IP on UCLA

Out in Left Field said:

That statement is politics but what they mean is the effect on girls at 8,10, 12 learning to pitch. I have seen a leaper get a back injury during a game (our opponent), and also heard of other injuries from not being on the ground when the ball is released. You have to figure in the mistakes while learning to pitch. Also, men's FP has been rogue and tiny for decades, they made rules to help build numbers and make it interesting. Not many boys are learning to pitch in men's FP, mostly adults.

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To be completely up front here. My DD is a reformed leaper. Yep from ages 9-15 she leaped on almost every pitch. And she got called for it about once every 10 games. Most of the time the leap was hidden by the fact that there was a rut dug in front of the rubber. But once she began starting for the HS it got called more and the winter between Sophomore and Junior year the leap was corrected. I think she has worn out more cleats in the last 2 seasons then she did the previous 6. And for more backstory, she hurdled in 7th and 8th grade. Never a back problem. Now that she is a reformed leaper, she has to go to a chiropractor in season to keep the pelvis in line and manage the pain to a tolerable level. Is it because she doesn't leap? I have no idea, and neither do you know for sure if a girl in a game you were at hurt her back because she was leaping.

CycloneSoftball22 said:

I don't however believe that umpires are mandated as to when/when not to call it.

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Granted it wasn't college ball but I've been to many ASA pre-tournament meetings where umpires are instructed NOT to call illegal pitches unless they are "blatant". "Blatant" is code for "unless both of her feet are three feet off the ground, don't call it".

I've seen all manner of leapers and re-planters during this past HS season - but the only IPs I saw called were because the pitcher touched her glove twice.

JJsqueeze said:

she was pulled in because the OP went up during the UCLA v. Auburn game. While she was in the circle. Going along with my stance that the rule should be 100% enforced for all pitchers, all the time, I do not see any difference in the legality of Carda's pitch or this one.

http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-pitching/24156-lexi-davis.html

it's kind of like the rule in golf about touching the sand with your club, whether you do it to get a feel for how thick it is or to move a rake, it is still a violation.

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Not Lexi Davis, you mentioned Silkwood. I have known Alexis Silkwood since she was born. Alexis pitches for Mississippi State. I agree 100% enforcement!

Cannonball said:

Not Lexi Davis, you mentioned Silkwood. I have known Alexis Silkwood since she was born. Alexis pitches for Mississippi State. I agree 100% enforcement!

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Oh, my bad. Silkwood was brought up because she is one of the pitchers that does a pretty obvious leap and replant, very similar to Carda.

if you do a DFP search there are a bunch of examples posted.

i am a big proponent of a rule change to allow this type of delivery so that all of the rule sets from ASA to International are in agreement. The villian in this story is not the pitchers IMO. It is the NCAA being OK with a wink wink nod nod approach to enforcement instead of having the balls to follow their own rules or simply change them and somehow letting games occur where two pitchers are blatantly illegal but only one is called for it.

RubberBiscuit said:

Hold it - are you saying you don't see any replant difference between Carda and Davis here?

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Come now RB, I am not blind. I see no difference in the legality of the pitch. Carda's leap and replant is just as illegal as Davis' slight lifting of the drag foot was my point. Further more, if Carda found a way to glide and replant that would be perfectly legal.

Out in Left Field said:

I saw it happen and it happened on a pitch. The young lady then said/groaned it happened because of her curve and that she was in the air when she let go of the ball.

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Thanks, guess your handle should be Dr. Out in Left Field. You saw it happen on a pitch. Doesn't mean it was because of the pitch.