Rules

Little League Rest Day Requirements — Pitch Count Rest Rules

Little League Rest Day Requirements

Little League requires mandatory rest days for pitchers based on how many pitches they throw in a game. A pitcher who throws 1-20 pitches can pitch again the next day with zero rest. A pitcher who throws 66 or more pitches must rest 4 full calendar days before pitching again. Violating rest day rules can result in a game forfeit.

Rest Day Chart (Ages 7-16)

Pitches Thrown in a Day	Required Rest Days
1-20	0 days (eligible the next calendar day)
21-35	1 calendar day
36-50	2 calendar days
51-65	3 calendar days
66+	4 calendar days

"Calendar days" means full days of rest — not hours. If a pitcher throws 70 pitches on Monday, the rest days are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The earliest they can pitch again is Saturday.

How to Count Rest Days

Rest days start the day AFTER the pitching appearance. This is the single most confusing part of the rule, and the reason most violations happen.

Example: Tyler throws 55 pitches on Tuesday. He needs 3 rest days.

Wednesday = rest day 1
Thursday = rest day 2
Friday = rest day 3
Saturday = eligible to pitch

Tuesday is NOT a rest day — it's the pitching day. Coaches who count Tuesday as "day 1" think the pitcher is available on Friday. He's not.

Example: Sarah throws 42 pitches on Saturday morning. She needs 2 rest days.

Sunday = rest day 1
Monday = rest day 2
Tuesday = eligible to pitch

Example: Jake throws 18 pitches in relief on Thursday. He needs 0 rest days. He can pitch again on Friday.

Rest Days in Doubleheaders

If a pitcher throws in both games of a doubleheader (same calendar day), the rest calculation is based on the TOTAL pitches thrown across both games. Not the higher single-game number — the sum.

Example: A 12-year-old pitcher throws 30 pitches in game one and 25 pitches in game two on Saturday. Total = 55 pitches. Rest requirement: 3 calendar days (51-65 range). Eligible again on Wednesday.

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Rest Days During Tournament Weekends

Tournament scheduling makes rest day management critical. A three-game Saturday-Sunday tournament requires careful pitching planning because rest days carry across days.

Tournament Scenario	Pitches Saturday	Rest Needed	Available Sunday?
Light start	35	1 day	❌ No (Sunday is rest day 1)
Moderate start	50	2 days	❌ No
Relief appearance	20	0 days	✅ Yes
Full start	75	4 days	❌ No

This is why coaches need to think about Sunday's pitching before Saturday's first game. Rizzler's tournament planner handles this automatically — showing who's available for each game based on pitch count data from earlier in the tournament.

Common Violations and How to Prevent Them

Violation 1: Miscounting rest days. Count from the day after pitching, not the pitching day itself. Use Rizzler's rule compliance system instead of manual counting.

Violation 2: Forgetting doubleheader accumulation. Pitches add up across all games on the same calendar day.

Violation 3: Losing track during a busy week. Tuesday league game, Thursday practice scrimmage, Saturday tournament — did Tuesday's pitcher clear rest in time? Track everything in Rizzler's schedule and the app calculates eligibility automatically.

Violation 4: Not communicating with other coaches. In all-star season, a player might pitch for their regular-season team and their all-star team in the same week. Both coaches need to know the total pitch count. Rizzler tracks per player, regardless of which team context the pitches were thrown in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do rain-out days count as rest days?

Yes. Rest days are calendar days. If a game is rained out during the rest period, that day still counts toward the rest requirement.

Can a pitcher play other positions during rest days?

Yes. Rest day restrictions apply only to pitching. A pitcher on rest can catch, play infield/outfield, bat, and participate normally.

What if a pitcher finishes an at-bat and goes over the threshold?

The pitcher may finish the current at-bat. The rest day calculation uses the total pitches thrown, including the final at-bat. If finishing the at-bat pushes them from 64 to 68 pitches, rest is based on 68 (4 days).

Who is responsible for tracking rest days?

The team manager is responsible. The league should also verify pitcher eligibility before each game using reported pitch counts from previous games. Rizzler's pitch count tracking and rule compliance make this automatic.

Can a local league change the rest day requirements?

Local leagues can adopt stricter requirements but cannot relax the Little League standard. Always check with your local league for modifications.

Rizzler calculates rest days automatically from pitch count data. Sign up free and stop counting calendar days by hand.