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Online now: 1 member: TABLE SETTER 11; 59 anonymousDiscussion: Pitching
| Posted | Discussion |
| Sept. 3, 2010 inky 1 posts | Pitching DO YOU HAVE TO MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH THE RUBBER, OR ARE YOU ALLOWED TO PITCH FROM 6 FEET IN BACK OF THE RUBBER? |
| Sept. 3, 2010 curveball Men's 65 705 posts | One foot must maintain contact with the ground within the 6' box. Not on a rubber, but anywhere in that box including the rubber. |
| Sept. 3, 2010 Omar Khayyam 1357 posts | curveball, what do you mean by maintaining contact with the ground? I have not seen any pitchers jumping in the air before their release, but I have seen several who start at the back of the 6 foot box and take two steps (one even three steps) forward before releasing the ball. Umps say this is legal (I stopped protesting it three years ago when I never won a ruling). |
| Sept. 3, 2010 Fred Scerra Men's 80 542 posts | Rule says that pivot foot must be in contact within the pitcher's box when the ball is released. But like a lot of the pitching rules and batter box rules they are never called. |
| Sept. 3, 2010 curveball Men's 65 705 posts | Thanks Fred. That's what I was referring to. If you pitch with your legs spread far apart off to the side of the pitchers box, towards third as a rightie or fist as a lefty, the pivot foot remaining within the box must be in contact with the ground at release. |
| Sept. 3, 2010 Omar Khayyam 1357 posts | Fred, I understand that they are seldom called as umps must not think they interfere with the game. In the first instance I tried do get an ump to call the correct rule, I could see (as an experienced pitcher) that the other pitcher would likely be a bit wild if he did not take two steps forward. Ump said all he had to do was be in the box. In the second instance, the pitcher had a deliberate distracting herky-jerky motion helped by taking more than one step forward (and moving his "pivot" foot). Again, the ump didn't see the problem because he was "behind the rubber". After trying different umps over a year's time (when the rule on a 6 foot extension was new), I gave up. |
| Sept. 4, 2010 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | omar that is one rule i have yet to understand also.everything i have read for the rules in pitching was that a pitcher could not "walk the box" to pitch,but needed to start from one position and throw from there not a step or 2 ahead.i have even seen them start just out side the box walk into it and throw all at the same time while on the move.i have ask about it b/c of noticing the same thing,wildness if made to stand still.i can get the call with the kids as there is no box,need to be in contact with the rubber to pitch.now with some of the kids leagues i play in i'll just let it slide if the pitch is a rookie and still learning,yeah i know i'm doing him a disservice by not saying anything,but i want pitches to swing at and not have a walk-a-thon. |
| Sept. 5, 2010 Omar Khayyam 1357 posts | Bingo, mad dog. I agree with you. I like your phrase "walk the box". However, I do try to correct beginning pitchers. Who knows when an ump might actually call the infraction on them! |
| Sept. 5, 2010 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | omar tell me,LOL,it can get ridicules sometimes. with the newbie pitcher i'll tell the ump to maybe say something to him between inning,so as not to punish him with an illegal pitch.if he doesn't i try to get him to the side and let him know. |
