Smart umpire's counter: pitch counts, rest days that travel with the pitcher, a pitch clock, tournament time limits, bat checks and cricket over limits
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01
The whole PitchTally
A radar behind the backstop times every pitch; the umpire's hand-held Tally adds balls and strikes, and phones read the count over local Wi-Fi.
02Brain
XIAO ESP32-S3 (BackstopPod)
The brain: it runs the backstoppod-fw program
03
OPS243-A Doppler radar
Measures speed and direction of each pitch in a 20° beam
XIAO ESP32-S3 (BackstopPod) · UART · Speed and direction reports
04
Pitch-count display
Shows the pitcher's count to the plate area
XIAO ESP32-S3 (BackstopPod) · I²C (4 wires) · Count digits
05
Li-ion pack and PowerBoost
Power the pod for a game, charged over USB-C
XIAO ESP32-S3 (BackstopPod) · 5 V power lead · Power
06
Tally umpire indicator
Takes ball, strike, out keys; shows the count and buzzes at limits
XIAO ESP32-C3 · BLE radio · Key presses and count
07
PaceFace clock
Shows the 20-second pitch clock on large digits
XIAO ESP32-C3 · ESP-NOW radio · Clock and count
08
All connected
6 key parts, one program, and your phone
What it is
A smart ball/strike clicker for the umpire and a radar box that counts pitches from the backstop.
What it does
Who it's for
Youth baseball leagues, junior cricket clubs and umpires.
How the parts connect
Every part, what links it to the brain, and how the data reaches your phone. A solid line is a cable; a dashed line is a radio link.
The program
for (;;) {
r = ops243.read(); // UART: speed, direction
if (r.inbound && r.mph >= 30 && r.mph <= 80)
track.add(r);
else if (track.len >= 3) {
pitch = track.close(); // peak mph, time
pitcher.count++;
ble.notify(tally, pitcher.count); // NimBLE
display.show(pitcher.count); // I2C 7-segment
ws.send_json("pitch", pitcher.count, pitch.mph);
track.clear();
}
if (ble.key()) apply_key(ble.key()); // BALL, STRIKE, OUT, UNDO
}To your phone
Any phone browser
One screen for each job PitchTally does.
Pitch countIn a youth game the radar behind the backstop counts every pitch, so the umpire, recorder and both dugouts see the same number.
Pitch limitThe home pitcher nears the 85-pitch limit. The umpire's Tally buzzes so he can finish the batter and come out.
Pitch clockAt a high-school game the big clock facing the pitcher counts down the 20 seconds between pitches.
Flagged pitchThe radar saw a pitch but the umpire did not press a key. The recorder confirms it, so nobody argues about the count later.
App screens with sample data. The interface is in development.
| Pitch count | 38 pitches, #H12 | Each pitch |
|---|---|---|
| Pitch speed | 52 mph | Each pitch |
| Ball and strike count | 1-2, 1 out | Each key press |
| Limit alert | 85, finish batter | At the limit |
| Flagged pitch | Radar pitch, no key | When unmatched |
No camera and no images. Pitchers are jersey numbers unless the league enters names. No internet needed at the field.
