Kingston Youth Baseball & Softball Association

Cal Ripken Baseball allows local leagues the option to use a pitch count during league games. Kingston Cal Ripken has adopted the recommendations from the Pitch Smart guidelines. Pitch Smart offers a series of practical, age-appropriate guidelines to help parents, players and coaches avoid overuse injuries and foster long, healthy careers for youth pitchers.

Pitch Smart Recommendations

		Required Rest (Pitches)
Age	Daily Max	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+

* Kingston's Cal Ripken Rookies (7/8) division is coach pitch. These pitch counts apply to 7-8 yr olds playing up or those ready to pitch towards the end of the Rookies season.

** Kingston Cal Ripken Baseball Majors (11/12) - A maximum of 6 innings per week or 85 pitches, whichever comes first. Same rest days noted above still apply.

Pitch Smart General Guidelines

Focus on athleticism, physical fitness, and fun
Focus on learning baseball rules, general techniques, and teamwork
Do not exceed 60 (ages 7-8) or 80 (ages 9-12) combined innings pitched in any 12 month period
Take at least 4 months off from throwing every year, with at least 2-3 of those months being continuous
Make sure to properly warm up before pitching
Set and follow pitch-count limits and required rest periods
Avoid throwing pitches other than fastballs and change-ups
Avoid playing for multiple teams at the same time
Avoid playing catcher while not pitching
Avoid pitching in multiple games on the same day
Play other sports during the course of the year
Monitor for other signs of fatigue
Pitchers once removed from the mound may not return as pitchers

Ages 7-8 (Typically 46' Pitching Distance)
Ages 9-12 (Typically 46-50' Pitching Distance)

USA Baseball and MLB team up to help young players reduce arm injuries by providing a comprehensive resource for safe pitching practices. Baseball is a safe game to play at all ages, but research has shown that pitching too much — particularly at a young age — can increase a pitcher's risk of injury. For more information, explore Pitch Smart.

Kingston Cal Ripken Interleague Play

For Baseball Minor and Major divisons, a pitcher may only pitch 2 innings per game.

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