Rest	3 Day Rest	4 Day Rest
8-10	21	34	43	51
11-12	27	35	55	58
13-14	30	36	56	70
15-16	25	38	62	77
17-18	27	45	62	89

Age Recommendation For Learning Various Pitches

The survey also presented recommendations for the age at which a player could learn different types of pitches. These are listed below.

Survey - Age Recommendation for Learning Various Pitches

Pitch	Age
Fastball	8 - 10
Change-Up	10 - 13
Curve ball	14 - 16
Knuckle ball	15 - 18
Slider	16 - 18
Fork ball	16 - 18
Screw ball	17 - 19

Pitch Count Plus Other Factors

Other factors to take into account as you determine, "How many pitches should I allow my player to pitch?".

Some Additional ASMI Survey Conclusions:

A pitcher should be limited to two appearances per week.
Participation in multiple leagues, playing other positions, and practice should be considered when defining and regulating rest.
Improper technique is a major factor in injury potential.
Conditioning of the throwing arm and entire body can reduce a young pitcher's risk of injury.
While the number of pitches should be limited, the young athlete should be encouraged to throw. This includes playing catch, playing other positions besides pitcher, and practicing pitching. When symptoms of arm discomfort or fatigue arise, longer periods of rest are recommended.

You can find the complete ASMI research at:

http://www.asmi.org/SportsMed/youth/PITCHCNT.PDF

Conclusion

I hope this section has given you some good information on developing a plan for how you are going to handle your pitchers this coming season. If you noticed when reading the results of both surveys, the pitch count averages by age were very close in both surveys. I think these numbers can give you a good idea of a pitch count limit to use with the age group that you coach. With that said, I believe you have to use those numbers as guidelines only and evaluate each pitcher separately each time you are going to send him out to the mound.

Other Things to Consider:

The guidelines are based on age, but kids develop at different ages. Adjust pitch count down if you have a pitcher that isn't as strong and developed as other kids his age.
Make sure that pitchers have the proper amount of time to stretch and warm-up prior to entering a game.
Error on the side of caution. If a pitcher looks tired, get another pitcher in. Don't wait until he complains about a sore arm.
Constantly remind your players about the importance of taking care of their arms. Tell them that it's essential that they tell you if they have any soreness.
Emphasize the importance of stretching and building arm strength throughout the season. Players of all ages need to play catch on a regular basis. Set expectations with players and parents that they will play catch at home, not just at practice and during games.
Limit pitch counts to less than recommendations:
- Early in the season.
- With a pitcher that hasn't pitched much.
- A pitcher that has poor mechanics.
- During cold weather.
Require pitchers to wear long sleeves and put a coat on between innings.
Remember that no victory is worth the price of having a young player damage his arm.

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