Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, UPMC Fu Sports Medicine Center, Pittsburgh, PA.
Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI.
J Pediatr Orthop. 2022 Aug 1;42(7):e747-e752. doi: 10.1097/BPO.0000000000002182. Epub 2022 May 11.
Softball is a popular sport among youth female athletes. While youth baseball has well-established, evidence-based pitching guidelines, youth softball pitching guidelines lack both evidence and enforcement. Adherence to pitch count limits in youth softball is infrequent and results in pitchers with exceedingly high pitching volumes.
Pitch counts for youth fast-pitch softball teams competing for 1 consecutive year between January 2018 to December 2019 in age groups 8 and under (8U) to 14 and under (14U) were collected. Pitching volume was assessed based on individual games, single calendar days, and tournaments in which games are played on 2 or more consecutive days. Pitchers on teams were subdivided based on pitch count volumes and compared using a logarithmic transformation and geometric mean.
Data was collected for 10 teams from each age division resulting in analysis of 538 pitchers on 70 teams. The average pitcher threw 813 pitches per year and appeared in 20.0% of games while the average highest volume pitcher threw 2500 pitches per year and appeared in 54.5% of games. On average, the highest volume pitcher on each team threw 40% of all team pitches, while the 3 highest volume pitchers combined threw 82% of all team pitches. The average and high-volume pitcher threw pitches in 2 or more games on the same day in 37.5% and 48.6% of possible games while pitching 2 or more consecutive days in 64.0% and 79.6% of possible games, respectively.
Softball pitchers throw high volumes of pitches while also pitching multiple days consecutively. A disparity among pitchers on softball teams exists as 40% of team pitches are thrown by 1 player and over 80% of team pitches are thrown by the top 3 pitchers. These high-volume pitchers may be engaging in unsustainable pitching practices that could predispose to injury.
Level IV-cross-sectional.
垒球是青少年女性运动员中很受欢迎的运动。虽然青少年棒球有成熟的、基于证据的投球指导方针，但青少年垒球投球指导方针既缺乏证据，也缺乏执行。在青少年垒球中，遵守投球次数限制的情况并不常见，导致投手的投球量极高。
收集了 2018 年 1 月至 2019 年 12 月期间，参加年龄组为 8 岁以下（8U）至 14 岁以下（14U）的连续一年比赛的 10 支青年快投垒球队的数据。根据个人比赛、单日和在连续两天或以上进行比赛的锦标赛来评估投球量。根据投球次数对球队中的投手进行细分，并使用对数变换和几何平均值进行比较。
每个年龄组收集了 10 个队的数据，共分析了 70 个队的 538 名投手。平均每名投手每年投 813 个球，出现在 20.0%的比赛中，而最高投球量的投手每年投 2500 个球，出现在 54.5%的比赛中。平均而言，每个队的最高投球量投手投出了所有球队投球的 40%，而前 3 名最高投球量投手共投出了所有球队投球的 82%。平均投手和高投球量投手在同一天的 2 场或更多比赛中投掷球，在可能的 37.5%和 48.6%的比赛中，连续投掷 2 天或更多天，在可能的 64.0%和 79.6%的比赛中。
垒球投手投出大量球，同时也连续多天投球。垒球队的投手之间存在差异，因为 40%的球队投球由 1 名球员投出，超过 80%的球队投球由前 3 名投手投出。这些高投球量的投手可能从事不可持续的投球行为，这可能使他们容易受伤。
四级-横断面研究。
