Dave, some leagues actually do require facemasks on helmets, the one league i do requires them. One night, the league presidents son was hit square in the face with the ball (i was umpiring the bases) and it was a mess. Also I agree with you there. Im thinking of doing ASA or something...Rules get dumber every season

Keep in mind that 90% of all LL rule changes are safety related. No need for them to make sense to us - it does to LL risk mgt & the BOD.

Our local leagues have been using pitch count for three years (Waiver even before the test program). It's easy to do and no one has had any issues. If the local league prefers each team keep the count that's fine. I suggest it's reported to the scorekeeper at the end of each 1/2 inning tp prevent protests.

I believe that it is done this way in the league I umpired. The manager or coach would click off the pitches, and then relay that info to the scorekeeper each inning. That way, all he/she had to do was write down the number, not keep track of every pitch.

As a coach I always counted my pitchers' pitches. I can tell you for 8yo's, around 50 pitches you can see them start struggling. For 9&10yo's, between 60 and 70 pitches and for 11&12yo's, around 80 to 90. Of course, there's always exception to the rule. Now if LL really wanted to implement an effective pitch count, the count would graduate as the season progressed. Start off at 30 the first two weeks, 40 the next two weeks, etc. Where I see the sore arms are usually at the beginning of the season. By the end of the season, most 12yo's don't have too much problem going 80 pitches.

It's all about repetitions. For the kid that throws 80 pitches 3 days a week during the off season is fine. The kid that has to find his glove in the attic and throws 80 pitches the first game of the year is going to have problems.

But how do you legislate that? How do you protect the kids from the win-at-all-cost coaches?

So far as LL is concerned, the kids would be able to thrown the max number of pitches twice in an 7 or 8 day period due to mandatory rest. (Pitch Monday, four days rest get's you to Saturday, then the next Thursday, etc).

clueless coaches are clueless coaches. Parents that allow the kids to pitch in both travel and LL/PONY/BR without sufficient rest between ALL games are clueless.

We can't legislate away stupidity. if we could the world would be a much better place.

Again, LL is waaaay ahead of you guys.


There's no administrative burden. Pitch counts will be held down by the PUs, by widening the strike zone to the approximate size of a Winnebago, thus vastly increasing a) strikeouts caught-looking b) futile swings at pitches in the opposite batter's box. This memo has already gone out to Williamsport, if you hadn't noted.

Either way, arms and careers are saved! :D