Not pitching from the rubber

[Mclewson]

Saw this yesterday in a 12u usssa tourney.
Girl would line up right of the rubber and pitch. Never once did she touch the rubber. Pitched the entire game like that. Is this a legal pitch?

 

[Comp]

No, all rule sets with the exception of FED require both feet to be in contact with the pitching plate and on or within the 24" width of the pitching plate. FED does allow the stride foot to start back, or step back prior to the hands being brought together, but both feet must still be within the 24" width of the pitching plate.

 

[James Smith]

What? I would love to see some video of this and what comp said.

 

[Comp]

I had a high school pitcher last year that did something very similar. She was a lefty and would try to start with her left foot just touching the very right hand end of the pitching plate and her right foot well outside the pitching lane. I had her in a preseason game and my partner and I both called her illegal on several pitches and told her she had to start within the lane. I ended up having her 3 more times during the season and every game I would get her a few times on being illegal. You would think she would remember I was the umpire that didnt allow her to get away with it.

 

[MTR]

I had a high school pitcher last year that did something very similar. She was a lefty and would try to start with her left foot just touching the very right hand end of the pitching plate and her right foot well outside the pitching lane. I had her in a preseason game and my partner and I both called her illegal on several pitches and told her she had to start within the lane. I ended up having her 3 more times during the season and every game I would get her a few times on being illegal. You would think she would remember I was the umpire that didnt allow her to get away with it.

So, apparently this team did not have a coach.

 

[Comp]

So, apparently this team did not have a coach.

Not much of one. This "coach" got mad at me when I refused to give the pitcher another ball because she didnt like the one she had after already throwing pitches with it. Explained to her that once a ball was in play, it remained in play until it either went out of play are was deemed by me to be unplayable. She insisted it was not a rule and was "going to go get her rulebook". I told her to leave her rule book where it was and she could look it up on her own time.

 

[Scorekeeper]

Not much of one. This "coach" got mad at me when I refused to give the pitcher another ball because she didnt like the one she had after already throwing pitches with it. Explained to her that once a ball was in play, it remained in play until it either went out of play are was deemed by me to be unplayable. She insisted it was not a rule and was "going to go get her rulebook". I told her to leave her rule book where it was and she could look it up on her own time.

Perhaps you can teach me something here. I found the following rule for baseball in OBR and for softball in the NCAA rules, and they seem to be very similar in that they say an umpire shall put an alternate ball into play when a pitcher requests it. What rule set were you playing under that allowed you to abrogate that rule?

NCAASB - 15.6 Pregame Responsibilities
Before the start of each game (even of successive games or a doubleheader), the umpires shall:
15.6.4 Have balls available to replenish the supply of game balls as needed. Such balls shall be put in play when:
…
15.6.4.3 The pitcher requests a different ball.
Note: The game should not be delayed to retrieve a particular ball that may have been fouled away from the playing area.

OBRBB-3.01 Before the game begins the umpire shall—
(e) Have in his possession at least two alternate balls and shall require replenishment of such supply of alternate balls as needed throughout the game. Such alternate balls shall be put in play when—
…
(3) The pitcher requests such alternate ball.

 

[Comp]

ASA and FED (dont know about any of the other alphabet rules sets without reviewing them) both have strict ball rotation rules. If the game is started with 2 new balls and one of the balls does not get used in the top half of the 1st inning, the pitcher in the bottom half of the inning must pitch with the unused ball. After that, when the pitcher comes out to pitch at the beginning of a half inning, they may request a different ball, however, if they throw a warm up pitch they have no made their choice and must pitch that ball until it goes out of play or becomes unplayable.

 

[Scorekeeper]

ASA and FED (dont know about any of the other alphabet rules sets without reviewing them) both have strict ball rotation rules. If the game is started with 2 new balls and one of the balls does not get used in the top half of the 1st inning, the pitcher in the bottom half of the inning must pitch with the unused ball. After that, when the pitcher comes out to pitch at the beginning of a half inning, they may request a different ball, however, if they throw a warm up pitch they have no made their choice and must pitch that ball until it goes out of play or becomes unplayable.

Now that’s interesting, and thanx for the explanation. It allowed me to find the appropriate rule in the ASA Umpire’s rules edition.

That brings up the question, why? Was there some study that determined allowing the pitcher to request a new ball was taking too much time or causing some other problem? I honestly never noticed that it was something that happened so often it became a problem. Ya learn something new every day! I guess I’ll watch more closely now.

 

[Comp]

Dont know all the reasons behind it, but would assume it is mainly a speed up item and to keep a pitcher from constantly asking for a different ball as you see in pro baseball. As for a ball going out of play, I would think it would be for both keeping the game going so you dont have a pitcher holding up play waiting for a particular ball to come back and also so the umpire can check the ball to assure it is actually a game ball coming back and inspect it for damage.