Pitch count rules by age (Pitch Smart)
Pick an age and enter the pitches thrown in a day, and see the rest Pitch Smart’s guidelines call for. Pitch Smart is MLB and USA Baseball’s guidance for keeping young arms healthy. Your league’s own rule is the one that applies.
By Adelyons Software LLC · Published 2026-10-16
Pitch Smart daily max and rest days by age
The pitch counts that call for each number of days of rest.
| Ages | Daily max | 0 days rest | 1 days rest | 2 days rest | 3 days rest | 4 days rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7-8 | 50 | 1-20 | 21-35 | 36-50 | Not listed | Not listed |
| 9-10 | 75 | 1-20 | 21-35 | 36-50 | 51-65 | 66-75 |
| 11-12 | 85 | 1-20 | 21-35 | 36-50 | 51-65 | 66-85 |
| 13-14 | 95 | 1-20 | 21-35 | 36-50 | 51-65 | 66-95 |
| 15-16 | 95 | 1-30 | 31-45 | 46-60 | 61-75 | 76-95 |
| 17-18 | 105 | 1-30 | 31-45 | 46-60 | 61-80 | 81-105 |
| 19-22 | 120 | 1-30 | 31-45 | 46-60 | 61-80 | 81-105 |
Pitch Smart’s 19-22 table lists rest up to 105 pitches although the daily max is 120, and its 7-8 table stops at the 50-pitch max. Where Pitch Smart gives no figure, this page gives none.
Pitch Smart’s other guidelines
At every age: no pitcher should appear as a pitcher on three consecutive days, should not pitch in more than one game on the same day, and should take time off from pitching every year (at least four months for 18 and under, three for 19 to 22). The yearly innings limits are 60 for 8 and under, 80 for 9 to 12, and 100 for 13 to 18, in any 12 months.
Speed is no reason to pitch more. To see what is typical for an age, see pitching velocity by age.
Questions
- How many pitches can a 12 year old throw?
- Pitch Smart’s daily max for ages 11 and 12 is 85 pitches, with 4 days of rest after 66 or more. For 9 and 10 it is 75.
- How many pitches can a high school pitcher throw?
- Pitch Smart’s daily max is 95 for ages 15 and 16 and 105 for 17 and 18. Many state high school associations set their own limits, and a school team follows its state’s rule.
- Can a pitcher pitch three days in a row?
- No. At every age Pitch Smart says no pitcher should appear as a pitcher on three consecutive days, whatever the pitch counts.
- Are these the rules for my league?
- They are guidelines from MLB and USA Baseball. Leagues, tournaments and state associations set their own rules, which can differ. Your league’s rule is the one that applies.
Measure yours free with Baseball Tracker
Film a pitch, a swing or a run to first on your phone and the app reads the pitch speed, bat speed or sprint speed from the video, keeps every reading, and shows how it changes over a season. The readings are estimates from video, not a radar gun.
More free tools
- Pitching velocity by age: chart and percentilePick an age from 9 to 18, enter a pitch speed, and see the estimated percentile from a published study of 420 pitchers.
- Exit velocity by age: baseball and softball rangesEnter an exit velocity and see where it sits against published average, goal and top-10% ranges for the age.
- Softball pitching speed by age: ranges from 10 to collegeEnter a fastpitch speed and see it against two published sets of ranges for the age.
- Pitch speed converter: mph, km/h and speed by distanceConvert mph and km/h, and turn a speed at 46, 50 or 43 feet into the equivalent speed at 60 feet 6 inches.
Where the numbers come from
Every limit is restated from MLB and USA Baseball’s Pitch Smart pages, read on the date below. Pitch Smart may change them: its pages are the authority.
- MLB and USA Baseball, Pitch Smart pitching guidelines by age (8 and under, 9-12, 13-14, 15-18, 19-22): https://www.mlb.com/pitch-smart/pitching-guidelines. Read on 2026-10-16.