No they don't!!

[PGSAKen]

We have had USSSA umpires call our pitcher for this on 2 occassions.......both say present but dont double present....make up your minds lol

What you cant do is step on the rubber and immediately go into your windup (quick pitching). Some pitchers like to stay behind the rubber, receive the signal, and as soon as the batter has both feet in the box step on the rubber and pitch with no pause.

Now can you step on the rubber with ball and hand in the glove and pitch (no seperation)?

 

[BoardMember]

The rule USED TO state: "Brought together INFRONT of the body for not less then one second"........Not sure if/when that was removed.

"INFRONT" of the body was defined as "NOT OVER THE TOP OF, OR BEHIND THE HEAD" when the hands came together.........

 

[crystlemc]

Either way, it doesn't apply in this situation since she puts her hand in the glove at her waist.

 

[curiousgeorge]

Let me illustrate. My DD approaches the rubber with the ball in her glove, her other hand at her side. She steps on the rubber and puts her hand in her glove. She moves the glove to her throwing side to adjust her grip in such a way as not to show it to the 3rd base coach.

Gee, I wonder who your pitching coach is. lol Give me 3 guesses and the first 2 don't count!!!

 

[doublesteal]

we had this issue at 14u last year. Every weekend an umpire would tell one of my pitcher she was illegal, each time for a different reason. The 2 who got called the most pitched in a similar fashion described. It got to the point where I had the pages marked in my rule book, to pull out and discuss with the umpire that he was wrong

 

[Indiana]

Huh - It seems like the rule differs with different governing bodies, thus the confusion/irritation. Our HS rules in Colorado state that the pitcher must receive the sign from the catcher with both feet on the rubber and her arms at her sides, with the ball in her non-glove hand. I've seen a bunch of illegal pitches called this year because of this differing rule - the umpires rarely give a warning and when there is a runner on third it is particularly painful.

 

[Comp]

Huh - It seems like the rule differs with different governing bodies, thus the confusion/irritation. Our HS rules in Colorado state that the pitcher must receive the sign from the catcher with both feet on the rubber and her arms at her sides, with the ball in her non-glove hand. I've seen a bunch of illegal pitches called this year because of this differing rule - the umpires rarely give a warning and when there is a runner on third it is particularly painful.

Then Colorado is not following FED rules. FED doesnt even require the pitcher to start with both feed on the pitching plate. All of the associations have essentially the same pitching requirements, including college. There are some slight variations, but the basic pitching preliminaries are basically the same.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Wow! I wondered why an umpire here was calling that (ball in the glove, hands separated) an illegal pitch. Next time, I can asked pleasantly if he is from CO.

 

[Comp]

I just looked, Colorado uses standard FED rules. If that is what the umpires in CO are calling, then they have absolutely no idea what the actual rules are. Someone needs to hand them the rule book and point out the pitching section. By the way, it is rule 6-1, page 47 of the 2012 rule book.

 

[tomzpc]

ASA Rule states "The pitcher shall bring the hands together for not less than one second and not more than 10 seconds before releasing it".

Here's another...what's the definition of "together"? I've had one ump say the ball must be placed into the glove for the hands to be together, others who have said they only want to see them touch. Of course, it is disadvantage for a pitcher to not put the ball into the glove but this was a girl pitching 12u rec who only threw fastballs. She would bring the hands together so that the ball merely was in contact with the webbing of her glove for that one second and not inside the glove. Should she change that? Absolutely, and I've told her so. But what is the rule? Is the one umpire correct in telling her that her "touch" was illegal? Just curious really.