pitch counts

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Dec 15, 2009
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why doesn't softball have pitch counts like with baseball? becuase the lack of pitch counts, a pitcher i know got tendonitis becuase her coaches just kept throwing her. she was upset because even though she told her coaches all this pitching was getting to be too much, they didn't listen to her.

What do you think? Should there be pitch counts?
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,132
113
Dallas, Texas
I agree that coaches and parents should do more to protect kids from over pitching. A better approach than pitch counts is to count the number of innings a pitcher throws.

Softball isn't baseball, so I'm not big on pitch counts. No one ever counts the 100 to 200 pitches a pitcher throws *BEFORE* the game warming up, so seems a little artificial to start counting pitches only when the pitcher is on the mound.

Additionally, if a player complains about an injury, the coach should *NEVER* throw the child. But, some coaches simply don't care.
 
Feb 3, 2011
1,880
48
In our league and I think it might be true for all of NorCal, there are innings restrictions on pitchers, but I think enforcement is up to each coach. 1 pitch counts as an inning pitched.

I'm very careful with DD's arm, but in our household, her mom gets mad at me for not pitching her enough. Sorry, but there isn't enough 10u glory in the world for me to put her long-term future at risk.

Coaches and parents should play it safe and use common sense in setting limits, because the players are usually going to do whatever we expect them to do.
 
Dec 10, 2010
90
0
A, A
I asked that question one time and the person told me (I think it was a coach that "knew pitching". Under arm motion is natural for a person so there is no way you can get hurt. Overhand isn't natural so they have to make sure to no over use it. I didn't and still don't buy that.

In our league play...the girls can only pitch 6 innings a night (we play double headers) but I think that rule is more for dominance then injury.
 

Ken Krause

Administrator
Admin
May 7, 2008
3,911
113
Mundelein, IL
Anything you do repeatedly is going to cause wear and tear. If that wasn't true, there wouldn't be Carpel-Tunnel Syndrome. With pitching, add that it's a violent movement and you can see how it can cause injury over time.

I know of one pitcher who was a phenom at 10U. Her coach pitched her all the time, to the delight of her parents. In a typical weekend she'd probably throw 6-8 games. Her teams won a lot of games and tournaments. Her mechanics weren't the greatest, but she had a rocket arm and threw hard.

Fast forward a few years and she was still a phenom as a HS freshman. Everyone thought she'd be the dominant pitcher of the area for the next four years. But all that pitching took its toll. She developed shoulder problems and never pitched again. No matter how "natural" it may seem, there's always a cost.

For younger pitchers, I'd say no more than two games (5 innings) in a day, and three in a weekend. Which also gives other kids a chance to pitch as a side bonus.

For older girls, maybe four in a weekend. But then rest a couple of days. For HS pitchers, how about no more than four games in a week, and no double headers unless she's been off a couple of days prior?
 

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