Is replanting or skipping now legal in my part of the world?

[SoCal_Dad]

My mistake. Rules supplement says: A CROW HOP is defined as a replant of the pivot foot prior to delivering the pitch. This can be done by (1) sliding the foot in front, but not in contact with, the pitcher’s plate; (2) lifting the pivot foot and stepping forward; or (3) jumping forward from the pitcher’s plate with the pivot foot prior to starting the pitch. Umpires should look at the location of the pivot foot when the hands separate, the start of the pitch. If the pivot foot is off and in front of the pitcher’s plate before the hands separate, this would be a crow hop and an illegal pitch should be called.

So (1) is already covered in 6(FP).3.J, which says you have to push off the pitchers plate.

(2) and (3) is already covered in 6(FP).3.I which requires you to drag your pivot foot.

6(FP).3.K covers leaping during the step/stride of non-pivot foot.

6(FP).3.J covers all crow hops. (2) is a variation on (1) - i.e. before the step/stride of non-pivot foot. (3) is when they leap before separating their hands.

So as I have been saying for years, make the rules like the boys and let's move on with the game.

The boys/men still have a leaping rule - it's allowed as long as the toes of the pivot foot are downward. What does it mean by "downward" (e.g. does foot have to be vertical)? Does it add another level of complexity to the call?

 

[Balls]

ISF softball in Australia no umpire cares about what happens off the plate except maybe separation of the hands before the pivot foot lands.
They look for a pause before starting delivering the pitch, heel and toe making contact, pushing off the plate in one spot only and coming onto the plate with hands apart.
There a lots of different wind ups pre-delivery motions and people step, leap, jump and hop. The game moves on and even the great Folkard still gets bombed over the fence. Keep it simple I say.