Pitching and Catcher Guidelines:

Note - It is the goal of Hobgood Baseball that the head coaches work to develop and utilize all players who show interest in pitching during the season.  

A.     Hobgood Baseball enforces the following pitching and catcher guidelines. Managers and coaches failing to follow these guidelines will be suspended or one game, a second offense will result in suspension for the remainder of the season. There are no exceptions.

B.     Any player on a regular season team may pitch. (Note: There is no limit to the number of pitchers a team may use in a game.)

C.     A pitcher once removed from the mound cannot return as a pitcher.

D.     If a pitcher hits 2 batters in the same inning, or 3 players in a game, the head coach of the batting team may petition the umpire to have the pitcher removed for safety issues.  The petition to remove the pitcher shall be made by the head coach of the batting team to the head umpire.  The umpire will enforce this request and the pitching team should put in a new eligible pitcher.

E.      The manager must remove the pitcher when said pitcher reaches the limit for their league as noted in the above table. They may remain in the game but must play another position.

a.      If a pitcher reaches the limit for their league while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to pitch until any one of the following conditions occurs:

i.     That batter reaches base.

ii.     That batter is put out.

iii.     The third out is made to complete the half-inning.

b.      Any player who has played the position of Catcher in four (4) or more innings in a game is NOT eligible to pitch on that calendar day.

c.      A pitcher who delivers 41 or more pitches in a game cannot play the position of catcher for the remainder of that day.

F.      Catcher Guideline

a.      A player who has played the position of catcher for three (3) innings or less, moves to the pitcher position, and delivers 21 pitches or more (14U and up: 31 pitches or more) in the same day, may not return to the catcher position on that calendar day.  The catcher receiving one pitch to a batter in the forth inning constitutes having caught four (4) innings.  Warm-up pitches do not count, only when the ball is live will the pitches count towards innings caught.

EXCEPTION: If the pitcher reaches the 20-pitch limit (14U and up: 30-pitch limit) while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to pitch, and maintain their eligibility to return to the catcher position, until any one of the following conditions occur: (1) that batter reaches base; (2) that batter is retired; (3) the third out is made to complete the half-inning or the game; or (4) the pitcher is removed from the mound prior to the batter completing his/her at-bat.

G.     Any player who has played the position of Catcher and is rotated to the Pitcher position cannot return to the position of catcher if they throw more than 21 pitches or more (14U and up: 31 pitches or more).

H.     If a pitcher reaches a day(s) of rest threshold while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to pitch until any one of the following conditions occurs: (1) That batter reaches base; (2) That batter is put out; or (3) The third out is made to complete the half-inning or the game. The pitcher will only be required to observe the calendar day(s) of rest for the threshold they reached during that at-bat, provided that pitcher is removed, or the game is completed before delivering a pitch to another batter.

I.       Each league must designate the scorekeeper or another game official as the official pitch count recorder.

J.      The pitch count recorder must provide the current pitch count for any pitcher when requested by either manager or any umpire. However, the manager is responsible for knowing when their pitcher must be removed.

K.      The official pitch count recorder should inform the umpire-in-chief when a pitcher has delivered their maximum limit of pitches for the game, as noted by their league maximum. The umpire-in-chief will inform the pitcher’s manager that the pitcher must be removed. However, the failure by the pitch count recorder to notify the umpire-in-chief, and/or the failure of the umpire-in- chief to notify the manager, does not relieve the manager of their responsibility to remove a pitcher when that pitcher is no longer eligible.

L.      Violation of any section of this regulation can result in protest of the game in which it occurs. When a protest situation is imminent, the potential offender should be notified immediately. Coaches are urged to take precautions to prevent protests.