Will this become a trend among state Athletic Associations? The current rule is similar to NM: players cannot pitch more than 12 innings over three consecutive days, and their regular seasons are capped at 70 innings.
I don't think arm abuse is prevalent among the HS programs (although you hear about a situation here and there), but I sure hate to see the Athletic Associations micro-managing with Little League rules like this.
What do y'all think?
----------
Colorado has created a new rule for high school baseball pitchers in an attempt to minimize debilitating injuries.
This week, the Colorado High School Athletics Association established a 110-pitch cap along with required days of rest for pitchers with prolonged outings. The change will go into effect beginning with the 2016 season.
From the Coloradan:
Rest days will be determined by the number of pitches thrown in a game:
•For one to 35 pitches, no days off are required.
• For 36 to 60 pitches, one day of rest is required.
• For 61 to 85 pitches, two days are required.
• If a pitcher throws 86 to 110 times in a game, he's required to take three days off.
• The maximum amount of pitches allowed is 110.
Additionally, no pitcher may throw more than 60 pitches over a two-day span. If they hit 60 pitches in two days, one day of rest is required.
"Pitch count makes more sense than innings, there's no question about it," said Scott Bullock, coach of the defending Class 5A champion Rocky Mountain baseball team. "Teams won't be able to use just two starting pitchers. As a varsity baseball team, you should be developing three starters. Teams that have survived with two starters won't be able to do that again."
Pitching injuries have become more problematic in recent years, and high pitch counts are often viewed as the culprit. Dr. James Andrews, a renowned orthopedic surgeon who has conducted a number of Tommy John operations, even helped create an app last year to assist coaches in tracking pitch counts and recommend days of rest.
This new rule could go a long way in keeping pitchers healthy, but you have to imagine it's also going to have an effect on the field. Batters might be more inclined to take pitches, while coaches will undoubtedly be more careful about when and how they use their best arms.
As the Coloradoan notes, the current rule is players cannot pitch more than 12 innings over three consecutive days, and their regular seasons are capped at 70 innings.
Colorado placing pitch limits on high school pitch
I don't think arm abuse is prevalent among the HS programs (although you hear about a situation here and there), but I sure hate to see the Athletic Associations micro-managing with Little League rules like this.
What do y'all think?
----------
Colorado has created a new rule for high school baseball pitchers in an attempt to minimize debilitating injuries.
This week, the Colorado High School Athletics Association established a 110-pitch cap along with required days of rest for pitchers with prolonged outings. The change will go into effect beginning with the 2016 season.
From the Coloradan:
Rest days will be determined by the number of pitches thrown in a game:
•For one to 35 pitches, no days off are required.
• For 36 to 60 pitches, one day of rest is required.
• For 61 to 85 pitches, two days are required.
• If a pitcher throws 86 to 110 times in a game, he's required to take three days off.
• The maximum amount of pitches allowed is 110.
Additionally, no pitcher may throw more than 60 pitches over a two-day span. If they hit 60 pitches in two days, one day of rest is required.
"Pitch count makes more sense than innings, there's no question about it," said Scott Bullock, coach of the defending Class 5A champion Rocky Mountain baseball team. "Teams won't be able to use just two starting pitchers. As a varsity baseball team, you should be developing three starters. Teams that have survived with two starters won't be able to do that again."
Pitching injuries have become more problematic in recent years, and high pitch counts are often viewed as the culprit. Dr. James Andrews, a renowned orthopedic surgeon who has conducted a number of Tommy John operations, even helped create an app last year to assist coaches in tracking pitch counts and recommend days of rest.
This new rule could go a long way in keeping pitchers healthy, but you have to imagine it's also going to have an effect on the field. Batters might be more inclined to take pitches, while coaches will undoubtedly be more careful about when and how they use their best arms.
As the Coloradoan notes, the current rule is players cannot pitch more than 12 innings over three consecutive days, and their regular seasons are capped at 70 innings.
Colorado placing pitch limits on high school pitch
