What's correct call?

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We were at a high school game with two umpires. Pitcher in circle, batter set and ready in box, umpire set up ready to make call. Pitcher does her windmill but does not release the ball. She just stopped after her wind up. What should umpires have called?

 

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Ball 1

 

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How about "no pitch"? Is that ever the call? The umpires said there is no call to be made. No nothing...just "no pitch' and go on. They said they only give consequences for that in baseball, not softball. ;&

 

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When the pitcher starts her motion to pitch, but fails to release the ball, it is an illegal pitch.

Ball to the batter and any runners on base advance one base.

Unless...there might be more to the story. Did the batter by any chance step out of the box or request time as the pitcher started to pitch? (Just throwing out some ideas on why this could possibly be the right call.)

 

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No, Bretman, no time was called or even insinuated. I was so surprised that BOTH umpires agreed that there was no call. No big deal really. We didn't have runners on and the batter got walked anyway. I was just shocked.

 

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I am in no way a guy who knows all the rules of softball, but even I know that's an illegal pitch!? Those umpires definitely would have been questioned by our coaching staff on that's one.

 

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Had the same thing happen yesterday and the umpires were hesitant to make the illegal pitch call. First they tied to no call, then converted it to a ball and then converted that to an illegal pitch after the head coach continued to question them.

Later in the game when the other team attempted a pitchout and the catcher set-up behind the opposite batters box; the umpire told her she couldn't and moved her back behind the plate. (The Catcher's box in softball extends from the outside edge of the batters box while the baseball catchers box is tiny.) This means you have a baseball guy picking up some extra cash and doesn't know the softball rules and since these guys run in pairs you are likely to have another baseball guy in the field. A lot of 'expert' baseball guys don't bother reviewing the field setup section and just assume baseball and softball are the same.

As a side note; we could not get a single 'called strike' on beautiful breaking curve balls from this particular umpire either. No baseball boy can get his curve to break 12 to 18" and snag the corner like a senior softball pitcher. Obviously it has to be a ball.

When the guy behind the plate is a baseball umpire be prepared to have to throw more fastballs and have a rule book handy if it gets critical; but don't expect to win any arguments; they can't all be Bretman.

 

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I am in no way a guy who knows all the rules of softball, but even I know that's an illegal pitch!? Those umpires definitely would have been questioned by our coaching staff on that's one.

They tried but to no avail! LOL We had a girl at 3rd and a runner on 1st. The r1 broke for second base and hesitated to try and draw the throw from the catcher to score the runner on 3rd. R1 is not seasoned and wasn't sure what to do so she ran forward a bit, slowed, went back a couple, then broke for 3rd. The throw was made by the catcher. The coaches on the other team started screaming about her stopping twice in the base line and changing directions. When she slid into 2nd on the throw the ump called her out, the said "whew, got out of having to call her out on stopping in the baseline!" Now, keep in mind the catcher had the ball. The ball was not in the circle.

In fairness to the guy behind the plate, he did call corners and was good both ways. :yahoo: I guess you can't have it all! Pick your battles I guess!
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As a side note; we could not get a single 'called strike' on beautiful breaking curve balls from this particular umpire either.

Ugh. I hate when that happens. The girls work so hard to get movement on the ball and it seems, sometimes, they get penalized for it.

 

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Did this happen immediately following a timeout situation? Bret would need to clarify, but I am thinking the plate umpire will signal the pitcher when play is to resume. Pitchers are usually taught to "wait for the finger point" from the plate umpire to go ahead and pitch. Possibly the pitcher just rushed things and the ump wasn't ready, and hadn't given her the go-ahead signal. If so, that's a good way to tick off the umpire! In that situation, maybe all the pitcher got was a nasty stare?