I need a favor...is Kaylee Carlson legal?

[SoCal_Dad]

The during the AU AL game saturday, the announcers talked about how the pitching lane was 1 inch narrow and the grounds crew had to make it wider.

Probably drew parallel lines instead of with slight divergence so lane is 1" wider at circle than at pitcher's plate. Excerpt from NCAA rules:

2.21 Pitcher’s Lane
The pitcher’s lane is the area to which the pitcher is restricted when delivering the pitch. It shall be 8 feet in length extending along the outer edges of the pitcher’s plate toward the inside edges of the inside front corners of the batter’s boxes. It is 24 inches wide at the pitcher’s plate and 25 inches wide where it intersects the pitcher’s circle.

 

[JAD]

Probably drew parallel lines instead of with slight divergence so lane is 1" wider at circle than at pitcher's plate. Excerpt from NCAA rules:

2.21 Pitcher’s Lane
The pitcher’s lane is the area to which the pitcher is restricted when delivering the pitch. It shall be 8 feet in length extending along the outer edges of the pitcher’s plate toward the inside edges of the inside front corners of the batter’s boxes. It is 24 inches wide at the pitcher’s plate and 25 inches wide where it intersects the pitcher’s circle.

So does the pitching lane end at the edge of the circle, 8' from the pitching plate? Does that mean that any pitcher who lands outside the circle is illegal?

 

[ian]

Probably drew parallel lines instead of with slight divergence so lane is 1" wider at circle than at pitcher's plate. Excerpt from NCAA rules:

2.21 Pitcher’s Lane
The pitcher’s lane is the area to which the pitcher is restricted when delivering the pitch. It shall be 8 feet in length extending along the outer edges of the pitcher’s plate toward the inside edges of the inside front corners of the batter’s boxes. It is 24 inches wide at the pitcher’s plate and 25 inches wide where it intersects the pitcher’s circle.

Commentators said it was 23" not 24" at the circle end.

The crew probably marked the field wrong when she pitched and that's why it looks like she steps out of the lane. (Eye roll)

 

[SoCal_Dad]

So does the pitching lane end at the edge of the circle, 8' from the pitching plate? Does that mean that any pitcher than lands outside the circle is illegal?

Good questions. 2.21 is under Field of Play, which provides definitions and marking specs. It does suggest the lane, rather than just the markings, is 8' in length. I always took it as strictly a width restriction since NCAA rules only required pitchers stay within the unmarked 24" width of the pitcher's plate prior to them adding the marked pitcher's lane in 2009. The 2009 PoE confirms they didn't change the pitching rules, just provided lines to better see it. Rule changes between 2009 and 2016 seem to clarify pitchers aren't restricted to 8' length.

2009 Points of Emphasis:

The addition of tangible lines to assist in defining the pitcher's lane is the most visible of the rule changes for 2009. As in the past, the pitcher is required to push off the pitcher's plate and take one stride forward toward the batter. The addition of the actual lines, which define what that space looks like, is intended to be a frame of reference for both the pitcher and umpire; although it does not change any part of the pitching rule. It simply changes the imagined space to a visually defined one.
In order for the pitcher's delivery to be legal, she must stride forward on or within the line. If her foot lands completely outside the line on her stride, she is in violation of the rule, and the effect for an illegal pitch is enforced.

2008 Rules - https://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/SR08.pdf:

2.18 Pitcher’s Circle
The pitcher’s circle shall be a circular area with an 8-foot radius, drawn from the center of the front edge of the pitcher’s plate.

(no definition/mention of pitcher's lane)

10.4.1 In the act of delivering the ball, the pitcher must push off with the pivot foot from the pitcher’s plate and take one step/stride forward toward the batter and on the imaginary extension of the 24-inch length of the pitcher’s plate.

2009 Rules - https://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/SR09.pdf:

2.18 Pitcher’s Circle
The pitcher’s circle shall be a circular area with an 8-foot radius, drawn from the center of the front edge of the pitcher’s plate.

2.19 Pitcher's Lane
The area to which the pitcher is restricted when delivering the pitch. The pitcher's lane shall be eight feet in length extending along the outer edges of the pitcher's plate toward the inside edges of the inside front corners of the batter's boxes.

10.4.1 In the act of delivering the pitch, the pitcher must push off with the pivot foot from the pitcher’s plate and take one step/stride with the non-pivot foot forward toward the batter and on or within the pitcher's lane.

2016-17 Rules - https://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/SR17.pdf:

2.20 Pitcher’s Circle
The pitcher’s circle shall be a circular area with an 8-foot radius, drawn from the center of the front edge of the pitcher’s plate used to define the pitcher’s area for purposes of the look-back rule.

10.4.2 In distinguishing the pitcher’s feet, the pivot foot is the one that maintains contact with the pitcher’s plate, absorbs the body’s weight, pushes off against the plate during the initial “step” phase of the pitch, and drags along the ground during the final phase of the pitch. The stride foot is the one that extends forward toward home plate as the pitcher steps to deliver the pitch to the batter. The stride foot must land on or within the lines of the pitcher’s lane. For a right-handed pitcher, the pivot foot is her right foot and the stride foot, her left.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

Commentators said it was 23" not 24" at the circle end.

Another example of commentators not knowing the rules...

 

[ian]

Another example of commentators not knowing the rules...

My mistake. They said it should be 24". The grounds crew marked it at 23" and then widened it 1".

 

[SoCal_Dad]

My mistake. They said it should be 24". The grounds crew marked it at 23" and then widened it 1".

That's how I took your previous post - and they're wrong about it being 24" at the circle (see rule below). Lots/most people don't know the lines aren't supposed to be parallel and the lane is 1" wider at the circle. Prior to the lines being marked, pitchers were restricted to the 24" width of the pitcher's plate the whole way.

2.21 Pitcher’s Lane
The pitcher’s lane is the area to which the pitcher is restricted when delivering the pitch. It shall be 8 feet in length extending along the outer edges of the pitcher’s plate toward the inside edges of the inside front corners of the batter’s boxes. It is 24 inches wide at the pitcher’s plate and 25 inches wide where it intersects the pitcher’s circle.

Personally, I think they over-engineered the marked lines to rationalize how much to diverge them - all that for a mere 1/2" on each line.

 

[riseball]

That's how I took your previous post - and they're wrong about it being 24" at the circle (see rule below). Lots/most people don't know the lines aren't supposed to be parallel and the lane is 1" wider at the circle. Prior to the lines being marked, pitchers were restricted to the 24" width of the pitcher's plate the whole way.

2.21 Pitcher’s Lane
The pitcher’s lane is the area to which the pitcher is restricted when delivering the pitch. It shall be 8 feet in length extending along the outer edges of the pitcher’s plate toward the inside edges of the inside front corners of the batter’s boxes. It is 24 inches wide at the pitcher’s plate and 25 inches wide where it intersects the pitcher’s circle.

Personally, I think they over-engineered the marked lines to rationalize how much to diverge them - all that for a mere 1/2" on each line.

It may make sense for the ground crew. Saw them run a line from front inside corner of the batters box to the outside edge of the pitchers plate which probably intersected the circle at the proper location.

 

[riseball]

UPDATE: Still illegal vs Kentucky.

 

[sb03dad]

UPDATE: Still illegal vs Kentucky.

Almost called, but they changed their mind. LOL


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