Amount of pressure on the drive foot

[left turn]

Attached is a progression of the pitcher I mentioned. In the middle frame, her back foot of roughly two inches off the ground. It's less clear from a picture than in real life. Terrifically effective pitcher. She looks a lot like Angel Bunner. She is clearly getting an extra push from her back foot replanting. These are stills from a video I took. She leaps at least two feet beyond the pitcher's plate before she releases.

She does this every pitch and I have not heard of her being called for an IP. College may indeed be different. But she has had a good career carving up the local high school competition.

 

[MandM]

She is actually illegal in each frame, at least caught by the camera. First frame, both feet are not in contact with the mound at the beginning of her pitch, middle frame she looks airborne, last frame, she is replanting. A trifecta!

Replanting is so common in NJ HS ball (recognize this pitcher? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8QAPbA5hIM) that you just have to bite your lip and look the other way, you can't get worked up about it. But in college, they have been calling this (see WCWS this year? LHP from FLorida was called about 50% of the time she replanted but at least was called for it). She did not pitch at all as a freshman as they tried to fix the problem).

 

[Ken B]

MandM,
I believe that the push in the first frame might be legal in some sanctions. Why the striding foot would be considered illegal?

 

[MandM]

I think that you are probably right about the first frame, as long as she does not slide that foot forward at all. What was the question about the stride foot? about that pitcher or the link? in the 2nd frame she is airborne- at least it looks that way, & the 3rd frame she looks like she is about to replant-in both cases that is illegal.

 

[Ken B]

As I recall, some sanctions require part of the drive foot to be on top of the rubber, while others (ASA?) only require contact. I that case, the heel of the foot can start in contact with the front side of the rubber and like you said, as long as the foot does not slide forward, or lift, step and push, you're OK.

In your earlier post, you mentioned the first frame showed an illegal pitch because both feet were not in contact, but it looks like she is beginning her stride/push and the stride foot would need to be airborne.

 

[left turn]

The pitcher did started legally. It's just she left the ground as she took the two foot leap.

 

[starsnuffer]

The pitcher did started legally. It's just she left the ground as she took the two foot leap.

From the pictures, it seems as if she's taking a running start. Her pivot foot is off the rubber during her drive. Usually this happens when the pivot foot is lifted or stepped forward before the pitching motion begins. She's illegal 3 different ways.

-W

 

[MandM]

ASA 6 Section 1 c2. (Female) The pitcher shall take a position with both feet in contact with
the pitcher’s plate. (she probably was at the start)

e2.(Female) Both feet must remain in contact with the pitcher’s plate at all
times prior to the forward step.

3-i Women’s and all JO play) In the act of delivering the ball, the pitcher must
take one step with the non-pivot foot simultaneous with the release of the
ball. The step must be forward and toward the batter within the 24-inch length
of the pitcher’s plate. It is not a step if the pitcher slides the pivot foot across
the pitcher’s plate toward the batter, or if the pivot foot turns or slides in order
to push off the pitcher’s plate, provided contact is maintained with the plate.
Raising the foot off the pitching plate and returning it to the plate creates a
rocking motion and is an illegal act.

To clarify, these were the rules I was considering. The pitcher shown by the OP has begun her forward stride, but she is not in contact with the pitching plate when she does this. She is pushing off from the ground in front of the plate. I have seen some umpires (depending on how the pivot foot does this) call this small movement forward (especially if the foot slides a bit)- a replant.

 

[left turn]

Please see the above picture. She starts with the back of her right heel touching the pitching plate. None or her right foot is on top of the pitcher's plate. She's not getting a running start, although I can see where that can be inferred from the first pics.

Since her heel is against the pitcher's plate, the ball of her right foot is 6 to 7 inches away from the rubber. This is her initial launch point.

She is very athletic and gets a great push; and a very agressive leap....

 

[MandM]

you could also consider the pitching rule explanations at this site- http://www.pitchsoftball.com/page3.html

it seems to be understood that the pivot foot should be pushing off the pitcher's plate, this pitcher does not do that. Rather, she is pushing off the ground in front of the pitcher's plate and technically this is illegal, because once the pivot foot loses contact with the pitcher's plate, it is supposed to drag. Instead, as she loses contact with the plate as soon as she lifts her heel, she ends up pushing off from the dirt. Some umpires would call an initial launch point like this a replant- most would not. That being said, it is a minor illegality compared to the leap and the more obvious replant of the later frames (IMHO)