Pitching and Pitchers Discussion Is this a legal motion?

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Hi folks. I saw this girl's video on YouTube, and her motion seems a trifle illegal. What do you think?
I hope I cut and pasted this properly you you can look at it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeO_9GboXEc

 

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Looks hinky to me.

 

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Nice step with right foot just a tad illegal good coaching!! NOT.

 

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She is pitching from 42'.

 

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It's the crowhop without the hop. Maybe could call it the crowsneekattack. She not starting the pitch from the rubber, albeit very discretely, she is still gaining an advantage by shortening the pitching distance. I would bet money if she is pitching well in a tournament, an opposing coach will be all over this. The funny thing is is that it is so ingrained in her mechanics now that she could not even stop it long enough to make a skills video. Too bad because the rest of her pitching looks fairly good.

 

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I don't think it is legal but I wonder how many umps would be able to make a decision on it?

 

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Not Legal outside, but perfectly legal in a skills video.;& I would make a bet that outside on the rubber she doesn't do this. Nearly every pitcher I have had that throws indoors, especially off the floor with no pitching rubber, does this. Not sure why, but I've seen it a bunch. Get them back outside on a real pitching rubber and their fine.
I've made it a point though to have my pitchers throw off of some kind of mat or pitching rubber to elleviate this problem. It could manifest into a problem if she keeps it up.
She looks like a great little pitcher but this skills video with this terrible "crow hop" needs to go in the Recycle Bin!!

 

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100% illegal motion for pitching in an actual game.

I've seen the same thing Lady Knights has seen, where pitcher's have a problem dragging properly on a turf floor. I'll take that into consideration and give them a little slack if calling an indoor game. But this looks beyond that. It's a full-blown step!

If I saw this in an outdoor game, I would call it in a heartbeat.

 

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I don't think it is legal but I wonder how many umps would be able to make a decision on it?

Several factors will determine whether or not she gets away with this. Does she play rec ball or league play with only one umpire at the plate? He will probably never even see the infraction and not be able to call it if he is tracking the ball and the strike zone. Is she playing Travel with at least 2+ umps, with the base ump hopefully looking for illegal pitches (and knows what an illegal pitch looks like). Some may or may not let it slide, but now put a competitive team in the other dugout, and say this pitcher is dominating the game. Watch how fast that coach starts making comments to blue about illegal pitches. Even if blue wont make a call, the comments may have rattled the pitcher. If blue talks to the pitcher to get her to stop, she is done. She will not be able to stop if you put the proverbial gun to her head. If she is making a skills video like this, she has been doing this for years, and sure as shootin she will not be able to pull the pin on this inside of a game, and maybe not even inside of a season. Pitchers, parents, and coaches have got to be able to see these things and fix them before you put out a skills video highlighting your inability to throw a legal pitch. Sheeeesh!

 

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When you see her from the plate view, you can't even tell there's that little extra step going on. I would imagine, she is not a Rec league pitcher. If I remember correctly. she's from texas, so I'd imagine there's some big-time travel ball involved.

 

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"crowsneekattack"

now thats funny

 

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Replant is what that is, put I do like the CROW-SNEEK-ATTACK

 

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You see that step (although not that pronounced) on slick gym floors when using a flat pitching rubber, because there's nothing to push from.
Sure that step is "game illegal", but pretty easy to fix. I'm surprised that for a skills video they aren't using a thicker pitching rubber to give her an edge to push from. She's on turf, so slipping shouldn't be an issue. For a skills video, they should be using what would allow her to show her best form! -Whether that be a turf mat, rubber mat or whatever. This is NOT the time to cut corners.

FASTBALL: Great energy and excellent arm speed. Good speed on the ball.
DROP: Decent spin, her drop "falls off the table".
DROP CURVE: - Drops more than curves = needs some work
KNUCKLE: Using for a knuckle/change? A little too fast, and seems to hang - needs to keep this pitch out of the zone (LOW), or it's going yard a LOT.
SCREW: Moves better than her curve = better spin.
CURVE: Very little movement, looks a lot like her drop. Needs work.

