Sponsorship
Opportunities

Sponsored Links
Flush Baseball
Cherokee Batting Range
Georgia Stars
Georgia Jackets
Forsyth Grizzlies - Georgia Octane
Georgia Travel Baseball - NWBA Links
To Indexes

Cooperstown
Tournaments
Join NWBA Team Insurance
Georgia Travel Baseball - NWBA
Home | Profile | Register | Active Topics | Search | FAQ
Username:
Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

 All Forums
 NWBA Forums
 General Discussion
 USSSA Pitch Counts
 New Topic  Reply to Topic
 Printer Friendly
Next Page
Author Previous Topic Topic Next Topic
Page: of 3

12uCoach

357 Posts

Posted - 09/03/2015 :  10:14:56  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Maybe I missed another thread, or maybe not many people noticed that there was a 9/1/2015 set of rules on the GA USSSA site. The most interesting section start:
7.08.H (Effective as of 1/1/2016) - For the purpose of the Pitch Count rules.

For 7U-12U, more than 20 in a day and you have to rest. 30 pitches for the older groups.

Too few? Just right? Not sure how teams with kids throwing 100+ pitches in a day will adapt.

turntwo

955 Posts

Posted - 09/03/2015 :  10:47:36  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by 12uCoach

Maybe I missed another thread, or maybe not many people noticed that there was a 9/1/2015 set of rules on the GA USSSA site. The most interesting section start:
7.08.H (Effective as of 1/1/2016) - For the purpose of the Pitch Count rules.

For 7U-12U, more than 20 in a day and you have to rest. 30 pitches for the older groups.

Too few? Just right? Not sure how teams with kids throwing 100+ pitches in a day will adapt.



Policing that will be a nightmare. Is that for tournament or league games? USSSA has leagues too.
Go to Top of Page

12uCoach

357 Posts

Posted - 09/03/2015 :  11:04:05  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
All games. Section 7.08 is the Pitcher, 7.08 H was Innings Pitched.

Can you imagine the argument at the end of the game if the home team is responsible for pitch counts, and we disagree about 20 or 21?
Earlier this year we had an opponent at 60+, and other coach found out parent wasn't count foul balls.
Go to Top of Page

turntwo

955 Posts

Posted - 09/03/2015 :  11:12:55  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Just saw, it was for any/all games. WOW. Best marking tool EVER for TbS, TC, and PG. I don't see USSSA being as popular this year. I mean, 21 pitches isn't a ton for 12U is it? Yet a day rest? Seems overly-excessive. I like the 'Max' per day. But geez, they went overboard.
Go to Top of Page

CaCO3Girl

1989 Posts

Posted - 09/03/2015 :  11:49:00  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Sorry, I like it. I'm glad someone is finally doing something by a pitch count! USSSA caters to under 12u and that inning stuff is a joke! Kid A throws 6 innings and he might be at 80 pitches, Kid B throws 6 innings and he might be at 130 pitches!

At least with this USSSA is saying if you need your ace to close out a game so you can win your pool play we will let him throw one inning, maybe an inning and a half, but you can't have your ace do three innings on Saturday and then another 3 innings on Sunday, that just isn't the safest way to do things and we want to protect youth pitchers.

Good job protecting the kids USSSA!
Go to Top of Page

hangwiffem

69 Posts

Posted - 09/03/2015 :  13:14:00  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I like it too, but for 9U teams playing two games on day 1, there will be teams having to forfeit bracket games, because there won't be anyone left eligible to pitch. 40 pitches in day would be about right; 20 pitches far too low. Or, games may only be 3 innings max with all of the mid-inning pitching changes taking place before the 20 pitch limit hits.

Edited by - hangwiffem on 09/03/2015 14:06:59
Go to Top of Page

CaCO3Girl

1989 Posts

Posted - 09/03/2015 :  14:42:18  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by hangwiffem

I like it too, but for 9U teams playing two games on day 1, there will be teams having to forfeit bracket games, because there won't be anyone left eligible to pitch. 40 pitches in day would be about right; 20 pitches far too low. Or, games may only be 3 innings max with all of the mid-inning pitching changes taking place before the 20 pitch limit hits.



Hangwiffem, I think you misapplied the rules. Let's say you are a 9u team with 10 kids. At that age at least 7 of your kids should be pitching, just don't plan on using the same kid on Saturday and Sunday. The rules say after 20 the kid needs to rest, it didn't say that one kid couldn't pitch 4 innings on Saturday, it just says he can't do that and then pitch again on Sunday.

Sound more reasonable?
Go to Top of Page

bfriendly

376 Posts

Posted - 09/03/2015 :  22:03:53  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by CaCO3Girl

quote:
Originally posted by hangwiffem

I like it too, but for 9U teams playing two games on day 1, there will be teams having to forfeit bracket games, because there won't be anyone left eligible to pitch. 40 pitches in day would be about right; 20 pitches far too low. Or, games may only be 3 innings max with all of the mid-inning pitching changes taking place before the 20 pitch limit hits.



Hangwiffem, I think you misapplied the rules. Let's say you are a 9u team with 10 kids. At that age at least 7 of your kids should be pitching, just don't plan on using the same kid on Saturday and Sunday. The rules say after 20 the kid needs to rest, it didn't say that one kid couldn't pitch 4 innings on Saturday, it just says he can't do that and then pitch again on Sunday.

Sound more reasonable?



Why do things sound so much better when they come from you

I do think it will show how deep pitching staffs are. Seems kind of low, but then again, I'll hang wiffem. Besides, I think we got a bunch of pitchers
Go to Top of Page

jje1

14 Posts

Posted - 09/04/2015 :  12:16:47  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Great thread! I agree that we must protect the players arms, but 20 pitches seem low to me. A 30-40 pitch/Three inning rule sounds reasonable to me.
Go to Top of Page

CaCO3Girl

1989 Posts

Posted - 09/04/2015 :  13:38:38  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
What kills me is all along everyone has said I follow the ASMI guidelines I don't over pitch my players arms, I protect my pitchers...etc....but in reality I guess coaches were following the pitch count max rule per day, not the actual guidelines.

Newsflash! The American Sports Medicine Institute has had pitch count recommendations to protect youth arms for years!!!! Part of those rules have always been that for 14u and under if a player pitches more than 20 pitches in one day he requires 1 day of rest, after 35 it's two days. http://www.asmi.org/research.php?page=research§ion=positionStatement

Double Newsflash, MLB and PG have teamed up and support the Pitch Smart guidelines. In those guidelines it says that for 14u and under if a player pitches more than 20 pitches in one day he requires 1 day of rest, after 35 it's two days. http://m.mlb.com/pitchsmart/pitching-guidelines/


Not to be all broken record here but how the heck are you coaches pitching these children that these rules seem like they are too strict? Please give me examples of why out of a team of 10+ children these "new" rules will affect what you are currently doing in a tourney.
Go to Top of Page

3sondad

220 Posts

Posted - 09/04/2015 :  14:07:32  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
http://www.gausssabaseball.com/images/uploads/pdffiles/2016_Rule_Book.pdf

Any word if TC and PG are going to take this into consideration?
Go to Top of Page

turntwo

955 Posts

Posted - 09/04/2015 :  15:14:40  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by CaCO3Girl

Please give me examples of why out of a team of 10+ children these "new" rules will affect what you are currently doing in a tourney.



Pool Play Saturday (2 games), with 1 bracket game Saturday evening... Then as many as 3-4 bracket games on Sunday. Average innings per game: 4. Maximum number of innings: 24-28 innings (if you make the 'ship). For 12U and under, what a 'decent' pitch count number, per inning? 15? 12? 10? Obviously sub-10 is GREAT, but doesn't happen often. So, let's take 12 pitch innings (ALL of them).

