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HERMITAGE — The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association adopted a pitch count rule for baseball at Monday’s Board of Control meeting in Hermitage.
Following last month’s National Federation of High School Association decision mandating that each state adopt their own specific pitch count rule, the TSSAA Board of Control voted unanimously in favor of the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association’s recommendation, which sets the maximum amount at 120 pitches in one day for varsity competition.
“Some people could say 120 is a lot of pitches,” TSSAA assistant executive director Gene Menees said. “Obviously, any coach can take this and they don’t have to go to the limit, but we feel like it’s a lot better than we had with innings pitched.”
Previously, the TSSAA utilized an innings pitched rule, stating that pitchers are not allowed to throw more than 10 innings over a two-day span. The exception is if a pitcher started a game and hadn’t thrown the previous day (and hadn’t thrown in another game that same day). In that situation, which would be extra innings, pitchers are allowed to throw as many innings as they want without penalty.
“Now I’m sure there will be some discussion, ‘Where’d you all come up with these numbers?’ or ‘How are we going to administer this?’ and that’s something we’ll have to work through,” Menees said. “But when you’re talking about the safety of young kids’ arms it’s hard to argue against a pitch count.”
The TSSAA’s new pitch count rule, which is similar to that of the Alabama High School Athletic Association, also requires a certain number of days rest based on the number of pitches thrown.
Players who reach the 120-pitch mark must be given four calendar days of rest prior to their next appearance. Pitchers must be given three days rest after throwing 76-119, two days rest after throwing 56-75 and one day of rest after throwing 26-55.
“I think everybody understands the safety factor,” TBCA executive director Pat Swallows said. “The big thing I think with coaches is the regulation of it. If you’ve got your pitcher down for 110 pitches and we’ve got him down for 120, we need to make sure that we’re in agreement somewhere down the line.”
Reach Michael Murphy at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports.