Leap / Crow Hop

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Has any one experienced the Ohio High school umpires calling Leaping or Crow Hops during High School games? I watched a pitcher pitch illegally (Leaping) the entire game yesterday. The opposing coach brought it to the umpires attention. The leap was bad, not a close call. The umpire would not address the illegal pitching. Is this standard for High School umpires?

 

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You want to address that to Bretman here at TSZ. A year or two back I remember he gave a detailed description of what a crow hop is.

I have personally witnessed a coach for a softball team screaming (and I do mean SCREAMING LIKE A BANSHEE) at a base ump to call a crow hop for several innings, until the base ump did call one - even though no crow hop was made. Then after being badgered some more, he called it again, even though no crow hop was made. The pitcher was a travel ball player and had never ever been called for it before, for high school or travel ball. The pitcher did thereafter adjust her pitch slightly, and of course the team complaining still couldn't hit anything off her.

 

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Sorry to hear that generics,

It sounds like in both cases the umpire was not aware of the rule. If he were, the badgering would not have persuaded the umpire to call an Illegal pitch when there was none.

 

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The only illegal pitches that I have seen called this year happened yesterday in our JV game. We had no field ump, but the plate ump called our pitcher for being outside the width of the rubber several times. I'm not sure how he could see that her entire foot was outside the width of the rubber from behind the catcher, but no one argued. The other team won by more than 20 runs so it wasn't really a factor.

 

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The leap was bad, not a close call. The umpire would not address the illegal pitching. Is this standard for High School umpires?

No.

 

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IMHO, the so called crow hop gives a pitcher no advantage as long as the front foot lands within the pitching circle. That and staying within the pitching lane is what needs to be enforced.

 

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Sorry to hear that generics,

It sounds like in both cases the umpire was not aware of the rule. If he were, the badgering would not have persuaded the umpire to call an Illegal pitch when there was none.

Glad I'm not an ump. I would have done anything to stop the screaming.

 

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Travel ball last summer in western Pennsylvania we experienced the umpires calling illegal pitches for crow hopping / leaping. The Ohio umpires seamed to allow it or were less willing to call it.

 

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@spirit2:

Unfortunately, I think you are right that umpires for Ohio travel ball are often unwilling to call the illegal replants and leaps. A few years ago at ASA 14U States, we had an umpire who was otherwise very very good. When Ted approached him about the opposing pitcher's illegal replant, this umpire said "if I called it every time she does it, we would be here all day". As the umpire walked away, Ted turned and muttered, "if you called it every time she does it, she would quit doing it".

I do think that the recent emphasis in college on illegal pitches has helped reduce the problems in travel and high school ball.