Youth Baseball Pitch Count by Age: What Every Parent Should Know

Every spring, millions of parents watch their kids take the mound for the first time. And every spring, the same question comes up: How many pitches is too many?

The answer isn't as simple as a single number. It depends on age, rest, and — critically — what else your kid has been throwing that week.

Here's everything you need to know.

The Official Pitch Count Chart

These limits come from MLB Pitch Smart and are endorsed by USA Baseball, Little League, and the American Sports Medicine Institute:

| Age | Max Pitches Per Day | |-----|---------------------| | 7-8 | 50 | | 9-10 | 75 | | 11-12 | 85 | | 13-14 | 95 | | 15-16 | 95 | | 17-18 | 105 |

Print this out. Stick it in your bag. Most leagues enforce these limits, but it's still your job to know them.

Why These Numbers?

These aren't arbitrary. They're based on decades of research measuring the forces on young elbows and shoulders during pitching.

The American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI) has conducted thousands of biomechanical analyses on pitchers of all ages. Their findings consistently show that cumulative stress — not a single bad pitch — causes most youth arm injuries.

Key research findings:

Olsen et al. (2006): Pitching while fatigued increases injury risk by 36x
Lyman et al. (2002): Connected pitch volume directly to elbow and shoulder pain by age group
Fleisig et al. (1995): Established baseline torque measurements that inform all modern guidelines

The pitch count limits are set conservatively, designed to stop pitchers before they reach fatigue — not after.

The Rest Day Chart

Pitch counts only work if rest is enforced. Here's what Pitch Smart requires:

Ages 7-14: | Pitches | Required Rest | |---------|---------------| | 1-20 | 0 days (can pitch next day) | | 21-35 | 1 day | | 36-50 | 2 days | | 51-65 | 3 days | | 66+ | 4 days |

Ages 15-18: | Pitches | Required Rest | |---------|---------------| | 1-30 | 0 days | | 31-45 | 1 day | | 46-60 | 2 days | | 61-80 | 3 days | | 81+ | 4 days |

This is where tournament weekends get tricky. A 12-year-old who throws 55 pitches on Saturday can't pitch again until Wednesday. Plan accordingly.

What the Charts Don't Tell You

Here's the problem with pitch count charts: they only track game pitches.

But game pitches are only about 12% of what most young pitchers throw in a week.

The other 88% includes:

Bullpen sessions (often 25-40 pitches)
Private lessons (30-60 pitches per session)
Long toss (can exceed game-level arm stress at max distance)
Catching (80-120 throws per game)
Backyard catch (adds up fast)

A player can be "legal" by Pitch Smart standards and still be dangerously overworked.

A Real Example

Let's say your 11-year-old has a game on Saturday. He throws 45 pitches. According to the chart, he needs 2 days rest before pitching again.

But here's what else happened that week:

Tuesday: 30-pitch bullpen
Wednesday: 45-minute pitching lesson (~50 throws)
Thursday: Long toss with travel team (~40 throws)
Friday: Caught 4 innings (~90 throws)

By Saturday, he'd already accumulated significant arm stress before throwing a single game pitch. The 45 pitches in the game pushed him well past safe limits — but the scorebook only showed 45.

The Catcher Complication

Catchers are the forgotten victims of pitch count rules.

A catcher throwing to second base generates about 40-55% of the elbow torque of a pitch. That's not nothing. And catchers do it 80-120 times per game — warm-up throws, returns to the pitcher, throws to bases.

Little League has a specific rule: a player who catches 4+ innings cannot pitch in the same game (and vice versa for certain pitch thresholds). But most rec leagues don't track this at all.

If your kid catches and pitches, you need to be especially vigilant.

How to Actually Use This Information

Know the limits — Keep the chart handy
Track rest days — Don't just count pitches; count days between appearances
Account for everything — Bullpens, lessons, and catching all count
Watch for fatigue — Decreased velocity, dropping arm slot, and complaints about tiredness are warning signs
Communicate across teams — If your kid plays travel and rec, both coaches need to know the full picture

The pitch count chart is your starting point. But protecting your kid's arm requires tracking the whole picture.

Quick Reference: Pitch Count + Rest Day Chart

Ages 7-8: Max 50 pitches/day

1-20 pitches → 0 days rest
21-35 → 1 day
36-50 → 2 days

Ages 9-10: Max 75 pitches/day

1-20 pitches → 0 days rest
21-35 → 1 day
36-50 → 2 days
51-65 → 3 days
66+ → 4 days

Ages 11-12: Max 85 pitches/day

1-20 pitches → 0 days rest
21-35 → 1 day
36-50 → 2 days
51-65 → 3 days
66+ → 4 days

Ages 13-14: Max 95 pitches/day

1-20 pitches → 0 days rest
21-35 → 1 day
36-50 → 2 days
51-65 → 3 days
66+ → 4 days

Ages 15-18: Max 95-105 pitches/day

1-30 pitches → 0 days rest
31-45 → 1 day
46-60 → 2 days
61-80 → 3 days
81+ → 4 days

Stop guessing. Track the data. Try ThrowIQ →

ThrowIQ is not a substitute for medical advice. If your player experiences pain, consult a qualified medical professional.