How to crow hop?

[Agcy]

NFHS
Rule 6 Pitching
SECTION 1 PITCHING REGULATIONS (F.P.)
ART. 2 . . . About the Pitch:
c. The pivot foot may remain in contact with or may push off and drag away from the pitching plate prior to the front foot touching the ground, as long as the pivot foot remains in contact with the ground and within the 24-inch length. If a hole has been created in front of the pitcher’s plate, the pivot foot may be no higher than the level plane of the ground. Pushing off with the pivot foot from a place other than the pitcher’s plate is illegal.

NOTES:
1: It is not a step if the pitcher slides her foot in any direction on the pitcher’s plate, provided contact is maintained.
2: Techniques such as the “crow hop” and “the leap” are illegal. (2-16; 2-33)

USSSA
RULE 6. PITCHING
Sec 1.
E. The Pitch:
3. The pivot foot must remain in contact with the pitcher’s plate or push off and drag away from the pitcher’s plate or be airborne prior to the non-pivot foot touching the ground. The pitcher may leap from the pitcher’s plate, land with the non-pivot foot and with a continuous motion deliver the ball to the batter. The pivot foot may follow through with the pitcher’s continuous motion.
NOTE 1: It is not a step if the pitcher slides their pivot foot in any direction on the pitcher’s plate, provided contact is maintained.
NOTE 2: The pitcher’s push off to drag, or leap must start from the pitcher’s plate. The pitcher must not crow hop or push off from any place other than the pitcher’s plate.
NOTE 3: All movement of the pitching arm must be continuous as the pitcher steps, pushes or leaps from the pitcher’s plate.

NCAA
RULE 10 Pitching
10.5 Step/Stride
10.5.4 Leaping is not allowed. The pitcher may not become airborne on the initial drive from the pitcher’s plate. The pivot foot must slide/drag on the ground.
10.5.5 The pitcher is not allowed to hop or drag to a replant (crowhop), gain a second starting point and push off their pivot foot. Once having lost contact with the pitcher’s plate, the pivot foot may trail on the ground but may not bear weight again until the pitch is released.

Sorry I don't have a current USA rulebook.

Just in case there were any questions.

Thank you for this. To be clear, does the USSSA rule mean that if the pivot foot comes off the ground it MUST land AFTER the non-pivot foot? In other words, if the pivot foot goes airborne, it must be in the air when the non-pivot foot lands?

 

[The Man In Blue]

Thank you for this. To be clear, does the USSSA rule mean that if the pivot foot comes off the ground it MUST land AFTER the non-pivot foot? In other words, if the pivot foot goes airborne, it must be in the air when the non-pivot foot lands?

I will admit that I have not called much softball since before COVID and the whole leaping rule change was a shock to me when I came back here. However, I am a rules and grammar nerd (even though I may not always be correct) ...

That is my understanding of USSSA's wording. I have not seen USA's wording.

That is also my understanding of physics. If the back (pivot) foot lands first, it is a replant. Whether the pitcher actually pushes again or lands on the foot and uses it as fulcrum, they are replanting and reestablishing a new point to pitch from. The front foot MUST land first to be legal.

Prior to all this nonsense, I was taught that the difference between a crow hop and a leap was which first lands first. That lines up with the current written rule.

 

[clarity]

Prior to all this nonsense, I was taught that the difference between a crow hop and a leap was which first lands first. That lines up with the current written rule.

That is amazingly simple while being simple and easy to see. The world would change dramatically if the game were called this way.

 

[Fluid Fastpitch]

That is also my understanding of physics. If the back (pivot) foot lands first, it is a replant. Whether the pitcher actually pushes again or lands on the foot and uses it as fulcrum, they are replanting and reestablishing a new point to pitch from. The front foot MUST land first to be legal.

Prior to all this nonsense, I was taught that the difference between a crow hop and a leap was which first lands first. That lines up with the current written rule.

Doesn't this mean that a 'replant' would be legal, so long as the drag foot doesn't leave the ground? (The pitcher must not crow hop or push off from any place other than the pitcher’s plate.)

 

[The Man In Blue]

Doesn't this mean that a 'replant' would be legal, so long as the drag foot doesn't leave the ground? (The pitcher must not crow hop or push off from any place other than the pitcher’s plate.)

No. Read the language in the rules … each is a little different, but every one has some iteration of the pitcher may not push off from anywhere other than the pitcher’s plate.

 

[The Man In Blue]

That is amazingly simple while being simple and easy to see. The world would change dramatically if the game were called this way.

The description is ... But it isn’t always easy to see.

 

[radness]

The description is ... But it isn’t always easy to see.

Notice it's common for a lot of people to
discuss this looking at the back foot.
Rarely read or hear people talking about the front foot.

 

[clarity]

The description is ... But it isn’t always easy to see.

I knew I was wrong to get excited. I thought you had said something silly like that in the past.

 

[The Man In Blue]

Notice it's common for a lot of people to
discuss this looking at the back foot.
Rarely read or hear people talking about the front foot.

I would say that is because there was no reason to talk about the front foot. All we were looking for is the back foot losing contact with the ground. We didn't care if she was crow hopping or leaping, as both were illegal. That conversation will change in the summer ... NOTE: NFHS did NOT legalize leaping.

 

[radness]

I would say that is because there was no reason to talk about the front foot. All we were looking for is the back foot losing contact with the ground. We didn't care if she was crow hopping or leaping, as both were illegal.

That conversation will change in the summer ...

✔

NOTE: NFHS did NOT legalize leaping.