Printable Pitch Count Sheet

What's on the printable pitch count sheet

The weekly sheet gives every day two lines, so a doubleheader, or a game and a bullpen on the same day, each get their own row. Fill in the columns below after every outing, then add up the week at the bottom. The rest rules for his age under the rulebook you picked print right under the grid, so you can work out his rest days without looking anything up. Keep it in the bat bag, or snap a photo after each entry, so it's handy when a coach asks what he threw.

How to fill out the weekly pitch count log

Write down every outing the same day, while the count is fresh: the team, whether it was a game, bullpen, or practice, his pitch count, and any innings he caught. Each day has two lines, so a doubleheader or a game plus a bullpen each get their own row. Use the rest rules printed at the bottom to fill in the rest days and the next day he can pitch. Rest days are full calendar days after the day he pitched, and no pitcher should pitch three days in a row. Total the week at the bottom so you can see the whole picture at a glance.

Example: tracking one weekend across two teams

Say he's 12 and throws 60 pitches for his travel team on Saturday. Under Pitch Smart, 51 to 65 pitches at his age means three days of rest. The day he pitched doesn't count, so Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday are his rest days, and Wednesday is the first day he can pitch again. Now say his league team plays Tuesday night. Their scorebook shows a fresh arm, because none of Saturday's pitches are in it. Your sheet shows he's still resting. That one line is the whole reason to keep a log. When he plays for more than one team, you're the only pitch counter who sees the full picture.

Why one pitch count log should cover every team

Each league counts only its own games. Little League's rules don't include pitches thrown for a travel team, and a travel coach may not know what he threw on Tuesday night. His arm counts all of it. Pitch Smart recommends that young pitchers avoid playing for more than one team at the same time for exactly this reason. One sheet for the whole week, every team, is the simplest way to see the real total. Bring it, or a photo of it, to every game and practice, so each coach can plan around his real week instead of just his own scorebook.

Pitch Smart or Little League: which rules to print

Pick the rules his league plays by. For ages 7 through 16, Pitch Smart and Little League use the same daily maximums and the same rest-day charts. The difference is which age you use. Little League goes by league age, his age on August 31 of the current year, and stops at league age 16. Pitch Smart, the guidelines from MLB and USA Baseball, uses his age and runs through 22, so the weekly log works for high school and college-age pitchers too. High school games follow your state association's pitch count rules, which differ from Pitch Smart and from state to state. Check those for school games, and use Pitch Smart to plan everything else he throws.

Tournament weekend pitch count sheet for coaches

Coaches can print one landscape sheet for the whole staff covering three days, starting on the first day you pick. Each pitcher gets a row with his age, his pitches and innings caught each day, and the next day he can pitch. Type up to 20 names, or leave them blank and write them in. The rest rules for every age group under the rulebook you pick print at the bottom, so nobody has to look them up in the dugout. Pitch Smart says no pitcher should pitch in more than one game in a day or on three days in a row, which is exactly what a three-day weekend tests. Before the first game, ask each family what their son threw earlier in the week, because rest from a Thursday game still applies on Saturday.

What the arm feel column is for

Numbers are only half the log. The last column is for how his arm felt: fine, tired, stiff, or sore. Over a few weeks, that column can show you things a pitch count can't, like an arm that's always tired the day after travel games, or a rough stretch after a week with extra bullpens. Treat his daily max as the most he should ever throw, and plan to stop well short of it. A tired arm is a reason to stop early, whatever the count says. Any arm pain means no throwing until he sees a doctor. Never trade a healthy arm for a number.

Common questions

Is there a free printable pitch count sheet?

Yes. Pick Pitch Smart or Little League rules and his age, then print the weekly log or save it as a PDF. Little League also publishes its own official game-day pitch count form for scorekeepers. This sheet is different: it follows one pitcher across all of his teams for the week.

What should a pitch count sheet include?

Each outing's date, the team or event, whether it was a game, bullpen, or practice, his pitch count, and any innings he caught. Then the rest days that count requires and the first day he can pitch again, plus a note on how his arm felt. This sheet also prints the daily max and rest rules for his age, so the math is right there.

How do you keep track of pitch counts in youth baseball?

Have one adult count every pitch in every game, then write the total on one weekly sheet that same day, whichever team he pitched for. Add bullpens and practice throwing too. Use the rest rules for his age to fill in the next day he can pitch, and share the sheet with each of his coaches before he pitches again.

Do bullpens count toward his pitch count?

Official pitch count limits under Pitch Smart and Little League count game pitches. Bullpens and practice throwing aren't part of those limits, but they're still work for his arm, so write them down with everything else.

How do I track pitch counts across two teams?

Put every outing for every team on one sheet, then total the week. Plan his rest from the real total, not from what one team's book shows. If he pitched for his travel team on the weekend, his school or league coach should know before he pitches again.

How many days of rest does he need after a game?

It depends on his age and how many pitches he threw. For example, a 12 year old who throws 60 pitches needs three days of rest under both Pitch Smart and Little League. The rest rules for his age print at the bottom of the sheet, and the free pitch count calculator works out the exact date he can pitch again.

Can I save the pitch count sheet as a PDF?

Yes. Click Print or Save as PDF, then choose Save as PDF as the destination in the print window. The weekly log prints upright (portrait), and the tournament weekend sheet prints sideways (landscape) so all three days fit across the page.

Does this pitch count log work for high school pitchers?

Yes. Pick Pitch Smart, which covers ages 7 through 22, and his age. High school games follow your state association's pitch count rules, which differ from Pitch Smart, so check those for school games. Pitch Smart's numbers are a sound guide for everything else he throws, like summer ball, showcases, and bullpens.

More pitch count tools and guides

• Pitch Count Calculator: rest days by age
• Wristband Signs Generator
• ERA Calculator
• Pitch counts by age for youth pitchers
• Is it bad to pitch on back-to-back days?
• Should a young pitcher also play catcher?
• How to throw a bullpen as a youth pitcher

The log tracks how much he throws. His delivery plays a big part in what each pitch costs his arm.

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