Question

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Hello! I know I haven't been on for awhile but now that softball season is starting and I am excited to finally get rolling. :D So I was watching College Softball on TV and I noticed that on the pitching mound there are two white lines in the circle. I am certain that they haven't been there other seasons before. I am wondering if it's a new rule or something. If it's a rule i'm wondering if it has been one for awhile and not really been inforced or if it's just a recently added rule. :confused: Would love some input ;)
Thanks!
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,133
113
Dallas, Texas
Rule 10.4.1--The rule is that the stride foot has to land in the 24" wide area between the home plate and the pitching rubber. The stride foot cannot land outside of the two white line.

It has been in the rules for a while. It seems to me that they have started marking the fields more often.

My DD said always erased the lines, just like the slap hitters like to erase the batters box.
 
May 13, 2008
831
16
The NCAA decided to make it a point of emphasis this year. It was noted by many during the College World Series how many pitchers were stepping outside of the "pitcher's lane".
 

MTR

Jun 22, 2008
3,438
48
Thanks but one more question... Why is it so important to stay within those lines?

Because it is the rule? It also helps elminate any perceived advantage the pitcher may get from exaggerated movement on the ball from outside the confines of the pitcher's plate.
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,133
113
Dallas, Texas
The idea generally is to keep the pitcher more or less in the center of the rubber. I suspect some pitcher was operating at the far right end of the rubber, and then stepping even farther to the right during a pitch.
 
Dec 3, 2008
161
0
Mowatt from Arizona stepped outside the line, particularly on her screw ball. Make the pitch pretty incredible when coming from that sharp an angle. Typically, when someone just misses a ball, they foul it straight back. You'll notice, especially with pitchers going outside the lane and throwing at these sharp angles, that more and more people are fouling balls off into their face mask.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
42,831
Messages
679,484
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top