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  3. For 13 year olds

Softball drills for 13 year olds

What a 13 year old can practice at home: drills the app opens at this age, what changes in softball this year, how long and how often, what to have at home, and a free week to start.

By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026

Little League Softball limits a pitcher's innings in a day; SSTracker's pitching drills ask a player to count every pitch, practice included.

At 13

The age at a glance

This year
Spin pitches like the rise ball can start at about 13, with a pitching coach, once the fastball and change-up are under control (SSTracker's softball rule).
Drills this year
Beginner and developing drills. Advanced drills start at 14, next year.
Pitching limits
Little League Softball counts innings, not pitches: at most 12 innings in a day, and 7 or more innings in a day earns 1 day of rest. A single pitch counts as an inning.
At 13
Organized sport in all: no more hours a week than the child's age (NATA), so at most 13 hours for a 13 year old, with two rest days a week.
At home
SSTracker keeps one home session for a 13 year old within 60 minutes and plans at most 5 home days a week, with rest days between.

30 drills

Drills for 13 year olds

Every drill here is one the app opens for 13 year olds, at the level for the age. Each page has the steps, a diagram where the setup can be drawn, three ways to make it a game and a practice log to print.

What you need at home

What you need at home at 13

59 of the 65 softball drills for 13 year olds work at home, in a room, garage or yard. Most used: softballs (22 of the 59 drills), glove (20), bat (13), base (6), ball (5), soft balls (4), batting tee (3), cones (3). 4 drills need nothing but space. 26 are for two, and a parent can be the partner.

A week to start with

A free week of softball at home

  1. 1Arm: Long Toss Build-Up15 min
  2. 2Arm Care Band Circuit15 min
  3. 3Hitting: Inside Pitch Turn15 min

Questions parents ask

Softball for 13 year olds: questions and answers

What softball drills can a 13 year old do at home?

59 of the 65 softball drills for 13 year olds work at home, in a room, garage or yard. Most used: softballs (22 of the 59 drills), glove (20), bat (13), base (6), ball (5), soft balls (4), batting tee (3), cones (3). 4 drills need nothing but space. 26 are for two, and a parent can be the partner.

How long should a 13 year old practice softball?

Organized sport in all: no more hours a week than the child's age (NATA), so at most 13 hours for a 13 year old, with two rest days a week. SSTracker keeps one home session for a 13 year old within 60 minutes and plans at most 5 home days a week, with rest days between.

How much can a 13 year old pitch in softball?

Little League Softball counts innings, not pitches: at most 12 innings in a day, and 7 or more innings in a day earns 1 day of rest. A single pitch counts as an inning.

Can a 13 year old throw a rise ball?

Spin pitches like the rise ball can start at about 13, with a pitching coach, once the fastball and change-up are under control (SSTracker's softball rule).

What changes in softball at 13?

Spin pitches like the rise ball can start at about 13, with a pitching coach, once the fastball and change-up are under control (SSTracker's softball rule). Beginner and developing drills. Advanced drills start at 14, next year.

Free for families and teams

Save this plan to your child or team, free

Sign up and the free softball week for 13 year olds opens in your child's planner, kept to healthy limits for the age, with progress your child sees against their own start. Coaches can send the same drills to the whole team as homework.

14 days free for a family, no card · Running a team is always free

Does your child's coach know about this?

An email from you to the coach, with the words ready. Nothing is tracked and nobody is rewarded.