Presentation to Baseball Canada on recommendations for athlete-centered arm safety

1. Pitch Count
Athlete-Centered Arm Safety
Baseball Canada
November 2008

2. What is LTAD ?
• Optimal training, competition and
recovery programming with relation
to biological development and
maturation
• Equal opportunity for participation
and competition
• Athlete centred, coach driven and
administration, sport science and
sponsor supported

3. Athlete -
Centered

4. The Best Sport Science Available

5. Innings Pitched
• Easy to manage
• Has been the traditional approach
• Within Canada – we have several different sets
of rules
• ‘Innings’ does not relate directly to arm safety
– Coaches currently manipulate the system
without regard to arm safety
– We can have 3 pitch innings & 30 pitch
innings – treated the same
Pitch Count Approach – An Athlete-centered Approach to Arm Safety

6. Background
In preparation for our LTAD implementation,
Baseball Canada took the following steps:
• Conducted a ‘Pitch Count Pilot’ with
Baseball Alberta assistance during the summer
of 2007
• Consulted medical research done on the
subject of arm safety and impact of ‘loading’ on
pitcher’s arms in the last 5 years
• Consulted the work of other organizations
regarding arm safety and pitching rules
Pitch Count Approach – An Athlete-centered Approach to Arm Safety

7. Research Tells Us?

8. Research – most recent
• Risk Factors in Adolescent Baseball Pitchers
Olsen SJ, Fleisig GS, Dun S, Loftice J, Andrews JR. Risk
factors for shoulder and elbow injuries in adolescent
baseball pitchers. The American Journal of Sports
Medicine 34:905-912, 2006.
• Olsen et al. examined 95 adolescent pitchers who had
shoulder and elbow surgery, and 45 adolescent
pitchers who never had a significant pitching-related
injury. The adolescent pitchers ranged anywhere from
14 to 20 years of age. The study compared their
responses to a survey to determine risk factors
associated with pitching injuries and surgery.

10. When a pitcher regularly threw with
arm fatigue,
he was 36 times
more likely to require surgery

12. › 8 months of competitive pitching
during a year,
he was 5 times
more likely to be in the surgery group.

13. 4

14. More than 80 pitches in a game,
he was 4 times
more likely to be in the surgery group

15. Research Tells Us?
Fatigue –major cause of injuries
# of pitches (long term damage)
Proper rest and regeneration ignored

16. Not Significant Factors
• Private pitching instruction
• Coach's chief concern
• Exercise programs
• Stretching practices
• Relieving frequency, or
• Age at which pitch types were first thrown

17. What did the pilot tell us?

18. Survey - Pilot in Alberta
What was the most difficult item as far as managing
the Pitch Count Program in the 2007 season?
• Based on the schedule and playing too many games
in a short period of time.
• Tracking and Counting Pitches.
• Finding Volunteers to Count Pitches.
• Consistency in the Rules and Regulations.
• Interpretations of the Rules & Regulations.
• Following the Pitch Count Numbers Grid.
• Other:_________________________________
Pitch Count Approach – An Athlete-centered Approach to Arm Safety

19. Feedback – Survey Results
The following were the 3 responses shown as
the most difficult to manage:
• Tracking and counting pitches
• Finding volunteers to track pitches
• Consistency in the rules and regulations
Pitch Count Approach – An Athlete-centered Approach to Arm Safety

20. Survey - Pilot in Alberta
What was the most Positive item as far as managing the Pitch
Count Program in the 2007 season?
• Developed more Pitchers and found some diamonds in the
rough
• Arm soreness/injuries were less this year
• I had more fun as a coach because it felt like I was managing
my pitchers better this year
• As a coach I appreciated the educational information that
came along with the Pitch Count Program
• It made for very exciting games and it kept the players
engaged a majority of the time
• There was more parity in competition this year. (Teams were
on more of an even playing field)
• Other:
Pitch Count Approach – An Athlete-centered Approach to Arm Safety

21. Feedback - Survey Results
The following were the 3 responses shown as
the most positive results
• Exciting games / kept the players engaged a
majority of the time
• More parity in competition
• Developed more pitchers / found diamonds in
the rough
Pitch Count Approach – An Athlete-centered Approach to Arm Safety

22. Recommended Safety Grid
Age 9-11 Age 12-13 Age 14-15 Age 16-18 Rest required
1-25 1-30 1-30 1-30 None
26-40 31-45 31-40 31-44 1 day
41-55 46-60 41-59 45-64 2 days
56-65 61-75 60-74 65-79 3 days
65-75 76-85 75-90 80-100 4 days
75 85 90 100 Maximum

23. Additional Safety Rules
• Pitcher cannot pitch in 3 consecutive days.
• Pitcher, when removed from the position, may play other defensive
positions; however, he / she CANNOT play the position of catcher
during the remainder of the day.
• A player cannot play the position of pitcher and catcher in the same
game. Once he / she catches in a game, he / she cannot take the
pitcher’s position in the same game.
• A pitcher, once removed from the position, may not return to pitch
in the same game.
• A pitcher may not pitch in more than 2 games in a day
• These rules apply to the pitcher – when a pitcher plays for more
than 1 team, his pitch counts shall be cumulative, that is, if he / she
is on a rest period arising from a game with Team A, the counts still
apply to games involving Team B.

24. We get questions?????
• A pitch is defined as an official pitch made during play in the game.
• If a pitcher reaches the maximum pitch count during an at bat, he /
she can finish that hitter and the change made at the next
stoppage.
• Pitchers that play in an age category above their own age group,
e.g., 14 playing Midget, shall be governed by their actual age.
Coaches shall be responsible for monitoring this and will be liable to
penalties for any violation.
• The home / host team is responsible to appoint an official
scorekeeper to keep track of the pitch count for all pitchers during a
game. That record shall be the officially recognized pitch count for
that game.
• Intentional walks will be included in pitch counts.

25. Yabut… . …..we’re different

26. ARE WE
REALLY

27. Athlete Centered System

28. LTAD Report on Baseball
Issues on Current System
• 150 different systems – no relation to LTAD
principles
• No Best Practice review
• Training & Competition system – climate based
• Competition / Practice / Recovery ratios
• Competitive imbalance
Baseball Canada – LTAD Impact – November 2008

29. Change and Innovation......

30. Innovation comes from our differences
Accepting the ideas of others
Being open to change

31. But we must be able to measure the
success of any proposed changes

32. Seeking Innovation
Based on research / sport science
Tested (pilots)
Based on LTAD Principles
Applied system wide

33. So you want to throw a curve ball?????

34. what we have learned
All On the
same page

35. Athlete
Focus
Stage
Appropriate
Development
Coach
Driven
Science
Based
Administration
Consistency
Support
One Vision, One System, One Country
One Team

36. Baseball Canada – LTAD Impact –
November 2008
WE ARE DEVELOPING THE PLAN

37. Key 3
Safety
Baseball Canada – LTAD Impact –
November 2008

38. The Baseball Canada Pitch Count
Athlete-Centered Arm Safety Guidelines

39. ????????........