3 Games on Saturday, 12 innings. IF you want ALL your kids available on Sunday to pitch, you need 12 players throwing ONE inning each (once they get to 21 pitches, they can't pitch on Sunday). Oh wait, are there a lot of teams at 9, 10, 11U that have 12 kids? Nope. So, if you don't have 12 kids, at least one kid will not be able to pitch on Sunday, because he threw 2 innings (24 pitches). If your pitchers are this proficient, you'll be playing more than 4 innings per game as well... So that makes fewer and fewer available on Sunday. If ALL 3 games go 6 innings Saturday, You might as well hope to have 3 complete games, to have 8 pitchers ready for Sunday.

Sunday is a completely different ballgame, because everyone can 'rest' through the week, so you have 10 kids that can throw 75 pitches each. Which is have you 12-16 innings on Sunday, 10 kids should be able to manage that, under 75 pitches per.

BUT, this is a 'perfect' scenario. With 20 max (on Saturday), or 45 max (on Friday), that's going to be the golden number. IF a player is having a bad day, or catch isn't blocking up, or framing pitches, or pitcher is getting shelled, 20 can mount up QUICK! If you play 12 innings in a day, you could EASILY use up pitchers and make the ineligible for Sunday.

I could see teams who either don't have the depth, or are out-matched in a tourney, having to forfeit bracket games on Sunday because what they used on Saturday.
Go to Top of Page

Mad1

252 Posts

Posted - 09/04/2015 :  15:34:18  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
We played a 14 open tournament this past weekend and after pool play only had one pitcher that would have been burnt under the new rules, and he threw 41 pitches. Going into Bracket play we had everyone with the exception of the one to pitch under the new rules. It's just gonna take some coaching to get it done. In pool play we very rarely throw someone over 2 innings anyway.

Edited by - Mad1 on 09/04/2015 15:36:39
Go to Top of Page

BREAMKING

323 Posts

Posted - 09/04/2015 :  16:22:45  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I do not coach anymore but we did from 9-12u last four years and four years before that same age group two different set of kids. We never ran out. We pitched everybody on the team. Kids only pitched one game on a weekend. Went until tired or not getting outs or about 50 pitches at start of year and as high as 60-65 towards end of year. I do not think it is good to pitch a kid on Saturday and sunday back to back. Did it cost us some games you bet it did but I felt it was the right way. In the end nobody cares if your the best 12u team or the worst just get better every year. At these ages kids have to play the field also. Those throws count also.
Go to Top of Page

Ryno23

123 Posts

Posted - 09/05/2015 :  13:54:52  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
This is is the first I have heard of this new rule, and I like it for a lot of the same reasons that have already been mentioned. It's going to require coaches to actually develop some of the less talented kids on his team to pitch and not ride their top 2 or 3 arms for 8+ innings every weekend! If you truly take all of your pitchers and create a pecking order, and truly teach your #4-8 pitchers and allow them to each pitch 2-4 innings in pool play and rely on your stronger pitchers to come in for an inning to close the door in a tight game....while there may be times of struggling against teams you feel like you can beat with your stronger kids on the mound....but what's most important, winning on Saturday or Sunday. I realize that some formats will motivate coaches to use kids in different ways, because a lot of times the top seeds get a bye in bracket play and thus 6 less innings of pitching being burned.

A few things that I see this will effect some games/coaches;

Pitching changes in mid inning once we get to 20 pitches, thus eating more clock on the ol'dread timer. 3-5 pitching changes a game, 5 minutes for each pitching change...15-25 minutes of game clock ate up....so reality of only playing 4 innings is fairly accurate.

Dispute over pitch count from the home team and visitors.

Kids will still be over pitched, once you get beyond 20 on Saturday why not let Johnny get his 6 innings on Saturday since he can't pitch Sunday!


