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Tournament Planning for 12U Baseball
Tournament Planning for 12U Baseball
12U is the most competitive division in Little League and the age where tournament planning separates prepared coaches from scrambling ones. With an 85-pitch daily limit, mandatory rest days, and the catcher-to-pitcher rule, every pitching decision on Saturday morning echoes through Sunday's bracket games.
The 12U Tournament Landscape
At 12U, you're coaching kids who can throw with velocity and movement. Your ace might pitch a complete game in 75 pitches — but that locks him out for the weekend. Your middle-of-the-rotation arm might need 60 pitches to get through three innings. The gap between your best pitcher and your sixth pitcher is wider than at any younger age, which makes planning critical.
A typical 12U tournament: three pool games Saturday, bracket play Sunday. Some formats add a Friday night game. Championship-level tournaments run Saturday through Monday.
Pitching Plan: Saturday to Sunday
The fundamental question for 12U tournament planning: do you use your ace on Saturday to guarantee advancement, or save him for Sunday's bracket games?
Strategy A: Ace on Saturday, depth on Sunday. Use your best pitcher in Saturday's first game. Limit him to 50-60 pitches. He triggers 2-3 rest days and is unavailable Sunday. Your Sunday pitching comes from your 3rd-5th best arms — fresh but less dominant.
Strategy B: Save the ace for bracket play. Use your 2nd and 3rd pitchers Saturday. Your ace is fully rested for Sunday's first bracket game. Risk: you might not advance if your Saturday pitching isn't strong enough.
Strategy C (recommended): The 40-pitch ace. Start your ace on Saturday, pull him after 35-40 pitches regardless of how he's doing. At 35 pitches, he needs only 1 rest day — available again on Sunday with a fresh arm. Use two relievers to finish Saturday's first game, and your ace anchors Sunday.
| Strategy | Ace Pitches Saturday | Ace Available Sunday? | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| A: Full start | 60-75 | ❌ No | Sunday arms might not hold up |
| B: Save entirely | 0 | ✅ Yes (full rest) | Saturday pitching may not advance you |
| C: Short start | 35-40 | ✅ Yes (1 rest day) | Pulling your ace early Saturday |
Managing the Catcher-Pitcher Overlap
At 12U, your best athlete is probably both your best catcher and your best pitcher. The catcher-to-pitcher rule means if he catches 4+ innings, he can't pitch that day. In a tournament, plan who catches which games in advance:
- Saturday game 1: Your catcher/pitcher catches innings 1-3, then moves to another position. He catches 3 innings (under the 4-inning threshold) and remains eligible to pitch later.
- Saturday game 2: He either pitches (if you're using the 40-pitch ace strategy) or catches again — but not both in the same game if you exceed thresholds.
- Sunday: If he didn't catch 4+ innings in any Saturday game and he's rested from pitching, he's fully available for both roles.
Rest Day Math Across the Weekend
| Pitches Saturday | Rest Days | Available Sunday? | Available Monday? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-20 | 0 | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| 21-35 | 1 | ✅ Yes (if pitched Sat AM) | ✅ Yes |
| 36-50 | 2 | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| 51-65 | 3 | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| 66-85 | 4 | ❌ No | ❌ No |
The sweet spot for Saturday pitchers you want available Sunday: stay at or below 35 pitches (1 rest day) or under 20 (0 rest days).
Using Rizzler for 12U Tournament Planning
Rizzler's tournament planning tool maps this automatically. Enter all tournament games, assign your pitching staff, and the tool shows you who's available for every game based on pitch counts and rest rules. After each game, update the actual pitch counts and the availability grid recalculates.
The tool integrates with pitch count tracking — if you score the game in Rizzler, pitch counts feed into the tournament plan automatically. No manual updates between games.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many pitchers should I prepare for a 12U tournament?
Eight minimum. Ten is ideal. Even if you only use 6, having backups ready prevents panic when someone has a bad outing or triggers unexpected rest days.
What if my ace throws more pitches than planned?
Adjust the rest of the weekend. If the plan was 40 pitches and he threw 55, he's now on 3 rest days instead of 2. Rizzler recalculates your Sunday plan automatically.
Should I pitch differently in pool play vs. bracket play?
Yes. Pool play is for managing workload and setting up bracket play. Bracket play is for competing with your best available arms. Learn more about tournament pitching strategy.
How does the tournament checklist help?
The checklist covers everything beyond pitching — lineup planning, equipment, snacks, field assignments, and logistics. At 12U, tournament preparation is as much about organization as strategy.
Plan your 12U tournament with Rizzler. Sign up free and map out your entire weekend before game one.
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