The Little League World Series gets started on Aug. 13, as 20 teams of young athletes compete for a championship. Ten teams from the United States will be represented, while 10 international teams will also compete.
The tournament features all of the fundamentals of baseball, but the rules and guidelines aren't the same as they are at the college or professional level. From the length of games to pitch restrictions for the players, first-time viewers of the tournament will be introduced to some new regulations.
Here's what you need to know about how many innings there are in Little League World Series games, plus other rules to keep in mind.
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How many innings are in Little League World Series games?
Little League World Series games consist of six innings. That means games are two-thirds as long as MLB, minor league, and NCAA baseball games.
If a game is tied after six innings, it still extends until a winner is determined. Nicaragua outlasted Japan in 11 innings in 2022's longest Little League World Series game.
There is no automatic runner on second base to start the seventh inning, but every other extra inning starts with a runner on second.
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Little League World Series pitch counts
Pitchers face two different types of pitch restrictions in the Little League World Series.
Per Little League rules, pitchers aged 11-12 cannot throw more than 85 pitches in a single appearance. Pitchers aged 13-16 face a limit of 95 pitches, while pitchers aged 9-10 are limited to 75.
There are also limits on how often pitchers can be used, depending on how many pitches they threw in their previous appearances. A player who throws 1-20 pitches in an appearance can pitch the following day, but 21-35 pitches requires one day of rest.
The amount of rest required increases with each pitch count threshold. Here's a complete look at how many days of rest are required for each pitch count range.
| Pitches | Days of rest |
|---|---|
| 66-85 | 4 |
| 51-65 | 3 |
| 36-50 | 2 |
| 21-35 | 1 |
| 1-20 | 0 |
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Does the Little League World Series have a mercy rule?
The Little League World Series does have a mercy rule, or a "run rule" as it's formally named.
It's a two-tiered rule: If a team is ahead by 15 or more runs after three innings, the game ends. Or, if a team is ahead by 10 or more runs after four innings, the game ends.
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