Go to Top of Page

baldy87

118 Posts

Posted - 09/05/2015 :  17:33:54  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Ryno23

This is is the first I have heard of this new rule, and I like it for a lot of the same reasons that have already been mentioned. It's going to require coaches to actually develop some of the less talented kids on his team to pitch and not ride their top 2 or 3 arms for 8+ innings every weekend! If you truly take all of your pitchers and create a pecking order, and truly teach your #4-8 pitchers and allow them to each pitch 2-4 innings in pool play and rely on your stronger pitchers to come in for an inning to close the door in a tight game....while there may be times of struggling against teams you feel like you can beat with your stronger kids on the mound....but what's most important, winning on Saturday or Sunday. I realize that some formats will motivate coaches to use kids in different ways, because a lot of times the top seeds get a bye in bracket play and thus 6 less innings of pitching being burned.

A few things that I see this will effect some games/coaches;

Pitching changes in mid inning once we get to 20 pitches, thus eating more clock on the ol'dread timer. 3-5 pitching changes a game, 5 minutes for each pitching change...15-25 minutes of game clock ate up....so reality of only playing 4 innings is fairly accurate.

Dispute over pitch count from the home team and visitors.

Kids will still be over pitched, once you get beyond 20 on Saturday why not let Johnny get his 6 innings on Saturday since he can't pitch Sunday!






This one was actually the best post to me. The whole point of travel ball was to get away from the rec league mentality (every kid has to hit once, every kid has to play the field, you can only draft in order, you can't stack a team, you only get x number of hours on the field per week, etc). Now, travel ball organizations are basically stipulating that every kid has to pitch, and the kids who are good at pitching can't pitch too much. It'll lead to a whole 'nother level of arguing about pitch counts, and great point about more misuse of "the clock" in baseball (which is already bad enough as it is). Coaches are going to milk this one greatly. Welcome to 4-inning games - and TONS of arguments. Very good post.
Go to Top of Page

Renegade44

211 Posts

Posted - 09/06/2015 :  08:57:58  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
While probably a good move and necessary, this pitch count is definitely going to be an extreme time clock killer. One would hope usssa extends the game time limits by 15 minutes as well.

1:30 for some ages with 30 minutes of pitching changes would just be laughable. Except for those actually paying to be in the tournament and any out of state teams.
Go to Top of Page

Crazyforbball

391 Posts

Posted - 09/06/2015 :  13:46:51  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I like the idea of a firm pitch count limit to protect the 10 year old kid whose coach and own parents are fine leaving him out there for 100 throws, but 20?! that's a little low don't you think to mandate a DAY of rest? My kid throws 3 buckets of balls in the back yard on an off day just for the heck of it. Maybe the 20 should be more like for 10 and under. A 12 year old usually can make it to 50 in a day without a problem. Imagine the bracket day of a tourney where you play 5 games in a day, and 3 go into extra innings? You could wipe out your entire roster by the end of the 3rd game.. what then? Forfeit? Start adding a line up of PO's for the 11 and 12 U???? Only the teams with THE very best - heat throwing - only strike throwing - guys will ever have a chance to make it to the end.
Go to Top of Page

Newbie BB Mom

141 Posts

Posted - 09/06/2015 :  15:02:45  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by CaCO3Girl


Newsflash! The American Sports Medicine Institute has had pitch count recommendations to protect youth arms for years!!!! Part of those rules have always been that for 14u and under if a player pitches more than 20 pitches in one day he requires 1 day of rest, after 35 it's two days. http://www.asmi.org/research.php?page=research§ion=positionStatement

Double Newsflash, MLB and PG have teamed up and support the Pitch Smart guidelines. In those guidelines it says that for 14u and under if a player pitches more than 20 pitches in one day he requires 1 day of rest, after 35 it's two days. http://m.mlb.com/pitchsmart/pitching-guidelines/



One of ASMI's recommendations is to avoid using radar guns, but the Pitch Smart guidelines say nothing about radar guns. Worse yet, Perfect Game clocks fastballs at every tournament and posts each pitcher's top speed on their profile even when they are only 11 years old!!! What sort of message is that sending?

