Pitch count limits by age, and the rest days that follow.
Under Little League Regulation VI, the daily maximum is 50 pitches for league age 7-8, 75 for ages 9-10, 85 for ages 11-12, 95 for ages 13-16, and 105 for ages 17-18. Rest days are then required based on how many pitches were thrown that day.
Little League Regulation VI. Rest is counted in calendar days from the outing. Regardless of pitch count, no player may pitch on three consecutive days. Travel and tournament organizations set their own limits.
Pitch counts are the one youth baseball rule with real medical weight behind them. They exist because cumulative throwing volume, far more than any single pitch type, is what puts young elbows and shoulders on the operating table. Little League adopted counts in 2007 after years of inning limits that let a kid throw ninety pitches across three short innings and call it a light day.
Two numbers matter, and coaches routinely track only the first. The daily maximum caps what a pitcher can throw in one day. The rest requirement determines when that pitcher is eligible again, and it is keyed to the number of pitches actually thrown, not the number of innings. Cross a rest threshold by one pitch and the pitcher owes an extra calendar day.
One threshold rule overrides everything else: a pitcher may finish the batter they are facing when they reach the daily limit mid-at-bat, and that is the only allowance. Beyond it, the pitcher must be removed from the mound.
Under no circumstance may a player pitch on three consecutive days, regardless of how few pitches they threw. A kid who throws eight pitches on Friday and six on Saturday still cannot pitch on Sunday.
These are Little League's numbers. Travel organizations set their own, and they are often more permissive: USSSA, Perfect Game, and most weekend tournament operators publish limits per event rather than per season, and some enforce nothing at all beyond an honor system. If you are playing tournament ball, read that event's rules rather than assuming Little League's table applies.
| League age | Maximum pitches per day |
|---|---|
| 7-8 | 50 |
| 9-10 | 75 |
| 11-12 | 85 |
| 13-16 | 95 |
| 17-18 | 105 |
League age, not calendar age. Little League assigns a league age that can differ from a player's birthday age.
| Pitches thrown in a day | Calendar days of rest required |
|---|---|
| 66 or more | 4 |
| 51 to 65 | 3 |
| 36 to 50 | 2 |
| 21 to 35 | 1 |
| 1 to 20 | 0 |
| Pitches thrown in a day | Calendar days of rest required |
|---|---|
| 76 or more | 4 |
| 61 to 75 | 3 |
| 46 to 60 | 2 |
| 31 to 45 | 1 |
| 1 to 30 | 0 |
The 15-16 thresholds sit ten pitches higher than the 14-and-under table at every step. Using the wrong table is the most common scorekeeping mistake in this rule.
Bleacher Notes counts every pitch as it is narrated, so the count is running whether or not anyone remembered to start a clicker. When a pitcher crosses a rest threshold, the app knows the date they are next eligible.
Common questions
- What is the pitch count limit for 12U baseball?
- In Little League, a player at league age 11 or 12 may throw a maximum of 85 pitches in a day. Throwing 66 or more requires four calendar days of rest before pitching again. Travel and tournament organizations set their own limits, which are often higher, so check the specific event's rules.
- Do pitch counts reset each week?
- No. Little League pitch counts are tracked per day, and the consequence is a rest requirement measured in calendar days from that outing. There is no weekly or seasonal cap in Regulation VI; the rest table plus the three-consecutive-days rule does the limiting.
- What happens if a pitcher reaches the limit mid-batter?
- The pitcher is allowed to finish that batter. Once the at-bat ends, they must be removed from the mound. This is the only allowance for exceeding the daily maximum.
- Can a pitcher throw on three days in a row?
- No. Under no circumstance may a player pitch on three consecutive days, no matter how few pitches were thrown on the first two.
- Does catching affect whether a kid can pitch?
- Yes, and it catches leagues out. Little League restricts moving between catcher and pitcher: a player who catches four or more innings in a day may not then pitch on that day, and a pitcher who throws 41 or more pitches may not move to catcher for the rest of the day. Confirm the current wording with your league, as this rule has been revised more than once.
Sources
Rules change, and local leagues override national ones. When this page and your league’s rulebook disagree, your league wins.