CAD design · Rev A7 design complete (baseball rev A, tournament TimeLimit lamp, BatCheck, RestPass rest record, cricket SpellCount and OverRate, high-school PaceClock), all hardware fit-checked in CAD, not built
| AI processor | Seeed XIAO ESP32-S3 (BackstopPod); Seeed XIAO ESP32-C3 (Tally) |
|---|---|
| Sensors | OmniPreSense OPS243-A 24 GHz Doppler radar (20° beam, inbound/outbound direction) · 4 tact switches under a TPU key mat (BALL, STRIKE, OUT, UNDO) · Coin vibration motor in the Tally · Cricket key mat: BALL, EXTRA, BOWLER, UNDO (SpellCount) · PaceClock key mat: BALL, STRIKE, OUT, TIME (long-press TIME = UNDO) · BatCheck: OV3660 camera on a XIAO ESP32-S3 Sense behind a 2 5/8 in and 2 3/4 in printed ring gauge; NTAG215 NFC HOLD tags |
| Connectivity | BLE between Tally and pod · Local Wi-Fi access point for phones (no internet needed) · CSV export · ESP-NOW between the two umpires' Tallies (cricket) · ESP-NOW from the pod or Tally to the PaceFace clock |
| Power | Pod: 10,050 mAh Li-ion pack, about 13.1 h (est.); Tally: 500 mAh LiPo, about 224 h (est.); PaceFace: 12 V 3000 mAh pack, about 17 h (est.) |
| Enclosure | Black ASA pod with the radar behind a 2 mm ASA radome wall, rain visor and fence bars; black ASA Tally with TPU key mat and lanyard loop; cricket SpellCount kit adds a TPU key mat and a black ASA waistband holster; PaceFace: black ASA case with two 6.5-inch LED digits behind acrylic, bolted through the chain-link with two field-side bars |
| Dimensions | Tally 54 × 97.5 × 13 mm; pod 140 × 80 × 175 mm (188 mm wide over the fence tabs); PaceFace 245 × 60 × 184 mm (236 mm tall over the fence tabs) |
| Mount height | 2.5–3.0 m up the backstop |
|---|---|
| Flight seen | 8.35–9.7 m, about 290–480 ms |
| Count accuracy | Within ±1 of a video count (to be tested) |
| Speed | Cosine error under 1.1%; off by default for 12 and under |
| Display | 1.54 inch e-paper |
|---|---|
| Keys | BALL, STRIKE (tall), OUT, UNDO (low) |
| Haptics | Full count and pitch limit |
| Battery | About 224 h, roughly 111 games (est.) |
| Display | 1.2 inch 4-digit 7-segment |
|---|---|
| Battery | About 13.1 h, a tournament day (est.) |
| Mounting | Bolted through chain-link with fence bars; no drilling |
| Limits | Overs per spell and per day by age group, from the league table (ECB default: U13 5/10, U14–15 6/12, U16–19 7/18) |
|---|---|
| Rest | Overs from the same end equal to the spell; 40-minute break starts a new spell |
| Cues | One buzz on the last over of a spell, three when a resting bowler is named |
| Battery | About 190 h with two Tallies linked (est.) |
| Rules | NFHS: 20 s from the catch, runners or not; 60 s between innings, then batter 10 s and pitcher 20 s. NCAA setting: bases empty only |
|---|---|
| Start and reset | Starts on the catcher's return throw (radar) or the umpire's TIME key; TIME resets for a step-off, feint or play |
| Display | Two 153 mm red LED digits facing the mound; can run dark (umpire-only buzz) where a league has not adopted a visible clock |
| Battery | About 17 h per charge (est.) |
| Rings | 2 5/8 in (Little League, BBCOR, USABat) and 2 3/4 in (USSSA youth); a screen, sticking bats go to the steel ring |
|---|---|
| Divisions | Little League Majors, Intermediate/Junior and Senior, NFHS high school, USSSA youth |
| Checks per bat | Mark for the division, barrel ring, decertified list, umpire damage flag |
| Battery | 500 mAh LiPo, a tournament day of checks (est.) |
Targets for production units; they may change during development.
Hardware: $29–$699 per RestPass pack, Tally or Field Kit
Software: No subscription required
Target prices: $29 RestPass Team Pack (12 glove tags), $59 Tally, $79 BatCheck Kit, $99 SpellCount Pair for cricket, $299 PaceClock Kit (PaceFace clock and a Tally with the TIME key mat), $449 Field Kit (1 BackstopPod and 2 Tallies), $699 PaceClock Field Kit (pod, PaceFace and 2 Tallies). Parts cost at quantity 1 is about $10 per RestPass pack, $35 per Tally, $32 per BatCheck Kit, $175 per PaceFace, $334 per pod and $580 per PaceClock Field Kit (est.).
$29 (target)
12 orange glove tags that carry each pitcher's outings between teams.
$59 (target)
A smart umpire indicator that works alone.
$79 (target)
A tournament bat and catcher-gear check for the umpire.
$99 (target)
Two cricket Tallies, one per umpire, for junior matches.
$299 (target)
A pitcher-facing 20-second clock and a Tally for high-school baseball.
$449 (target)
One BackstopPod and two Tallies for one field.
Custom
Pods for every field at a travel-ball event.
Indicative launch pricing in USD, excluding taxes and shipping. Final pricing is confirmed before any balance is charged.
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From the product lab · ideation phase
No. PitchTally is a concept in the in-house design and testing stage. It is designed and fit-checked in CAD, but nothing has been built or tested on a live game, and all figures are targets or estimates.
No. League rules name a human official pitch count recorder, and the manager stays responsible. PitchTally is an aid that gives everyone the same number and a pitch-by-pitch log; the recorder confirms changes and every correction is logged.