If Perfect Game really wanted to support ASMI's position statement, they would lose the radar gun at the younger ages.
Go to Top of Page

Crazyforbball

391 Posts

Posted - 09/06/2015 :  20:06:45  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Personally I like the radar gun..my boy always wants to know how fast he throws. (AND as an aside I love how PG sends their own rep. to every game to do the stats.. no errors charged per a disgruntled parent in charge of game changer etc.) Our private pitching coaches have told him no reason not to always throw as hard as he can. As long as proper mechanics (i.e. no TRUE curves till you have hair on your face, no side arms, proper grip on the ball) are always being used and no ridiculous 75 plus throws in innings pitched then no harm in throwing heat. Ironically, if you go to USSSA All American tryouts it's all about velocity! USSSA goes for velocity over accuracy all day long. Even at 10, 11, 12. Bottom line.. as a parent it is YOUR responsibility to know when to pull the plug on your pitcher son. Even if it's the game of his life, even if he is pitching a perfect game, in the 6th inning, if he is at 60 pitches and is 11, it's time to pull him. YOU have to insist he's off the mound. some kids are mature enough to say "I'm done".. others will do what it takes to please Dad, family, coach and "win" it for the team. But when a 12 year old is pitching more throws in a 6 inning game than an MLB player in 9 innings, it's time to pull him, and for coaches who allow it to happen, shame on them.
Go to Top of Page

Newbie BB Mom

141 Posts

Posted - 09/07/2015 :  09:59:51  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Crazyforbball

Personally I like the radar gun..my boy always wants to know how fast he throws.


Of course you do and of course they do. That does not make it good. The ASMI guidelines are put out to protect us from ourselves.
Go to Top of Page

hshuler

1074 Posts

Posted - 09/07/2015 :  11:38:02  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Agree with Newbie here. It's more of a distraction than anything in the younger age groups. Throw a pitch, walk around, kick some imaginary LakePoint dirt and slowly head back towards the rubber while looking up at the board to see how fast i just slung it.

I've seen a 13U kid hit 84 and be 86 at 18U so about average velocity early doesn't guarantee velocity later.

It wouldn't hurt anything to, at a minimum, not post after every pitch until high school.


Edited by - hshuler on 09/07/2015 12:53:44
Go to Top of Page

Crazyforbball

391 Posts

Posted - 09/07/2015 :  20:46:11  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Totally agree with no radar gun after every pitch like at Lakepoint for those under 14! I don't think there are any tournaments that have radar guns for littler guys, are there? I meant at an assessment etc. only to get an accurate read for young kids. But I like it for the big kids for sure. As far as PG and Lakepoint, I don't think they use the gun on the younger groups anyway do they? They don't even play there till 12 or 13 (for now).
Go to Top of Page

Newbie BB Mom

141 Posts

Posted - 09/08/2015 :  09:42:58  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Crazyforbball

Totally agree with no radar gun after every pitch like at Lakepoint for those under 14! I don't think there are any tournaments that have radar guns for littler guys, are there? I meant at an assessment etc. only to get an accurate read for young kids. But I like it for the big kids for sure. As far as PG and Lakepoint, I don't think they use the gun on the younger groups anyway do they? They don't even play there till 12 or 13 (for now).



Perfect Game hosted tournaments at Lakepoint for 11u teams last year and is doing so again this year. And, last year, their staff was using radar guns at those 11u tournaments.
Go to Top of Page

CaCO3Girl

1989 Posts

Posted - 09/08/2015 :  09:55:46  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by turntwo

quote:
Originally posted by CaCO3Girl

Please give me examples of why out of a team of 10+ children these "new" rules will affect what you are currently doing in a tourney.



