Little League has made the pitching rest rules the same for regular season and tournament play, the organization said Tuesday. The move, which it said was requested by district administrators and local volunteers, was passed at its most recent board of directors meeting.

The rules add some necessary rest for tournament play. Previous rules allowed for less rest in tournament play.

The new rule eliminates the game required in between pitching appearances, while increasing the number of days of rest. Adoption of the new rules makes the pitching regulations the same for tournament and regular season play. It also follows trends of Little?League pitching rules changes that try to curb arm overuse and favor increased participation opportunities within the team.

Previously, for tournament play including the Little League World Series, a 12-year-old pitcher who threw 85 pitches would need two days of rest and one game, before pitching again. In 2010, that pitcher will be required to have four days of rest, same as during the regular season.

One way this rule would affect play is in the LLWS elimination rounds. A team would not be able to throw someone 85 pitches in the U.S. or International semifinals on Wednesday or Thursday and then bring them back for Sunday's title game, should it advance out of Saturday's U.S. or International finals. That has become a common intent.

Under this new format, a LLWS?team would need three different pitchers to throw 85 pitches in a game for elimination play, should it opt for that strategy.

"A few years ago, scientific studies showed epidemic increases in youth pitching injuries and pointed to overuse as the primary factor," Dr. James Andrews, Chairman of the American Sports Medicine Institute and a member of the Little League International Board of Directors, said in a statement. "Little League baseball should be congratulated as the leader in addressing this issue by introducing pitch count limits. This has led to increased awareness at all levels including players, parents, coaches, and other youth league organizations, and hopefully, a decrease in number of injuries. The current changes adopted by Little League should help further the ability of kids to enjoy and advance in baseball without serious overuse injuries."

Previously, for example, a 12-year-old pitcher in the regular season who threw the maximum 85 pitches in a day was required to have either three calendar days of rest and one game (or four days of rest and no game, at the option of the local league), before pitching again. In 2010, that same pitcher will simply be required to have four days of rest.

As in previous years, as the number of pitches decreases, the number of days of rest also decreases incrementally.