How Pitching Illegally Comes Back to Haunt You

[radness]

The rule will be changed, eventually. It has to.

✔

This whole thing is like watching a 2nd act of the men's fastpitch world.

This exact problem started in the 1980's. Umpires would call IP's and people complained. Then they allowed the "leap" to appease the players and that turned into the wild west where we have no rules in men's FP except "don't throw overhand". That's basically the only rule in North America men's softball.

The men's and women's games went in different directions with pitching.

It was in the '80s when the men's game was allowed to leap,
Pitchers in the women's game got restricted to stop gaining ground.
(which they would leap and hop. can remember when they buckle down on that during that era and the pitchers trying to adjust)
( can also remember previous to that when there was no fuss about it at all)

Then got more restricted,
no stepping to the sides.

Plus things changed to Aid the offense.

 

[Hillhouse]

✔



The men's and women's games went in different directions with pitching.

It was in the '80s when the men's game was allowed to leap,
Pitchers in the women's game got restricted to stop gaining ground.
(which they would leap and hop. can remember when they buckle down on that during that era and the pitchers trying to adjust)
( can also remember previous to that when there was no fuss about it at all)

Then got more restricted,
no stepping to the sides.

Plus things changed to Aid the offense.

No doubt Rad. And, the USA was the only country in the world to have different rules for men's and women's pitching. When men's softball began it's decline, they made the pitching rules easier to #1 get more guys pitching and #2 to keep the older guys going longer under easier rules.

USA softball paid the price for this. The once dominant US National team ruled the ISF (now WBSC) championships from it's start in 1966- 1984, when they lost to New Zealand in the finals for the first time. Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't say even during the era when the rest of the world was trying to be like USA softball, the US men's national team still used foreign born pitchers. If you YouTube the 1980 ISF tournament, there's several games there. From the start of the ISF Worlds in 1966, the US representative at the ISF Championships was the previous year's National champions. So, for example, the 1980 US team was basically the 1979 team that won from Saginaw Michigan. Ironically, that team won the National championship on the back of a New Zealand born pitcher! lol. But, USA had a man named Owen Walford, who had duel citizenship but originally from NZ pitching for them. Walford's nickname was "The Fog" cause when he threw it, you couldn't see it. Probably one of the coolest nicknames ever!!! USA changed their National team for the 1988 ISF, picking the best players individually... adding a foreign born pitcher Peter Meredith (now coaching at BYU softball) Anyway, I digress. When ASA changed the men's pitching rules, kids like me growing up were learning to pitch with 1 foot on the rubber and allowed to jump. In the ISF World championship, that was illegal. So they made it 10x harder for Americans to pitch in the ISF/WBSC.

Now days the pitching rule is pretty universal on the International stage. But here in the USA, we still have organizations that alter their pitching rules for some unknown reason. PGF, USSSA, USA/ASA, NCAA, etc. etc. It makes zero sense that they can't just make things universal. It's pure ego that they don't.

 

[radness]

No doubt Rad. And, the USA was the only country in the world to have different rules for men's and women's pitching.

Imagine that the only country in the world separate with rules between the two.

When men's softball began it's decline, they made the pitching rules easier to #1 get more guys pitching and #2 to keep the older guys going longer under easier rules.

There you go understandable reasons.

USA softball paid the price for this. The once dominant US National team ruled the ISF (now WBSC) championships from it's start in 1966- 1984, when they lost to New Zealand in the finals for the first time. Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't say even during the era when the rest of the world was trying to be like USA softball, the US men's national team still used foreign born pitchers. If you YouTube the 1980 ISF tournament, there's several games there. From the start of the ISF Worlds in 1966, the US representative at the ISF Championships was the previous year's National champions. So, for example, the 1980 US team was basically the 1979 team that won from Saginaw Michigan. Ironically, that team won the National championship on the back of a New Zealand born pitcher! lol. But, USA had a man named Owen Walford, who had duel citizenship but originally from NZ pitching for them. Walford's nickname was "The Fog" cause when he threw it, you couldn't see it. Probably one of the coolest nicknames ever!!! USA changed their National team for the 1988 ISF, picking the best players individually... adding a foreign born pitcher Peter Meredith (now coaching at BYU softball) Anyway, I digress. When ASA changed the men's pitching rules, kids like me growing up were learning to pitch with 1 foot on the rubber and allowed to jump. In the ISF World championship, that was illegal. So they made it 10x harder for Americans to pitch in the ISF/WBSC.

Now days the pitching rule is pretty universal on the International stage. But here in the USA, we still have organizations that alter their pitching rules for some unknown reason. PGF, USSSA, USA/ASA, NCAA, etc. etc. It makes zero sense that they can't just make things universal. It's pure ego that they don't.

Great read.
With important knowledge in the history of our shared sport.

 

[Hillhouse]

RAD, when you replied, I thought you were giving me the Mike White middle finger!!!!!!!! LOL

 

[radness]

RAD, when you replied, I thought you were giving me the Mike White middle finger!!!!!!!! LOL

noooo....


But you did make me double-check that finger I pointed.
think might use arrows in the future
to avoid an oops moment

 

[nikkilugi]

I watch the same game Vertigo - it was beyond frustrating to watch and the Troy pitcher could not adjust. FYI the comment was made that she wasn't just getting called for illegal pitches that game - she had been called all tournament long so this wasn't a case of a coach putting her out there to see if an umpire would call it. They had already been calling her all tournament. I'm not going to get in some argument that coaches are doing it to make the rules change - if they are then that is plain silly. This was an elimination game in a conference tournament for a mid major team that would have no chance at getting an at large bid so they NEEDED to win that tournament to go to Regionals. I will say I watched the Troy pitcher's feet and really did not see much of a replant and no leap - I felt beyond bad for her but I do know it was said it had been an ongoing issue for her all season.

 

[clarity]

Blessed are the umpires who know this is an illegal pitch. I don't even need to see video to know the she's a replanter. (This is the first thing that came up when I searched "Troy pitcher illegal"). When the trail knee flexes and points rearward it is an illegal replant 100% of the time. Such an easy call to make by any field umpire.

 

[radness]

This is how they're dealing with the pitching rule...
*By creating a new rule that favors the offense...
In this example the batter hit a towering Fly ball out to the fence but was caught for an out. Yet not an out because...


See 👁👁 if it were a home run or landed for a base hit it would not have mattered what the pitcher did.


This is why rules were brought up in the discussion about how things are handled in the direction of the game.
*They made an adjustment to favor the offense again.

It's a reminder that illegal pitches can still be hit and then have a rule that favors the offense pending the outcome.
LEARN TO BE BETTER HITTERS!!!

 

[radness]

What will come of this situation with the new rule Amendment?
As they have done in the past they will reflect on the amendment to the pitching situation, see how their rule application applied throughout the season. Look and see if it had value or not. And make further ruling adjustments from there.

Its historically accurate way they handle the direction of the game.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

View attachment 25584
Blessed are the umpires who know this is an illegal pitch. I don't even need to see video to know the she's a replanter. (This is the first thing that came up when I searched "Troy pitcher illegal"). When the trail knee flexes and points rearward it is an illegal replant 100% of the time. Such an easy call to make by any field umpire.

And yet you see no evidence of divot of a divot or dirt being kicked towards first base.