Pool Play Saturday (2 games), with 1 bracket game Saturday evening... Then as many as 3-4 bracket games on Sunday. Average innings per game: 4. Maximum number of innings: 24-28 innings (if you make the 'ship). For 12U and under, what a 'decent' pitch count number, per inning? 15? 12? 10? Obviously sub-10 is GREAT, but doesn't happen often. So, let's take 12 pitch innings (ALL of them).

3 Games on Saturday, 12 innings. IF you want ALL your kids available on Sunday to pitch, you need 12 players throwing ONE inning each (once they get to 21 pitches, they can't pitch on Sunday). Oh wait, are there a lot of teams at 9, 10, 11U that have 12 kids? Nope. So, if you don't have 12 kids, at least one kid will not be able to pitch on Sunday, because he threw 2 innings (24 pitches). If your pitchers are this proficient, you'll be playing more than 4 innings per game as well... So that makes fewer and fewer available on Sunday. If ALL 3 games go 6 innings Saturday, You might as well hope to have 3 complete games, to have 8 pitchers ready for Sunday.

Sunday is a completely different ballgame, because everyone can 'rest' through the week, so you have 10 kids that can throw 75 pitches each. Which is have you 12-16 innings on Sunday, 10 kids should be able to manage that, under 75 pitches per.

BUT, this is a 'perfect' scenario. With 20 max (on Saturday), or 45 max (on Friday), that's going to be the golden number. IF a player is having a bad day, or catch isn't blocking up, or framing pitches, or pitcher is getting shelled, 20 can mount up QUICK! If you play 12 innings in a day, you could EASILY use up pitchers and make the ineligible for Sunday.

I could see teams who either don't have the depth, or are out-matched in a tourney, having to forfeit bracket games on Sunday because what they used on Saturday.



Since the worst teams usually compete in the Saturday bracket play I find it implausible that they would make it to the 'ship, I also find it unlikely that all games will go to 6 innings since they rarely do at under 12u, but okay let's go with this. 2 pool play games, 4 bracket games, 10 kids.

Pool play 1 = Pitcher#1 pitches 3-4 innings, Pitcher#2 pitches 1 inning, pitcher#3 1 inning.
Pool play 2 = Pitcher#4 pitches 3-4 innings, Pitcher#5 pitches 1 inning, Pitcher#6 pitches 1 inning.
Bracket game1 = Pitcher#7 pitches 3-4 innings, Pitcher#8 pitches 1 inning, Pitcher#2 pitches 1 inning, pitcher#3 pitches 1 inning.
etc...

I'm at three games and I have only "burned" 3 pitchers, and I'm only assuming 8 kids can pitch. I can still get full games out of 5 more pitchers, but I'd rather not use pitchers #2 and #3 again.

At under 12u I don't see why ALL kids aren't pitching. Sure you might have some total duds who can barely get it to the plate but that is what pool play is for, use them there when it doesn't really "count" and let the field do their jobs.

I agree there is a harsh trend to use the same 3 kids as the primary pitchers, this rule should stop that. Good job USSSA!
Go to Top of Page

turntwo

955 Posts

Posted - 09/08/2015 :  10:44:32  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by CaCO3Girl

quote:
Originally posted by turntwo

quote:
Originally posted by CaCO3Girl

Please give me examples of why out of a team of 10+ children these "new" rules will affect what you are currently doing in a tourney.



Pool Play Saturday (2 games), with 1 bracket game Saturday evening... Then as many as 3-4 bracket games on Sunday. Average innings per game: 4. Maximum number of innings: 24-28 innings (if you make the 'ship). For 12U and under, what a 'decent' pitch count number, per inning? 15? 12? 10? Obviously sub-10 is GREAT, but doesn't happen often. So, let's take 12 pitch innings (ALL of them).

