League Pitching Rules

Mustang, Bronco, and Pony Leagues

1. Rule 69: 6 innings per week max for in-house, 9 innings total (W/Travel)

*Week starts on Friday, the normal travel tourney start date

2. Appearances: Max of 3 appearances per week; however 2 is preferred.

3. Rest Rule: If an appearance lasts more than 3 innings, it must be followed by…

a. at least 3 days rest (no game pitching appearances) or

b. at least 1 day rest with a 2 inning limit on that appearance, then followed by at least 3 days rest (no appearances)

ex: travel pitcher throws 5 innings Friday, comes in for 2 inning save on Sunday, cannot throw until Thursday

4. Reporting: Each Monday during the in-house season, travel coaches will report the number of innings a pitcher has thrown over the weekend to the League Director. This will serve as the official record. In-house coaches can check with the director at any time to determine a player’s eligibility to pitch in an in-house game.

5. Challenges: If an opposing in-house coach suspects a violation of this rule, they should immediately question the player’s coach and/or notify the League Director. If accurate, the pitcher must be removed from the mound immediately to another position or out of the game. The first occurrence will result in a warning. A second occurrence during the season will result in forfeiture of the game. All violations must be reported to the League Director who will maintain the official record.

The magic numbers seem to be 30 & 85. Generally speaking a player throwing 2 innings will be around 30 pitches. Research will indicate that anything over around 30 pitches will require a full allotment of recovery time (3-5 days). So for our practical use, a pitcher throwing more than 2 innings should require 3-5 days rest between outings. A pitcher throwing 5-6 innings will be around 85 pitches. Orthopedic doctors would prefer a young man not throw over 85 pitches per outing.

Lets continue to be very intelligent on when our Shortstop & Catcher pitches, where they play after they throw, and how much rest they actually receive.