Nothing ends a young baseball journey faster than a sore arm that nobody took seriously. At Bases Loaded, pitcher safety is not a policy document — it is counted, out loud, every single game.
Pitch counts are law. Under-13s throw a maximum of 50 pitches per outing, under-15s 65, and under-18s 80. Hit the number mid-batter and you finish the batter, then you are done — no exceptions, no matter the score.
Rest is training. Two days' rest follows any outing over 35 pitches, and every pitcher gets one full month with no competitive throwing each year. Our coaches track it on shared sheets, so moving between squads never resets the count.
“A tired young arm whispers before it shouts. Drops in velocity, a sore shoulder the next morning, a changed throwing motion — tell us at the whisper stage.”
Parents, watch for this: rubbing the elbow between innings, wincing on follow-through, or asking for extra-strength pain relief after games. Any of those means a week off and a chat with our welfare officer — never a telling-off.
Curveballs wait until under-15s, weighted balls are banned across all junior squads, and winter training is mechanics-only. Arms are for careers, not for one August.