Legal or Illegal pitching motion?

[arrows22]

Can a pitcher start with the ball in her bare hand by her side and step back to begin her pitching motion, bring her hands together while in her motion and without coming set or pausing continue to the plate for the pitch?

I guess what I am asking is: Does a pitcher have to bring her hands together and pause before beginning her pitching motion or is that an illegal pitch?

[pollywolly60]

Since you said the pitcher was stepping back, I am going to assume you are talking NFHS softball.

Everything you described sounds legal. Here are the applicable rules:
6.1.a -Prior to pitching, the pitcher must take a position with shoulders in line with first and third base with the ball in the glove or pitching hand, and with the hands separated.

6.1.c -After completing "b" above ( taking, or simulating taking, a sign from catcher), the pitcher shall bring the hands together in front of the body for not less than one second and not more than 10 seconds before releasing the ball. The hands may be motionless or moving.

6.2.b - Once the hands are brought together and are in motion, the pitcher shall not take more than one step which must be forward, toward the batter and simultaneous with the delivery. Any step backward shall begin before the hands come together. The step backward may end before or after the hands come together.

So, no, the pitcher doesn't actually have to pause with her hands together in front of her body
before she starts her pitching motion.

[arrows22]

thanks for the clarification with a rule. It makes sense. Yes, I am talking about NFHS. It would make sense if the step-back rule was the same across the board, but I know it's not.

[wadeintothem]

Can a pitcher start with the ball in her bare hand by her side and step back to begin her pitching motion,

No, she cannot. At this point she must take stop and take a signal or appear to be taking a signal. This does not nor can it begin her pitching motion. There is no "step back" rule. Her non pivot foot may be on the pitchers plate or behind the plate as she is taking/appearing to take the signal

bring her hands together while in her motion and without coming set or pausing continue to the plate for the pitch?

I guess what I am asking is: Does a pitcher have to bring her hands together and pause before beginning her pitching motion or is that an illegal pitch?

After begining her legal delivery.. ie bringing her hands together, her hands may remain in motion, she does not have to come set.. that would be a sport with a smaller ball. A touch and go will suffice for the "1 second" minimum since the hands may be in motion.

[pollywolly60]

arrows22,

If you have any further questions, just re-check rules cited in my above post. They're pretty easy to understand.

The only required pause is when the pitcher is on the pitcher's plate with hands separated. (6.1.b that I referred to.) This is when the pitcher is required to take, or simulate taking a sign from the catcher. No time limitations are given on this in the rules, so umpire judgement would determine legality. Just a quick look at the catcher is all most umpires require.

[wadeintothem]

arrows22,

Just so any other posts won't cause you any confusion, I'll quote the rule I left out in my above post.

Confusion comes when you leave out very key aspects of rules there polly, especially in terms of pitching sequence. Hopefully, you understand the "step back" is a to establish a set position for taking the signal, is a preliminary activity, and is not part of the start of a pitch (which is what the OP specifically stated). At no point can a "step back" establish the beginning of the pitch. The beginning of the pitch begins when the hands are brought together after taking/appearing to take the signal. As of the start of the pitch, any step must be forward. So long as you are understand that, you are good to go.

You stating you see nothing illegal about the OPs statement: "a pitcher start with the ball in her bare hand by her side and step back to begin her pitching motion," indicates a possible lack of understanding of a legal pitching sequence on your part.

She most certainly cannot step back to begin her pitching motion (legally).

Feel free to reread the rules you posted as many times as you need too if you dont believe me.

[pollywolly60]

[/quote]She most certainly cannot step back to begin her pitching motion (legally).[/quote]

?????
If,
a. the step back shall begin before the hands come together, and

b. the pitch starts when one hand is taken off the ball or the pitcher makes any motion that is part of the windup after the hands have been brought together, then.....

wouldn't stepping back be the beginning of the whole pitching motion? Not the beginning of the pitch, but the beginning of the pitcher's motion(i.e. movement) to pitch??

Maybe you're confusing the OP's phrase "to begin her pitching motion" with the actual beginning of the pitch.

[wadeintothem]

She most certainly cannot step back to begin her pitching motion (legally).

?????
If,
a. the step back shall begin before the hands come together, and

b. the pitch starts when one hand is taken off the ball or the pitcher makes any motion that is part of the windup after the hands have been brought together, then.....

wouldn't stepping back be the beginning of the whole pitching motion? Not the beginning of the pitch, but the beginning of the pitcher's motion(i.e. movement) to pitch??

Maybe you're confusing the OP's phrase "to begin her pitching motion" with the actual beginning of the pitch.

No, I think this is where you are confusing the sequence. Without going into the exact wording of the rules..


1)You have the preliminaries. During this phase, hands must be separated, pivot foot on the plate, non pivot foot touching plate or back off plate, shoulders in line, taking sign or appearing to take sign. This is the point she can step back with her non pivot foot.

She may also disengage completely in this preliminary phase by backing off the plate.

To begin
She will then bring her hands together. (she can no longer step back except to completely disengage as long as no wind up has been started) This stage is for 1-10 seconds, and we all know is typically a fairly quick stage of pitching.

Once her hands separates or she begins a wind up, this begins the start of the pitch. She cannot disengage, she cannot stop, she cannot step back. The ONLY thing she can do at this point is legally deliver the ball to the batter and any step must be forward.

The preliminary phase and pitching phase are two completely separate and distinct phases, with different rules (even if some pitchers work quickly through the two phases, they still exist).

[kcpitching]

I was a college pitcher and give pitching lessons. Why would any pitcher want to take a step back when you want to explode towards your catcher?

[pollywolly60]

Can a pitcher start with the ball in her bare hand by her side and step back to begin her pitching motion, bring her hands together while in her motion and without coming set or pausing continue to the plate for the pitch?

I guess what I am asking is: Does a pitcher have to bring her hands together and pause before beginning her pitching motion or is that an illegal pitch?

Again,
question 1 above - yes, she can. As long as she paused long enough to take or simulate taking a sign when she started with her shoulders in line with first and third, and her pivot foot on the pitchers plate, and her non pivot foot either on or behind the pitcher's plate. Because this is when the pause must occur, not when the hands come together. Hands have to be together not less than one second and not more than ten seconds and may be in motion when they come together, so it can be a very quick touch.

question 2 above - As just noted, hands must come together but no pause at this time is necessary. A quick one second touch satisfies the rule. And I would consider this the beginning of her pitching motion, (not the begining of the pitch, wadeintothem), so I have no argument with this pitch in the way you have phrased it. Sounds perfectly legal.