Baseball has been called our national pastime for decades. It's a lot of fun to
play. But players are at risk for injuries from things like wild pitches, batted balls,
and collisions in the field.
These safety tips can help protect you from injuries while playing baseball.
Safe Baseball Gear
Wearing and using the right gear can help prevent injuries. Safety rules for most
leagues include:
- Batting helmets must be worn whenever a player is at bat, waiting to bat, or running
the bases. Some leagues may even require pitchers to wear them. Helmets should always
fit properly and be worn correctly. If the helmet has a chin strap, it should be fastened.
If it has an eye shield or other faceguard, this should be in good condition and securely
attached to the helmet.
- A catcher should always wear a helmet, facemask, throat guard, full-length chest
protector, athletic supporter with a cup, shin guards, and a catcher's mitt whenever
catching pitches, whether it's in the game, in the bullpen, or during warm-ups.
- All players should wear athletic supporters. Most (particularly pitchers, catchers,
and infielders) should wear protective cups.
- Baseball spikes should have molded plastic cleats rather than metal ones. Most
youth leagues don't allow spikes with metal cleats.
Some leagues have rules about not using aluminum bats, which hit the ball harder
than other bats.
Some players also like to wear:
- sliding pants that go under baseball pants to protect against scrapes
and cuts
- batting gloves that can keep hands from getting sore while hitting
- shin guards and foot guards designed to protect against balls fouled straight
down
- a mouthguard
Safe Baseball Training
To prevent injuries during
training:
- Be in good shape before starting
the season.
- Always warm up and stretch
before practice and games.
- Stop training if you get hurt or feel pain. Get checked by an athletic trainer,
coach, doctor, or nurse before going back to training.
Pitching
Too much pitching can lead to serious injuries. These guidelines can help prevent
pitching injuries:
- Follow league rules for the maximum number of innings pitchers are allowed to
throw. This is usually from four to 10 innings per week.
- Follow the pitch count limits recommended by U.S.A. Little League and the American
Sports Medicine Institute:
- 13–16 years old: 95 pitches a day
- 17–18 years old: 105 pitches a day
- Pitchers younger than 14 should limit total pitches to less than 1,000 per season
and 3,000 per year.
- Pitchers should take at least 3 months off per year from overhead sports (i.e.,
sports that involve a lot of overhead arm movements, like baseball or volleyball).
- If pitchers feel pain in their throwing arm, they should not pitch again until
the pain goes away.
Safe Play
All coaches should emphasize safe, fair play. This includes knowing the rules and:
- teaching players how to slide correctly
- making sure the field is in good condition and has breakaway bases (bases that
are not fixed)
- having a first-aid kit available at all practices and games
Date reviewed: February 2019