USSSA Baseball pitching rules
These are the USSSA Baseball limits as I read them out of USSSA Baseball National By-Laws & Rules, Edition dated 1 August 2026 — Rule 7.05.B and Chart 7.05.B-1, checked on 2026-09-05. I coach youth baseball and I bought the books, because every summary I could find online disagreed with at least one other summary. Where a figure comes from the rulebook itself, I say so. Where it does not, I say that too.
| Applies to | Limit | Game length |
|---|---|---|
| 7U | 6 innings a day | 6 innings |
| 8U | 6 innings a day | 6 innings |
| 9U | 6 innings a day | 6 innings |
| 10U | 6 innings a day | 6 innings |
| 11U | 6 innings a day | 6 innings |
| 12U | 6 innings a day | 6 innings |
| 13U | 7 innings a day | 7 innings |
| 14U | 7 innings a day | 7 innings |
| 15U-18U | no national limit | 7 innings |
| Chart 7.05.B-1 lists scholastic 15U-18U as unlimited on all three counts. | ||
| Innings thrown | Calendar days of rest |
|---|---|
| 0–3 | none |
| 4 or more | 1 |
The rules that catch people out
- 8 innings in any three days.
- Eight innings across two days in a row owes a day of rest.
- Pitching three days in a row owes a day of rest, however few innings.
- Innings count in thirds — one out is a third of an inning, and a pitcher who records no outs is charged with none.
- Outs recorded in a game that ends in forfeit still count toward the limits.
- Once removed from the mound, a pitcher may not return to pitch in the same game.
Where these numbers come from
Source: USSSA Baseball National By-Laws & Rules, Edition dated 1 August 2026 — Rule 7.05.B and Chart 7.05.B-1, checked 2026-09-05.
Published at: https://www.usssabaseball.org/images/2021/USSSA_National_By-Laws_8-10-2026.pdf
USSSA also runs another program
USSSA's rules are not the same across its programs, and the difference is a real one rather than an oversight on this page: USSSA Fastpitch sets no pitching limit while USSSA Baseball does. If you coach both, expect them to behave differently — because the books do. See USSSA Fastpitch.
Your league may be stricter
Local boards can and do add restrictions on top of the national rule — inning caps, tighter daily limits, time limits. What they cannot do is go the other way. If your league runs tighter than the table above, your league wins.
Even Innings is a planning aid, not a compliance system. It cannot know what happened in a game, and it does not replace your rulebook or your league's own bylaws. Always confirm current-year specifics with your own league.