Little League International governs youth baseball and softball for millions of players across divisions from Tee Ball through Juniors (ages 4-16). The rules that matter most on game day — pitch count limits, mandatory rest days, the catcher-to-pitcher restriction, minimum play requirements, and substitution rules — are all covered here with the specific numbers coaches need to know.

Three rules cause the most forfeits, protests, and board complaints in Little League:

1. Pitch count rest days. A coach pitches a kid on Tuesday who threw 55 pitches on Saturday and needed two rest days. Game gets protested. Forfeit. Rizzler's rule compliance engine prevents this by tracking every pitch and calculating eligibility automatically.

2. Minimum play. A kid sits on the bench for four innings and the coach forgets to put him in. At the LL level, every rostered player must get at least one at-bat and play six consecutive defensive outs per game. Rizzler's playing time tracking flags players who haven't met the minimum.

3. Catcher-to-pitcher violations. Your catcher catches innings one through four, then you bring him in to pitch in the fifth. That's a violation. Once a player catches four or more innings, they can't pitch that game. Read the full catcher-to-pitcher rule.