Little League Pitching Rules

By Jeff Moree for YouthPitching.com

Little League baseball is full of different rules and regulations that advanced baseball such as high school or college do not follow. The purpose of these rules is to protect the health of the young players involved in Little League.

One of these rules is that players are not allowed to wear metal cleats until the age of 13. Instead, young players must resort to molded plastic or rubber spikes. These spikes are definitely safer than metal cleats, but they don't allow for as good of traction as metal cleats do.

Another rule that protects the health of Little League pitchers is the shortened pitching distance. Older players pitch from 60 feet, while Little Leaguers pitch from 46 feet and eventually 52 feet. This shortened distance is meant to protect young pitchers from trying to pitch from too far away.

In 2007, a new rule was implemented into Little League baseball. This new rule changed the pitching limits and rest time for Little League pitchers. Previously, the pitching rules were based on how many innings a pitcher pitched. The new rules change the inning limit to a pitch count limit. The number of days rest a pitcher needs is not determined by how many pitches they throw on a given day.

Little League pitching rules are constantly changing as more research is done on the health of younger players. To find the most up to date rules, contact your league administrator.