Illegal pitch?

[backstop09]

In a game yesterday the opposing pitcher was stepping onto the pitching plate with the ball in her glove and her hands together. She did not separate her hands until she was into her windup. I talked about this with our coach after our at bat in the first inning. He mentioned it to the base umpire when we were batting in the 2nd inning. The base ump told him that he was told at the state rules meeting that as long as a pitcher's hands were in front of the pitcher's plate then they could be together. I sure never saw that in the rule book. Coach even showed him the rule book after the second inning and he said he didn't care what it said he just knows what he was told at the state meeting.

 

[Dawgsdad]

Bringing a rule book onto a field to discuss a rule is also an infraction. As for the pitch, the hands should be seperated as they step on to the pitchers plate.

 

[backstop09]

Bringing a rule book onto a field to discuss a rule is also an infraction. As for the pitch, the hands should be seperated as they step on to the pitchers plate.

So when neither umpire has a rule book and they are incorrect about the application of a rule (not a judgment call), what is a coach supposed to do?

 

[BretMan2]

Yesterday I called an illegal pitch for this very violation. The state meeting I attended sure didn't say to ignore it!

For all the arguments about leaps and crow hops, this is probably the most common pitching violation I see. But I rarely see any other umpires call it. Usually when I call it, coaches complain that "she's never been called for that before" and pitchers act like they've never heard of it. But it is a rule and, like it or not, if an umpire sees it he should call it.

This requirement is part of the pitching preliminaries a pitcher needs to follow. Stepping onto the plate with the hands separated, then taking the required pause before bringing them together, is aimed at preventing the pitcher from stepping on and immediately rolling through with the pitch, catching the batter off balance.

What's a coach to do if an umpire won't call this? If it's a high school game in Ohio, about all you can do is state your case, request that the umpire check with his partner, or ask him to check his rule book. OHSAA rules prohibit protests. If they won't bend, you're forced to live with it. Your coach or school AD should have contact information for the umpire assignor in your area and you should follow up with him after the game. Most assignors want to know if their umpires are messing up rules and will work to re-educate them.

If it's a league or tournament that allows protests, you can go that route since this is clearly a misinterpretation of a playing rule.

 

[Dawgsdad]

I am assuming that you as a coach should know the rules you are arguing to an umpire. I am not sure of the reason but I would say the slowing down of play looking for the rule or the look of showing up the umpire is the reason. That is why is use this site as informational as well. It happens so fast during a game and having knowledge and heard of an exact play situation will help me confident in my opinion.

So when neither umpire has a rule book and they are incorrect about the application of a rule (not a judgment call), what is a coach supposed to do?

 

[Captain_Thunder]

I am assuming that you as a coach should know the rules you are arguing to an umpire. I am not sure of the reason but I would say the slowing down of play looking for the rule or the look of showing up the umpire is the reason. That is why is use this site as informational as well. It happens so fast during a game and having knowledge and heard of an exact play situation will help me confident in my opinion.

So are you saying to just tell the Umps "That you know this to be the rule & they need to correct it cause you know better than them"?????
That should work.........lmbo

 

[daboss]

I teach the girls to step onto the pitching plate with both hands to their respective sides of her body with the ball in her open hand and visible to the home plate area. After recieving her signal and nodding her head, she brings her hands with the ball together for the first and only time. If every pitcher would do this in any sanction there would be no calls against her as this is acceptable to all.

 

[TR_Out]

Bringing a rule book onto a field to discuss a rule is also an infraction. As for the pitch, the hands should be seperated as they step on to the pitchers plate.

Really? An infraction?

 

[Comp]

It is generally frowned upon for a coach to come out of the dugout with a rulebook. If the coach thinks the umpire has ruled incorrectly or missapplied a rule that is what protests are for. Actually, in going through some of the new rules posted for USSSA they have actually made it illegal for a rulebook to be brought on the field. If a coach, assistant coach, manager or player brings a rulebook onto the field to argue a call it is an ejection.

 

[backstop09]

This was Ohio HS ball. There are no protests.

 

[gcg3refs]

@ Comp NFHS uses ASA rules for all of high school with some modifications. USSSA has nothing to do with High School ball, you will only deal with them in tournaments.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

NFHS uses ASA rules for all of high school with some modifications.

NFHS has their own set of softball rules. NY is the only place I've heard that uses ASA rules for HS.

 

[Comp]

@ Comp NFHS uses ASA rules for all of high school with some modifications. USSSA has nothing to do with High School ball, you will only deal with them in tournaments.

The OP does not say what rule set it was being played under and my comment about the USSSA rule was just to point out there is apparently a rule set out there who does consider it to be an infraction to bring a rule book onto the field. In general it is not a good choice to come out of the dugout waving a rule book in the umpires face.

And as stated above, NFHS rules are not simply modified ASA rules. There are several differences between the 2.

 

[backstop09]

The OP does not say what rule set it was being played under and my comment about the USSSA rule was just to point out there is apparently a rule set out there who does consider it to be an infraction to bring a rule book onto the field. In general it is not a good choice to come out of the dugout waving a rule book in the umpires face.

And as stated above, NFHS rules are not simply modified ASA rules. There are several differences between the 2.

I guess when I referred to the "state rules meeting" in my original post I figured most on this forum would logically assume Ohio high school ball. If you insist on referring to my original post to try and sell your argument, may I ask where in there it says that a rule book was "waved in the umpire's face"?