Little League pitch count rules by age, and the rest-day chart
Updated · Fernhart Labs
Short answer
In Little League® Baseball's regular season, a pitcher may throw at most 50 pitches a day at league age 6–8, 75 at 9–10, 85 at 11–12 and 95 at 13–16.
Rest depends on that day's count. For league age 14 and under: 1–20 pitches, no rest; 21–35, 1 day; 36–50, 2 days; 51–65, 3 days; 66 or more, 4 calendar days. At 15–16 each threshold is 10 pitches higher. Nobody may pitch three days in a row.
Daily pitch limits by league age
| League age | Most pitches in a day |
|---|---|
| 6–8 | 50 |
| 9–10 | 75 |
| 11–12 | 85 |
| 13–16 | 95 |
A pitcher who reaches the limit in the middle of an at-bat may finish that batter. The game ends for them as a pitcher when the batter reaches base or is put out, the third out is made, or they are taken off the mound.
Days of rest after pitching
| Pitches in a day, league age 14 and under | Calendar days of rest | Pitches in a day, league age 15–16 |
|---|---|---|
| 66 or more | 4 | 76 or more |
| 51–65 | 3 | 61–75 |
| 36–50 | 2 | 46–60 |
| 21–35 | 1 | 31–45 |
| 1–20 | 0 | 1–30 |
Rest is counted in calendar days, not hours. Little League's rule also notes that the pitch count used for the rest threshold is determined by the first pitch thrown to a batter, so a pitcher may finish the batter they are facing. On top of the table, no player may pitch on three consecutive days.
A worked example
A 12-year-old throws 70 pitches on Saturday. That is under the 85-pitch limit for league age 11–12, and 66 or more means 4 calendar days of rest: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The first day they can pitch again is Thursday.
If the same player had thrown 30 pitches (1 day of rest), they could pitch again on Monday; if they had thrown 15 (no rest), they could pitch on Sunday too, but not on a third day in a row on Monday.
Catcher and pitcher rules
- A player who has caught 4 or more innings in a game may not pitch on that calendar day. Catching a single pitch in the fourth inning counts as a fourth inning.
- A player who caught 3 innings or fewer and then pitches 21 pitches or more (31 or more at 15–16) may not go back to catcher that day.
- A pitcher who delivers 41 or more pitches may not play catcher for the rest of the day.
- A pitcher taken off the mound cannot return as a pitcher in the same game (Intermediate, Junior and Senior League allow one return).
Other leagues and tournaments
These are Little League Baseball's regular-season rules. Tournament play and other youth organizations publish their own rules, and Little League Softball counts innings rather than pitches, so check your league's rulebook. Little League also supports the Pitch Smart guidelines of Major League Baseball and USA Baseball.
Questions
How many pitches can a 10-year-old throw in Little League?
75 pitches in a day (league age 9–10), with rest days depending on the count: 66 or more pitches means 4 calendar days of rest.
How many pitches can a 12-year-old throw?
85 pitches a day at league age 11–12. Pitching 66 or more of them means 4 calendar days of rest before pitching again.
How many days of rest after 50 pitches?
Two calendar days for a pitcher of league age 14 and under (36–50 pitches). At league age 15–16, 50 pitches (46–60) also means two days.
Can a Little League pitcher pitch two days in a row?
Yes, if the first day's count needs no rest (1–20 pitches at 14 and under, 1–30 at 15–16). No player may pitch on three consecutive days.
Can a catcher pitch in the same game?
Only if they caught 3 innings or fewer. Catching 4 or more innings rules a player out of pitching that day.
Do the same pitch counts apply in tournaments?
Little League publishes separate tournament rules. Check the current tournament rulebook for your division before the All-Star season.
Fair Innings: Baseball Lineup
Fair lineups and rotations for youth baseball and softball coaches.
Fair Innings counts pitches during the game with big +1 and +5 buttons and applies a Little League®-style preset of these limits and rest days (editable for your league): who can pitch today, who is resting and until when, and a 7-day pitcher calendar. It warns about catching 4+ innings before pitching, going back to catcher after 21+ pitches (31+ at 15–16) or 41+, and a pitcher returning to the mound, and builds fair fielding rotations so every kid plays.
Sources
- Little League, "Regular Season Pitching Rules" (Regulation VI, baseball) littleleague.org
- Little League help center: pitcher rest requirements littleleague.org