Agreed, by defacing it.It kind of seems like the intent was to get some grip on the ball.
Agreed, by defacing it.It kind of seems like the intent was to get some grip on the ball.
I will literally throw the ball right back to them. The ball is legal, play ball.Give the ball back to the PU and ask him/her to make it less slick.
I've seen umpires do this exact thing at the plate meeting.
Which is fine because that is before the game. Most of the coaches around here have the pitchers warm up with the game balls which also is legal. That is not the same thing as what a player does in game.
The ball in play has certain rules around it.
but that's logical nonsense. If an action is okay for a ball in other situations, it's not defacing it when it happens, certainly not to the "This is unfair to the offense and they should be rewarded for it" level.
Does the umpire inspect the ball every every ground ball? hard bunt up the third base line in the dirt, picked picked up and flung to first for the out, tossed back to the pitcher. If it's not creating some sort of advantage, just play the game. If the umpire thinks the ball is invalid, inspect it and make a call. If the umpire is responsible to make sure the game ball is a legal ball, then allowing a pitcher to throw one they've decided is defaced is on THEM.
You allude to exactly what is wrong NFHS' poorly conceived rules regarding defacing. What defacing means should be defined in the rules, and the umpire should be required to physically inspect the ball for actual damage before imposing penalty. Dirt on a softball does not damage its cover.but that's logical nonsense. If an action is okay for a ball in other situations, it's not defacing it when it happens, certainly not to the "This is unfair to the offense and they should be rewarded for it" level.
Does the umpire inspect the ball every every ground ball? hard bunt up the third base line in the dirt, picked picked up and flung to first for the out, tossed back to the pitcher. If it's not creating some sort of advantage, just play the game. If the umpire thinks the ball is invalid, inspect it and make a call. If the umpire is responsible to make sure the game ball is a legal ball, then allowing a pitcher to throw one they've decided is defaced is on THEM.
Why can you not accept the fact that it is illegal?????? By the way, every ruleset I am aware of has rules about applying any substance directly to the ball.You allude to exactly what is wrong NFHS' poorly conceived rules regarding defacing. What defacing means should be defined in the rules, and the umpire should be required to physically inspect the ball for actual damage before imposing penalty. Dirt on a softball does not damage its cover.