Jill Lamontagne is a whole-person wellness advocate and youth sports leader based in Kennebunk, Maine. With a dual background in health sciences and special education law, she currently serves as Assistant Supervisor of Adult Case Management at Waypoint, where she oversees client-centered service delivery and wellness planning. A former high school health educator and active coach in youth softball, basketball, and field hockey, Jill brings both clinical insight and real-world coaching experience to the conversation on player safety. Her holistic approach to youth development and injury prevention makes her a trusted voice on maintaining athlete well-being in growing sports like softball.
Softball and baseball are two of America’s most popular youth sports. In 2023, nearly 25.5 million individuals played baseball or softball. Together, the sports enjoyed a 7.6 percent year-over-year participation increase—larger than those of basketball and football—according to the World Baseball Softball Confederation.
As the sports continue to grow in popularity among American youth, coaches and other leaders must look after player safety. In softball, this includes adhering to recommended pitch count guidelines.
The pitch count in softball is very simple, but it has serious implications on player health. The pitch count is a running total of the pitches a single player has delivered during a game and, in some cases, the amount of pitches they have delivered over multiple games in the same week.
The purpose of observing the pitch count is to preserve the health of a player’s arm and minimize the risk of injury. Following pitch count guidelines also prevents coaches from placing all of a team’s pitching responsibilities on a single player.
In the United States, softball pitch count rules are governed by Little League. The organization has researched and experimented with arm safety programs for nearly two decades, dating back to Little League’s initial pitch count program in 2006. Little League has also partnered with Major League Baseball and USA Baseball to support the Pitch Smart campaign, which provides additional insights into pitch counts and rest periods for pitchers.
Youth baseball manages pitch count guidelines separate from those of softball. Little League pitchers and coaches are subject to a hard pitch count. A player between the ages of 6 and 8, for instance, cannot throw more than 50 pitches in a single day, while a 16-year-old pitcher can deliver 95 pitches per day, daily rest thresholds notwithstanding.
For instance, if a 14-year-old pitcher delivers 66 or more pitches in one game, they must complete four calendar days of rest before they can pitch again, but they can pitch the very next day if they do not exceed 20 pitches in a game.
Pitch count rules in softball are especially important because players use the windmill pitch, which requires a complex blend of arm and shoulder coordination, mobility, and strength. (Little League does not mandate hard pitch count rules for fastpitch softball pitchers, though several related rules have been installed.)
To begin, players aged 12 and over cannot pitch in Minor League softball games, while players aged 15 and older may be barred by a local league board from pitching in the junior division. An eligible pitcher can complete 12 innings in a single day. Anytime a pitcher exceeds six innings pitched, that player must complete at least one day of rest before they can pitch again.
For these rules, a single pitch equates to having pitched in an inning. In Junior/Senior League Softball, pitchers are not governed by any pitch count or rest rules, despite softball players experiencing injuries at a comparable rate to baseball players. That said, Little League permits local districts and boards of directors to introduce expanded pitching rules during regular season and interleague play.
Youth softball coaches should perform independent research regarding softball pitch counts. For example, Dale J. Buchberger has developed a system similar to Little League, with pitchers aged 13–14 limited to 80 pitches per game.
Managing pitch count can help mitigate overuse and other injuries, such as rotator cuff tears and anterior shoulder strains.