USSSA pitching limits: innings, not pitch counts
Verified against USSSA state association rules · 17 September 2026
Read this first
USSSA measures pitching in innings and outs, not in pitches. There is no USSSA pitch count. Most coaches meet Little League first, where the limit is a pitch count, and carry that expectation into USSSA. A coach counting pitches at a USSSA tournament is tracking a number the rules do not use — and careful counting does not fix that.
The limits are published by state association, and they differ. California’s own rules page marks its deviations with the note “Items in RED differ from the National Rules”. So the tables below are two states’ published rules, attributed to those states — not a national summary. We have not published one because USSSA does not make a national rulebook publicly available, and inventing a combined table would be a guess wearing a table’s clothes.
Check the association running your event. If their officials say something different from this page, they are right and we are not.
Florida USSSA, as published
| Age division | Maximum in one day |
|---|---|
| 9u–12u | 6 innings (18 outs) |
| 13u–14u | 7 innings (21 outs) |
Rest
- Any pitcher that pitches more than 3 innings (9 outs) in one day must rest the next day.
- You can never pitch more than 3 days in a row.
Across an event: 8u–14u: maximum 8 innings (24 outs) in a 3-day event.
California USSSA, as published
| Age division | Maximum in one day |
|---|---|
| 7U–12U | 6 innings in one day |
| 13U–14U | 7 innings in one day |
Rest
- A player that pitches more than 3 innings in one day MUST rest the next day.
- A player that pitches 8 innings in 2 consecutive days MUST rest the next day.
- A player that pitches 3 consecutive days MUST rest the next day.
Across an event: 7U–14U: maximum 8 innings in 3 consecutive (calendar) days. A player may pitch up to 3 innings in one day and still pitch the next day.
What the two states agree on
Both published tables land in the same place on the parts a coach has to decide in the dugout: 6 innings in a day for the younger divisions, 7 for 13U–14U, 8 innings across three consecutive days, rest owed after more than 3 innings in a day, and no pitcher on the mound three days running.
That agreement is worth knowing and is not worth trusting as a national rule. California publishes a rest trigger Florida does not — 8 innings across two consecutive days — which is exactly the kind of difference that decides whether your Sunday starter is legal.
Common questions
What is the USSSA pitch count limit?
There isn't one. USSSA measures pitching in innings and outs, not in pitches. There is no USSSA pitch count. A pitcher's day is limited by innings pitched — commonly 6 innings for 12u and under and 7 for 13u–14u — and rest is triggered by pitching more than 3 innings in a day. Check your state association for the limits that apply to your tournament.
How many innings can a USSSA pitcher throw in a day?
In both the Florida and California USSSA published rules, 6 innings for the younger divisions (9u/7U through 12U) and 7 innings for 13U–14U. Limits are published by state association and can differ, so confirm with yours.
When does a USSSA pitcher have to rest?
After pitching more than 3 innings in a single day, the pitcher must rest the next day. A pitcher may throw up to 3 innings and still pitch the following day. No pitcher may pitch more than 3 consecutive days.
Are USSSA pitching rules the same in every state?
No. Rules are published by state associations and they differ — California's own rules page marks deviations with the note "Items in RED differ from the National Rules". Always check the association running your event.
Counting it during the game
DugoutOps counts in whatever unit your sanctioning body uses. Pick USSSA and it counts innings and outs; pick Little League and it counts pitches; Perfect Game is counted in outs again. The screen shows the number that governs you, and it carries the rest a previous outing already owes across games and across teams — the part a scorebook cannot see.
- Scoring and pitch counts are free, on every plan
- Limits follow the sanctioning body you pick, not a single hard-coded table
- Rest is tracked across a tournament weekend, not just today's game
Little League runs on pitch counts instead — those limits and rest days are here.