Last night at our middle school game, our pitcher would walk just out of the back of the circle to rest and compose herself for the next pitch. She did this with runners on but was completely ignoring them. There was no danger of any of them running, e have a good infield.
My questions are, is there any rules about stepping out of the circle with the ball when there is no play to be made (all runners are stationary on base) and how long is she allowed between pitches?
Walking that far and looking down at the dirt gave me the impression she was taking longer than normal between pitches. She would stroll back and then contemplate for 3 or 4 seconds before walking back to the rubber.
My questions are, is there any rules about stepping out of the circle with the ball when there is no play to be made (all runners are stationary on base) and how long is she allowed between pitches?
Walking that far and looking down at the dirt gave me the impression she was taking longer than normal between pitches. She would stroll back and then contemplate for 3 or 4 seconds before walking back to the rubber.
