I was thinking you still get the base on an illegal pitch. Did I miss the ruling change?
Or until an umpire has the guts to call itI 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.
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.
Less filling, tastes greatIn 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.
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!