In 2014, USA Baseball and MLB teamed up to establish Pitch Smart, a series of practical, age-appropriate guidelines to help parents, players and coaches avoid overuse injuries and foster long, healthy careers for pitchers.

A primary goal of the Pitch Smart program was to help young players reduce arm injuries by providing a comprehensive resource for safe pitching practices.

While baseball is a relatively safe game to play at all ages, research has shown that pitching too much, particularly at a young age, can increase a pitcher’s risk of injury. To limit the likelihood of injuries caused by pitching with fatigue, the Pitch Smart guidelines included age-specific pitching limits and required rest recommendations for pitchers ages seven to 22.