3 Games on Saturday, 12 innings. IF you want ALL your kids available on Sunday to pitch, you need 12 players throwing ONE inning each (once they get to 21 pitches, they can't pitch on Sunday). Oh wait, are there a lot of teams at 9, 10, 11U that have 12 kids? Nope. So, if you don't have 12 kids, at least one kid will not be able to pitch on Sunday, because he threw 2 innings (24 pitches). If your pitchers are this proficient, you'll be playing more than 4 innings per game as well... So that makes fewer and fewer available on Sunday. If ALL 3 games go 6 innings Saturday, You might as well hope to have 3 complete games, to have 8 pitchers ready for Sunday.

Sunday is a completely different ballgame, because everyone can 'rest' through the week, so you have 10 kids that can throw 75 pitches each. Which is have you 12-16 innings on Sunday, 10 kids should be able to manage that, under 75 pitches per.

BUT, this is a 'perfect' scenario. With 20 max (on Saturday), or 45 max (on Friday), that's going to be the golden number. IF a player is having a bad day, or catch isn't blocking up, or framing pitches, or pitcher is getting shelled, 20 can mount up QUICK! If you play 12 innings in a day, you could EASILY use up pitchers and make the ineligible for Sunday.

I could see teams who either don't have the depth, or are out-matched in a tourney, having to forfeit bracket games on Sunday because what they used on Saturday.



Since the worst teams usually compete in the Saturday bracket play I find it implausible that they would make it to the 'ship, I also find it unlikely that all games will go to 6 innings since they rarely do at under 12u, but okay let's go with this. 2 pool play games, 4 bracket games, 10 kids.

Pool play 1 = Pitcher#1 pitches 3-4 innings, Pitcher#2 pitches 1 inning, pitcher#3 1 inning.
Pool play 2 = Pitcher#4 pitches 3-4 innings, Pitcher#5 pitches 1 inning, Pitcher#6 pitches 1 inning.
Bracket game1 = Pitcher#7 pitches 3-4 innings, Pitcher#8 pitches 1 inning, Pitcher#2 pitches 1 inning, pitcher#3 pitches 1 inning.
etc...

I'm at three games and I have only "burned" 3 pitchers, and I'm only assuming 8 kids can pitch. I can still get full games out of 5 more pitchers, but I'd rather not use pitchers #2 and #3 again.

At under 12u I don't see why ALL kids aren't pitching. Sure you might have some total duds who can barely get it to the plate but that is what pool play is for, use them there when it doesn't really "count" and let the field do their jobs.

I agree there is a harsh trend to use the same 3 kids as the primary pitchers, this rule should stop that. Good job USSSA!



My example you quoted was 4 inning average per game. Again, god forbid ANY games go over 4... Secondly, and most importantly, what is considered an 'average' pitch count per inning at 8, 9, 10, or even 11U? What's a 'great' pitch count considered? If you have a 9 or 10U team, where EVERY kid can pitch (10-11 kids), and even if every kid ONLY throws 1 inning each on Saturday (2 pool play plus 1 bracket game-- also with USSSA's upper/lower flight brackets, a "lower team" could easily make it to the ship-- in the lower flight), you could STILL burn pitchers. This isn't so much about pitching depth, as it is, pitching proficiency.

At 8U, I've seen a kid throw 5 innings, and his pitch count was 47 pitches. (He couldn't throw the 6th because he had thrown an inning earlier in the tournament (Friday night) where he threw 10 pitches in that inning). VERY proficient. I've also seen, at 10U, a kid throw 25 pitches in one inning-- a walk or two, an error or two, a base hit or two, and the pitches add up in a hurry (except for the walk(s), the pitcher was proficient at throwing strikes, but he was either hit, or his teammates made errors-- regardless his pitch count was up there).

If your team plans on playing 4-6+ games over 2 days, and while you may have plenty that can pitch (you better hope they are all VERY proficient), otherwise, coach is going to have to be a planning fool, and get creative with who pitches when/where.
Go to Top of Page
Page: of 3 Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  
Next Page
 New Topic  Reply to Topic
 Printer Friendly
Jump To:
Georgia Travel Baseball - NWBA © 2000-22 NWBA Go To Top Of Page
Snitz Forums 2000