IHSA Recommends Pitching Limitations

The IHSA Baseball Advisory Committee met for its regularly scheduled meeting at the IHSA office in Bloomington Tuesday, August 30. The committee’s meeting included a recommendation on pitching limitations. IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee member Dr. Preston Wolin was a guest of the committee and worked with the committee on the recommendation.

“It was really an honor to be a part of this meeting,” said Wolin. “As a veteran of the IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee and a long-time advocate of pitch-count limits, this meeting was not only extremely gratifying, but really historic for the players, parents, coaches, administrators and the Association.”

The recommendation from the committee can be viewed by clicking here (http://www.ihsa.org/documents/ba/2016-17/Pitch%20Count%20Proposal.pdf).

“Illinois has gone above and beyond any other state in the nation,” said Wolin. “Not only by recommending pitch count limits with days of rest in between, but the proposed rules also provide a weekly cap on the number of pitches thrown. The reason this is important is that while many of the models used by other states protect the pitcher, there is a potential for overuse by throwing the pitcher on multiple consecutive days even at the allowable number of pitches.”

The recommendation, which passed with unanimous support from the committee, will now follow normal IHSA protocol. A committee of Athletic Administrators will discuss and vote on the recommendation at their meeting on September 14. The IHSA staff will also discuss and vote on the recommendation in September or October. The recommendation will then be reviewed and voted on by the IHSA Board of Directors at their meeting on October 12. If passed by the Board with a simple majority, the recommendation would become a rule and be applicable for the 2017 IHSA baseball season this spring. The Athletic

Administrators and IHSA staff votes do not have a direct impact on the recommendation, as they simply provide the Board with feedback from two other bodies.

“We need to be respectful of the rules writing process running its course, but today was certainly an important first step,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “We appreciate the passion Dr. Wolin has for the safety of high school baseball pitchers, and thank him for taking the time to participate today. We also commend our committee members for the teamwork they displayed in working together on this important issue.”

All committee member were in attendance at the meeting, including Skokie (Niles North) Athletic Director Brett Bildstein, Aurora (Central Catholic) Athletic Director/Coach Sean Bieterman, Lemont (H.S.) Principal Eric Michaelsen, Metamora Coach Eric Stone, Armstrong Athletic Director/Coach Darren Loschen, Raymond (Lincolnwood) Athletic Director/Coach Joshua Stone and Mascoutah Coach Don Eddy. IHSA Assistant Executive Director and Baseball administrator Sam Knox oversaw the meeting, while Associate Executive Director Kurt Gibson attended on behalf of the IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee.

“I think these recommendations are going to make the game safer and more enjoyable,” said Wolin. “The cooperation of the baseball coaches in coming up with these limits was outstanding. Everyone in that room was committed to the safety of our young pitchers. That dedication is being translated into our pitch count limits in the state of Illinois.”

Illinois High School Association Baseball Pitch Count Guidelines

Recommended by the Baseball Advisory Committee

August 30, 2016

A pitch is defined as a pitch thrown during live competition. Strikes (including all foul balls), balls, balls put in play, and pitches for outs all count in a pitcher’s pitch count.

Warmup pitches, pick off attempts, or other throws by a pitcher after the ball has been put in play do not count in a pitcher’s pitch count.
A pitcher who reaches the pitch count limit in the middle of an at-bat will be allowed to pitch to that batter until that at-bat ends.
Teams must follow all NFHS rules regarding pitching substitution.

If the pitcher is ambidextrous, the pitch count guidelines apply to the individual pitcher, not to the individual arm.

All pitch count guidelines apply to an individual pitcher on a daily basis. For example, a pitcher could pitch in both games of a double header. The total number of pitches the pitcher throws that day will determine the pitcher’s days of rest that must follow the double header.

During the regular season, each team is responsible for counting its own team’s pitches and the opposing team’s pitches. Coaches will compare pitch counts after every even-numbered inning (2nd, 4th, 6th). Teams must keep pitching records of every game they play during the season.

When schools submit their varsity scores to the IHSA through MaxPreps, they must also include their own pitchers’ names and the number of pitches thrown during the game.

During the postseason, each team is responsible for counting its own team’s pitches and the opposing team’s pitches. Coaches will compare pitch counts after every even-numbered inning (2nd, 4th, 6th). In addition, the host school must provide a pitch counter to verify each team’s pitch counts after every even-numbered inning and at the conclusion of the game. The host school will submit the final score, pitchers’ names, and pitch counts through MaxPreps.