No. The umpire decides. BatCheck shows the mark the rules require for the division, whether the barrel went through the ring, and whether the model is on the decertified list it last synced, and it keeps a record. It never tests a bat's performance or certifies it.
About ±0.2 mm (est.), so it is a quick screen. A bat that sticks or is borderline is checked with the league's steel ring, and the umpire's call stands.
Only that the NOCSAE wording is there in a photo. It cannot tell whether gear is damaged or out of date, and the cup is confirmed by the coach. Under NFHS rules the head coach still verifies that all players are legally equipped.
Not yet. Underhand pitches from a shorter distance follow a lower path, and we need to rerun the sight-line check for softball fields before we claim it works there.
We have not yet confirmed this with Little League or umpire associations. Checking the rules is one of the first steps before any field use.
No. There is no camera and no images. Pitchers are jersey numbers unless the league enters names, and pitch speed is off by default for ages 12 and under.
That is the SpellCount kit: the same Tally with a cricket key mat (BALL, EXTRA, BOWLER, UNDO) and a waistband holster. It keeps each young fast bowler's overs per spell and per day, the rest overs from the same end and 40-minute breaks, using the league's own table (the ECB Fast Bowling Match Directives by default). It is designed and checked in software, not yet built.
No. No Law of Cricket sets these limits; they are league playing conditions that captains, team managers and umpires are asked to keep. The Tally warns and keeps a record; the umpires decide, tell the player and the captain, and can override with a logged reason. It cannot tell pace: the coaches mark who is a fast bowler at the toss.
Whatever the league adopts. The default is the ECB table (U13 5 a spell and 10 a day, U14–15 6 and 12, U16–19 7 and 18); county versions such as Cornwall's 2025 limits are another table. We are still checking for a newer ECB revision.
No. NFHS rule 6-2-2c gives the pitcher 20 seconds and the umpire decides who caused a delay and whether to award a ball or a strike. At 0 the clock shows 0 and buzzes the umpire's Tally; the count only changes when the umpire presses a key.
The NFHS rule does not require or forbid one; your state association or conference decides. Where it has not adopted a visible clock, run the PaceFace dark and the umpire still gets a silent buzz at 5 seconds and at 0.
With a BackstopPod, the radar sees the catcher's throw back to the pitcher and starts the 20 seconds; it sees the next pitch and stops. The radar cannot see a step-off or a feint, so the umpire presses TIME. Without a pod, the umpire starts it with TIME.
No. It times and shows. At the league's deadline it tells the umpires how many full overs are outstanding and what the league's playing condition says; the umpires decide and tell the scorers. Allowances for injuries, lost balls or weather are paused only when an umpire presses STOP, and every pause is logged.
Innings times and over-rate penalties are each league's own playing conditions, not Laws of Cricket. A league needs to adopt the clock before it is shown on the ground; until then it runs dark, as a silent aid on the umpire's Tally only.
Not reliably. The 6.5-inch digits read to about 30 metres (est.), so the face goes by the pavilion gate or scorebox for the incoming batter, scorers and captains at drinks; the umpires use the Tally and tell the captains.
The record lives on the tag laced to the player's glove, not in any league's database. Whoever keeps the count after a game (recorder, coach or parent) taps the tag with the free PitchTally app to add the outing. If a game is not tapped it is missing, so the app shows the date of the last tap on every check.
Little League regular-season rules (rest days by pitches, the daily limit by age and the catcher rules) or MLB/USA Baseball Pitch Smart, which adds advice against pitching on consecutive days. A tournament director picks the rule set. The league or tournament decides eligibility; the app reads the record and quotes the rule.
It makes no health claim. It keeps the counts and rest rules that leagues already set, across every team the player plays for. Pain, tiredness and medical advice stay with parents, coaches and doctors.
No. The umpire keeps the official time and decides. The lamp shows the same clock to both dugouts and the stands, and the recorder's page quotes the tournament's rule. If the umpire's watch and the lamp disagree, the umpire's time stands.
Each tournament writes its own. The director enters the no-new-inning time, any drop-dead time, whether a visitor lead goes back to the last full inning, and the start point (first pitch or end of the plate meeting). We tested it in-house against USSSA Tennessee and Nebraska state rules and two park-league rule books.
At the third out of the previous inning, which is how most tournament rules and umpire guides read it. If the third out comes before the mark, the next inning is played. The umpire presses OUT, so the time of every third out is logged.
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DetailsPitchTally
Concept · target $29