For the players, pitching against their friends, neighbors and schoolmates is a thrill. Pitch limits and proper rest, however, are critical to ensuring healthy arms and shoulders. As such, Berwyn Paoli Area Little League adheres strictly to the pitching standards established by Little League International. We also recommend that children who enjoy pitching take a minimum of four months rest (from heavy pitching training or competitive play) during the winter off-season.
BASEBALL
Pitch Count Guidelines (Minors, Majors, Intermediate, Juniors, Seniors)
Berwyn Paoli Area Little League adheres to the pitch count guidelines as set forth in the chart below for all seasons, including post-season play.
| Daily Max | REST | REST | REST | REST | REST |
| Age | Pitches | 0 Days | 1 Day | 2 Days | 3 Days | 4 Days |
| 7-8 | 50 | 1-20 | 21-35 | 36-50 | N/A | N/A |
| 9-10 | 75 | 1-20 | 21-35 | 36-50 | 51-65 | 66+ |
| 11-12 | 85 | 1-20 | 21-35 | 36-50 | 51-65 | 66+ |
| 13-14 | 95 | 1-20 | 21-35 | 36-50 | 51-65 | 66+ |
| 15-16 | 95 | 1-30 | 31-45 | 46-60 | 61-75 | 76+ |
| 17-18 | 105 | 1-30 | 31-45 | 46-60 | 61-75 | 76+ |
Example
Nine year-old Webber Thorogood throws 32 pitches on Friday night. Although Webber’s team has games on the next two days—Saturday and Sunday—Webber will only be able to resume pitching on Sunday. He will not be able to pitch on Saturday because rules state that, having thrown 32 pitches on Friday, he is required to have at least one day of rest before pitching again (on Sunday).
General Pitching Rules
- Pitching on consecutive days is permitted per the above chart. However, a pitcher is prohibited from having pitching appearances on three consecutive days.
- For Minors and Majors, once a pitcher is removed from the mound, he may not return to the game as a pitcher. For Intermediate 50/70 Division and above, a pitcher is allowed to return to the mound.
- Games in which an ineligible pitcher has been used shall be declared forfeited. The withdrawal of an ineligible pitcher after the pitcher is announced or after a warm-up pitch is delivered but before that pitcher has pitched a ball to a batter shall not be considered a violation. This rule applies to both regular season as well as post season play.
- A coach/manager determined to be in violation of these pitch count rules will be required to appear before BPALL leadership. Additionally, the coach/manager will receive a written warning outlining the offense. A second violation will result in a one-week suspension. A third violation will result in complete revocation of coach/manager duties.
- All game pitches will be counted towards pitch count, including suspended games and those officially declared as “no game” (includes all weather related, rain, or lightning delays and any games suspended for any reason).