Just a pretty general question I hope. Here it goes. Bottom of the fourth and your team heads out of the dugout and onto the field.Your SS decides she is going to step on the mound before the actual pitcher fixes her hair and leaves the dugout to head out to warm up for the inning. Has the SS declared herself a pitcher at that point? Is she required to pitch to a hitter or nothing at all? No harm no foul? Thanks gang
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- Thread starter Fuddrock
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This is one of those old playground rule myths that pop up from time to time. I can remember this one from when I was a kid playing ball- and that was a long time ago!
Generally, a new pitcher is in the game when they are announced to the umpire and noted on the official line-up card. If that never happened, then all you have is a kid throwing the ball for fun, not an official substitution or position change. No harm, no foul!
The only form of softball I'm aware of that has a rule like this is USSSA slow pitch softball.
Generally, a new pitcher is in the game when they are announced to the umpire and noted on the official line-up card. If that never happened, then all you have is a kid throwing the ball for fun, not an official substitution or position change. No harm, no foul!
The only form of softball I'm aware of that has a rule like this is USSSA slow pitch softball.
This would be the correct answer...
- Jul 10, 2013
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This is a baseball rule, in baseball if a player step on the rubber they have to throw one pitch to a batter. I don't think this applies to softball
No, not true for FED baseball (I've done FED baseball for even longer than I've done softball).
FED baseball rules require a pitcher who is officially in the game to face one batter until the batter is either retired or reaches first base, not to throw one pitch to the batter.
But just "stepping on the rubber" doesn't mean that a new pitcher is officially in the game. He's offically in the game when announced to the plate umpire as a substitute or when he takes his position on the rubber when the ball is live. The ball obviously isn't live during between-inning warm-ups.
So let's not inadvertantly start any baseball rule myths on the softball board!
FED baseball rules require a pitcher who is officially in the game to face one batter until the batter is either retired or reaches first base, not to throw one pitch to the batter.
But just "stepping on the rubber" doesn't mean that a new pitcher is officially in the game. He's offically in the game when announced to the plate umpire as a substitute or when he takes his position on the rubber when the ball is live. The ball obviously isn't live during between-inning warm-ups.
So let's not inadvertantly start any baseball rule myths on the softball board!
This is a myth, for both baseball and softball. Think about it. Every kid wants to pitch, so all he/she would have to do is run out to the rubber first. Come to think of it, that is what I had to do during grade school.
My apologies. It was Little League I was thinking of.
Little League Rule 3.08(a)-(1) states, “If no announcement of a substitution is made, the substitute shall be considered to have entered the game when – the substitute takes a position on the pitcher’s plate and throws one warm-up pitch to the catcher.”
Even in Little League, the person would have to throw a warm-up. Just picking the ball up and tossing it to the actual pitcher would not be sufficient.
Little League Rule 3.08(a)-(1) states, “If no announcement of a substitution is made, the substitute shall be considered to have entered the game when – the substitute takes a position on the pitcher’s plate and throws one warm-up pitch to the catcher.”
Even in Little League, the person would have to throw a warm-up. Just picking the ball up and tossing it to the actual pitcher would not be sufficient.
