The NJSIAA Baseball Committee has submitted its policy on pitch counts for the state, which will take effect this spring.
It will be a “pilot program,” meaning it will stay in place for the 2017 season, but can be altered after review for 2018.
The National Federation of State High School Associations mandated over the summer that each state athletic association form its own pitch count policies by the start of the season. NJSIAA Assistant Director Larry White oversaw a committee of six active coaches, four athletic directors, three umpires and one retired coach.
The policy is as follows:
110 pitches max per outing
1-30 pitches in a game: no rest required
31-50 pitches: one day of rest
51-70 pitches: two days of rest
71-90 pitches: three days of rest
91-110 pitches: 4 days of rest
A pitcher throwing on two consecutive days cannot exceed 50 pitches, according to NV/Demarest athletic director Greg Butler.
However, there is an exception regarding state tournament play if a game is suspended. In that case, a pitcher who has thrown 1-50 pitches will be eligible to throw the next day with the pitch count beginning at the number of pitches thrown in the previous day, with the maximum allotment of 110. A pitcher who throws more then 50 pitches in the initial suspended game would not be eligible to pitch the next day.
A pitcher also cannot throw in three consecutive days.
The next meeting will take place on Dec. 20, when the NJSIAA will determine just who will be responsible for keeping the pitch count, how it will be recorded and create a pitch count form that will be used during the season.