I'm impressed that she DIDN'T attempt to show a rise. Too many pitchers her age try to pass off a high fastball for a rise, but college coaches see that in a heartbeat. She has plenty of time to work on the rise.

I'd say she's well above average for her age, and definitely has DI potential. I'm surprised she didn't have a true changeup. Absence of a good changeup will hurt her, so I'd make that a priority. Good drop & screw.

 

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I can almost guarantee you she takes that step off the rubber when she is outside. Monica Abbott did that very same thing for a while and WAS called on it. @ 8 years ago, Ready had a pitcher who did the same thing, and even when the step was pointed out to the umps, they had a hard time seeing it. Not surprising though, they were not good umps to begin with.
This motion is very illeagal.

 

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You see that step (although not that pronounced) on slick gym floors when using a flat pitching rubber, because there's nothing to push from.
Sure that step is "game illegal", but pretty easy to fix. I'm surprised that for a skills video they aren't using a thicker pitching rubber to give her an edge to push from. She's on turf, so slipping shouldn't be an issue. For a skills video, they should be using what would allow her to show her best form! -Whether that be a turf mat, rubber mat or whatever. This is NOT the time to cut corners.

FASTBALL: Great energy and excellent arm speed. Good speed on the ball.
DROP: Decent spin, her drop "falls off the table".
DROP CURVE: - Drops more than curves = needs some work
KNUCKLE: Using for a knuckle/change? A little too fast, and seems to hang - needs to keep this pitch out of the zone (LOW), or it's going yard a LOT.
SCREW: Moves better than her curve = better spin.
CURVE: Very little movement, looks a lot like her drop. Needs work.

I'm impressed that she DIDN'T attempt to show a rise. Too many pitchers her age try to pass off a high fastball for a rise, but college coaches see that in a heartbeat. She has plenty of time to work on the rise.

I'd say she's well above average for her age, and definitely has DI potential. I'm surprised she didn't have a true changeup. Absence of a good changeup will hurt her, so I'd make that a priority. Good drop & screw.

Her step to the left on the screwball "could" be out of the lane in college. easily fixable.

 

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Just like posted earlier it is very common for pitchers to hop indoors due to the poor pitching mounds or flat gym floor. Easy fix i have to do it every year. Thats why its tough to do a indoor video for pitchers. Just my opinion but when your putting together a pitching video i'd like to have the outside wind to help the movement. With all these fancy bats with all this pop in them when are they going to come up with a trick ball for the pitchers.

 

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Here is a young lady with mad skills and is legal. VERY nice rise ball too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgP2E5uK0Ik&feature=fvw

 

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The reason I say she takes that little step outside too, is that once she takes the little step, she drags very well It is not a problem with the turf and her dragging. If she can drag after the little step, she can drag right from the rubber. It is a bad habit she has.

 

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Just like posted earlier it is very common for pitchers to hop indoors due to the poor pitching mounds or flat gym floor. Easy fix i have to do it every year. Thats why its tough to do a indoor video for pitchers. Just my opinion but when your putting together a pitching video i'd like to have the outside wind to help the movement. With all these fancy bats with all this pop in them when are they going to come up with a trick ball for the pitchers.

Dead on, exactly right buckeye21

 

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Here is a young lady with mad skills and is legal. VERY nice rise ball too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgP2E5uK0Ik&feature=fvw

Good find Punch.

Now that's what I'd call a "blue collar pitcher"!! She's smooth and fluid, perfectly legal, and GREAT ball movement (great rise ball too). She looks like she could pitch all day without getting tired! Notice the wrist snap with the turnover drop - just excellent. Here's a gal who's figured out spin.

Not the best example of hitting though. Notice she doesn't stride in the cage shots, BUT - she strides when hitting her game home run. Hmmmm....