If you know what to look for this is clearly an illegal pitch. Problem is that umpires are not trained to recognize it. As shown in the video when a pitcher gets both feet off the ground, it is an illegal pitch.
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Illegal Pitch?
- Thread starter tkblast
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- Feb 7, 2013
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It's subtle but she is illegal. And this is one of the problems with why IPs are not called, because umpires are reluctant to call an illegal pitch since its not "defintive" and the penalty is too harsh (baserunners move up one base and a ball called on the batter) in addition to slowing the game down and/or having to remove this pitcher from the game where most teams at this level only have 1 or 2 decent pitchers at best. So this pitching technique is "rewarded" and will get worse over time and difficult to change after pitching like this for years without any consequences.
This scenario is all too common and one of many reasons why we see so much illegal pitching at the higher levels....
martianr
Softball DAD
It is illegal. It looks very fluid and easy for her to pitch this ways which to me is scary. She will continue doing this and get better at pitching illegal. Until things change and soon. Please keep calling her out for illegal pitching until you get some umps with knowledge and b***s.
- Jun 22, 2008
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Actually, umpires are instructed at all levels to make sure the pitcher's actions are illegal prior to even thinking about it. That would require something definitive. IPs are not to be guessed or called simply because the umpire thinks s/he sees something just "isn't right". An umpire is told that if you have to think about it, don't call it until you know it is illegal. And remember, the umpire has a specific location to be stationed prior to each play. S/he certainly cannot more around for angles or get down on the ground to see that quarter of an inch gap between the ground and the toe.
And speaking of the penalty, there have been attempts to drop the awarded bas e? Absolutely! OTOH, many would be because there would be more IPs since all it does is add a ball to the count. That would be something the coach would be willing to accept for a chance to get an out. OTOH, maybe not so if the batter only needed 3 balls to walk instead of 4.
A good umpire will call the IP when s/he sees an IP. I know the umpires I've trained over the past decade or so will without hesitation. But, of course, then there is the chorus about how other umpires don't call them, or that it is too important a game or too late in the game for the umpire to make such a call that may affect the outcome. And my favorite, "you are the first umpire to ever call her illegal" which 99% of the time is pure BS." You really have to love it when a coach uses that line of crap on the same umpire who made the same IP call previously that season.
- Feb 7, 2013
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Thanks MTR. I will say that I have never seen a softball game where the umpire consistently and repeatedly called the IP on a pitcher who was pitching illegally the whole game. On the rare occasion when an IP is called, it might be a couple of times in the game, more like a warning and the pitcher will try to correct for a few pitches and reverts back to her illegal mechanics without fail and the IP is not called again. We have even had umpires being instructed by TDs to not call IPs or they will never work that tournament again. I can't think of another sport that has so many issues with illegal mechanics and a complete lack of enforcement at all levels of the game.
- Jun 22, 2008
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Well I've said it before, wherever most of you live, you must have some really lousy umpires
- Feb 7, 2013
- 3,188
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SoCal....but as you can see from the DFP posts, seems to be a common theme across the nation...
- Apr 12, 2013
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This just doesn't sit well with me at all........I agree 100% no leap issues here. There is nothing here that I would begin to even call illegal. What I clearly see as a problem in this video is the DADDIES or COACHES at a 12U tournament taking the time to mention anything like this to an umpire, let alone posting it on a forum. Well, its fair game now.....
What I clearly see is a DADDY or a COACH (assuming your just a daddy from the losing team due to your cr@ppy video taking during f'n warmups from left field line) You told us YOU told the umpire to watch for the "leap".... At this point I personally find people like you are the problem, not the 13 year old girl.
i can peel this back more "Mr. 13 year old caller outer"..... You took the time to tell us where the replant was. you said 8-12" from pitchers plate. 2 things for you.... I suspect with those cr@ppy lights that the field in front of the pitchers plate is a flipping hole. Therefore, we probably aren't seeing a "CLAY" manicured pitching lane that is flat so your video is probably more worthless than the actual cr@ppy video itself, but that is just a guess.
Secondly, 8-12" GAP the pitching plate you see a replant divot???? This tells me you are the coach and went and LOOKED! or, you were a dad who looked after the game?
Just doing quick math, if she has a 6" long foot at age 12 or 13, you have just stated that if she is in fact leaping, she is leaping 2" - 6".... Oh boy, you found a cheater there!
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- Apr 12, 2013
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someone freeze frame the cr@ppy video and show me air under the foot.. Then and only then is this a leaping issue.
