Arm safety
How many pitches can a kid throw?
A 9–10 year old can throw up to 75 pitches in a day, an 11–12 year old up to 85, and a 13–14 year old up to 95 — then must rest for up to 4 days depending on how many they threw. These are MLB and USA Baseball’s Pitch Smart guidelines, and they’re what Ramp Up Athlete uses every day.
Updated October 21, 2026
Daily pitch limits by age
| Age | Most pitches in a day |
|---|---|
| 7–8 | 50 |
| 9–10 | 75 |
| 11–12 | 85 |
| 13–14 | 95 |
| 15–16 | 95 |
| 17–18 | 105 |
Rest days after pitching
The more pitches thrown, the more days off pitching before the next outing.
| Rest days | Ages 7–14 | Ages 15–16 | Ages 17–18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1–20 pitches | 1–30 | 1–30 |
| 1 | 21–35 | 31–45 | 31–45 |
| 2 | 36–50 | 46–60 | 46–60 |
| 3 | 51–65 | 61–75 | 61–80 |
| 4 | 66 or more | 76 or more | 81 or more |
What else the app checks
- Your league’s rules. Little League, PONY, Cal Ripken / Babe Ruth, USSSA and Perfect Game have their own limits. Add your leagues and the app uses the strictest answer, including catcher rules (for example, catching 4 or more innings means no pitching that day in Little League).
- Back-to-back days. Players 14 and under get a warning after pitching yesterday.
- Innings in a year. A warning above 60 innings (8 and under), 80 (9–12) or 100 (13 and older) in the last 12 months.
- Sudden jumps in throwing. A warning when this week’s throws are well above a usual week, and a stop when they’re more than 1.5× (all throws, not just pitches).
- Breaking balls. A caution when more than 1 in 5 pitches in a month were breaking balls for players 14 and under. This is our own conservative rule.
- Growth spurts. A caution when height jumps more than about 2¾ inches in a year.
- Pain. A logged elbow or shoulder injury stops pitching until a doctor clears it.
Ramp Up Athlete is a planning tool, not medical advice. Pain while throwing — especially in the elbow or shoulder — means stop and see a doctor.
Sources
- MLB / USA Baseball Pitch Smart guidelines
- Little League pitch count rules
- USSSA Baseball · Perfect Game · PONY and Cal Ripken league rule books
League rules change. We re-check them each season; if you see a difference, tell us.