Bretman, ? ?How many times can a pitcher pass her hip? ?This past weekend we faced a pitcher that passed her hip 4 times, but the (nsa) umpire said that it is legal, as part of her premotion. ?
I'm having a hard time picturing how a pitcher could pass her hip four times in a legal delivery. Did one of the times you're counting occur before her hands were brought together or seperated? That's the only way I can see one of the passes as being part of her "pre-motion".
NSA pitching rules are pretty much identical to ASA rules. Both allow the pitching arm to drop down and back once the hands are seperated (one pass). The arm then can pass the hip again as the windmill rotation starts (two passes). After the pitcher's one full revolution is made, the arm can pass the hip once more (three passes) as the pitch is released.
I would need a more detailed description to comment on the fourth pass you were seeing.
None of the pitching rules are written to specifically address the number of times the arm can pass the hip. Rather, the rules control the preliminary motions, the wind-up, the arm rotation and the follow through. The number of passes can vary depending on the motion used and still be within the constraints of a legal pitch.
