Illegal pitch. Do you still get the base? USSSA/USA/HS

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Nov 18, 2015
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Yes. USSSA as of 2019 changed the penalty to a ball on the batter.

No base for you!


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May 29, 2015
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I am not sure of the exact year change for each code (and I don't have my books with me at the moment), but within the last few years all of them have dropped the base award for the base runner.

As an umpire, I hate it. The extra base was the penalty that you don't want to give up as a coach. That part made it worth calling.

If I were coaching, it is my opinion that a ball on the batter (which it was likely to be anyway) is not enough of a penalty that I would mess with changing my pitcher's mechanics. I'm letting her continue to pitch illegal until the other team stops swinging.
 
Feb 15, 2017
920
63
I am not sure of the exact year change for each code (and I don't have my books with me at the moment), but within the last few years all of them have dropped the base award for the base runner.

As an umpire, I hate it. The extra base was the penalty that you don't want to give up as a coach. That part made it worth calling.

If I were coaching, it is my opinion that a ball on the batter (which it was likely to be anyway) is not enough of a penalty that I would mess with changing my pitcher's mechanics. I'm letting her continue to pitch illegal until the other team stops swinging.
Or until an umpire has the guts to call it

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May 29, 2015
3,731
113
That is one way the rule change was presented to us at a clinic, and it made me absolutely cringe.

The clinician (who I have worked with and is a chicken s--t at calling illegal pitches) presented it as "Umpires are too afraid to make the call, so they are lessening the penalty to encourage us to call it more often." WRONG ... you just gave me less incentive to call it.
 

Strike2

Allergic to BS
Nov 14, 2014
2,044
113
If I were coaching, it is my opinion that a ball on the batter (which it was likely to be anyway) is not enough of a penalty that I would mess with changing my pitcher's mechanics. I'm letting her continue to pitch illegal until the other team stops swinging.

It's not just a ball on the batter...it's a free pitch for the batter. It's like the defense jumping off-sides in football. If the batter makes contact and reaches (at least) 1B, that play stands. If she misses, fouls, or is put out, she goes back to the batter's box with a ball added to the count. If that's ball four, she's heading to 1B. A pitcher not correcting it, and the umpire repeatedly calling it, will bring some problems for the defense pretty quick.
 
Feb 20, 2020
377
63
In truth, though, it was a bad rule. You need two umps to really call it, and most girls don't have two ump games until 12 or 14. By then, a lot of pitching styles are ingrained. Girls can try and do get out of it, but the advanced base by runners was too harsh a penalty for the call. And it's especially brutal if a girl has spent a season with one ump and it not getting called to suddenly having two and having it called every pitch.

And, frankly, it's hard to see and often miscalled. A foot drag can be easy to miss, so then you've got a pitcher overcompensating and throwing like crap. A free pitch is a severe enough penalty without changing the dynamics of the game.
 
Apr 5, 2013
2,130
83
Back on the dirt...
It's not just a ball on the batter...it's a free pitch for the batter. It's like the defense jumping off-sides in football. If the batter makes contact and reaches (at least) 1B, that play stands. If she misses, fouls, or is put out, she goes back to the batter's box with a ball added to the count. If that's ball four, she's heading to 1B. A pitcher not correcting it, and the umpire repeatedly calling it, will bring some problems for the defense pretty quick.


In truth, though, it was a bad rule. You need two umps to really call it, and most girls don't have two ump games until 12 or 14. By then, a lot of pitching styles are ingrained. Girls can try and do get out of it, but the advanced base by runners was too harsh a penalty for the call. And it's especially brutal if a girl has spent a season with one ump and it not getting called to suddenly having two and having it called every pitch.

And, frankly, it's hard to see and often miscalled. A foot drag can be easy to miss, so then you've got a pitcher overcompensating and throwing like crap. A free pitch is a severe enough penalty without changing the dynamics of the game.
Less filling, tastes great
Red state or blue state
It goes on and on....



For me, it’s a written rule and should be followed. When it’s not called for one who is illegal, it punishes the legal one. How is that fair?

I am for changing the rule to allow anything. Who cares? Let them throw how ever they want but LET THEM ALL DO IT! Not the chosen one by some random umpire. Pisses me off no doubt when umps won’t call it saying they are not getting any benefit. BS! My pitcher is legal and theirs isn’t, that ain’t fair. I teach mine to pitch by the rules but you let the other team do as they please....POPPYCOCK!
 

Strike2

Allergic to BS
Nov 14, 2014
2,044
113
I am for changing the rule to allow anything. Who cares? Let them throw how ever they want but LET THEM ALL DO IT! Not the chosen one by some random umpire. Pisses me off no doubt when umps won’t call it saying they are not getting any benefit. BS! My pitcher is legal and theirs isn’t, that ain’t fair. I teach mine to pitch by the rules but you let the other team do as they please....POPPYCOCK!

So...get a running start...get 10 feet from Home Plate, and then release the ball?
 

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