How much bowling is safe for young female pace bowlers?

Cricket Australia's Junior Pace Bowling Workload Guidelines apply to young male and female pace bowlers. They aim to reduce lumbar bone stress injury, a stress injury to the lower back bones that is most common in teenage pace bowlers, because bones grow quickly before they become strong.

• Under 17, the 1, 3, 5 rule: 1 day off bowling after a bowling day, a maximum of 3 bowling days a week (matches and training count), and a maximum of 5 overs in a spell.
• Aged 17 to 19, the 2, 4, 6 rule: no more than 2 bowling days in a row, a maximum of 4 bowling days a week, and a maximum of 6 overs in a spell.
• Pre-season build-up: 2 weeks of gradual bowling before a season or tournament for Under 13, 4 weeks for ages 13 to 15, 6 weeks for ages 15 to 17 and 8 weeks for ages 17 to 19.
• Back pain: if you feel lower back pain when bowling, stop bowling and see a sports doctor or physiotherapist experienced with these injuries before you bowl again. These injuries can develop without pain at first.

Source: play.cricket.com.au Junior Pace Bowling Workload Guidelines (April 2026).