Rules are the rules....unless they aren't???

[smddad]

Nope, I don't care if they're leaping.

 

[PA SB Dad]

To say that the pitcher is "cheating" is a bit harsh. She has not been taught correctly, but I doubt a 12 yo C pitcher knowingly leaps and replants. You see this with pitchers at every level (yes, even in the PAC-12 and SEC), and there are long DFP threads that discuss when you start to enforce the rule and when you allow it, so I won't rehash. If you honestly think the pitcher is gaining an advantage, then have a discussion with the umpire. If you are doing it because watching it is annoying, or you're trying to get into the pitcher's head, or just feel like complaining, I say there are better things to complain to an umpire about.

 

[Umpire]

The umpire said she was dragging her toe. The opposing coach said she was leaping. The umpire even said he could see the drag mark. If the drag mark is at the pitcher's plate or immediately after whatever hole they dug in front of it, it's legal. You can't drag and leap. You can leap, then drag. You can drag, then leap (that's called crow hopping). But you can't have a simultaneous drag and leap.

It is unnatural to leap. Anyone who takes their kid to an instructor and the kid walks away doing something illegal can either (a) get their money back or (b) not complain when someone says their kid is a cheater.

Never say anything to an umpire that you wouldn't say to the opposing team. There are no secrets on the field. That DOESN'T mean you say it to the other team, it only qualifies what you ought to be complaining about to the umpire. The other team has the right to know if you are accusing them of violating a rule.

I once had a 12u tournament game. Pitcher was blatantly illegal. During the inning, I called time to go tell the head coach what the issue was. I had just removed my mask and taken two or three steps toward the bench when the head coach said, "Chrissy, pitch legally." I threw the coach out. He wanted to know why. I told him that it was unsportsmanlike to knowingly put a player out there who was going to cheat. It was unsportsmanlike to teach her to do that and to get away with it as long as it wasn't called. Safety is first. Moral and character development is second. Don't ever forget that. I hope this coach didn't.

 

[RetiredCoach]

12u 'C'. USSSA.
So, I guess at the 12u 'C' level, rules are now optional. If it's pertinent at all, another Umpire at the fields that day said; "yes, every one of her pitches is illegal". I'd like to request him for the next game against this team.

Take a chill pill, dude! At the 12U C level it is hard to find a girl that can throw the ball near the plate, nonetheless to be perfectly "legal" and mechanically correct!!! So, get this girl kicked out of the game for "cheating". And the next one, too! And soon you won't have a game to play. But maybe that's what you want. To be declared the victor. Go for it!

 

[SoCalASABlue]

but I doubt a 12 yo C pitcher knowingly leaps and replants.

Come to SoCal some time...you'll change your mind...rec leagues are full of illegal pitchers that can miraculously pitch legally after an IP is called...

 

[JJsqueeze]

I'm just wondering if any of you who are telling him not to worry about it would care if a 16U A team you were coaching was playing against a girl who did this? I'm betting you would. The level of the team he is coaching is of no importance in this. It isn't written in the rule book that all rules apply except for C teams. His girls are playing on a C team. They are expecting to see comparable talent. When a girl or coach circumvents the rules that gives her an advantage (and yes, leaping does give a decided advantage, as has been documented on here using numbers and stuff lol), it isn't a level playing field any more. Ive seen on here folks talking about how it isn't right for an A team pitcher to guest for a C team in a C tournament, etc. Not that this makes her an A level pitcher, but clearly it is a violation of the rules. If we don't care about that because it's "C level ball", then should we just go ahead and take out the rules about leaving bases early (they're not that fast in C ball), or not allowing them to steal home on passed balls (the catchers aren't that good), or maybe only allow one base on overthrows?

I still wouldn't give two rat farts about it. I see pitchers leaping ever Sunday in every game I casually drop by, usually more than one, I also see the apoplectic coaches and parents complaining about leaping its all a big joke.

As for tossing a coach for telling his pitcher to pitch legally, it is a big assumption that because he said this that he was knowingly telling his pitcher to pitch illegally and tossing him is a classic case of umpire overreach.

 

[shaker1]

I still wouldn't give two rat farts about it. That's a classic!

 

[Lenski]

Here in SW Ohio, the USSSA umps are all slow pitch umps and they do not know the fastpitch specific rules very well.

 

[BretMan]

Here in SW Ohio, the USSSA umps are all slow pitch umps and they do not know the fastpitch specific rules very well.

Come up to Columbus and play ASA!

 

[Rocketech1]

The past 4 years, I don't think I have seen an IP called for leaping or replanting (and there are many, many pitchers who technically could be called for it). I did hear this weekend that a 12U all-star pitcher was called 2x for an IP for striding outside the 24inch "lane". That would be the first time at this level I have seen this call. I guess umpires pick and choose what is important to them to enforce?