Follow
Donate to HeyBucket.com - Amount:

Welcome Anonymous !

Your Fastpitch Softball Bible
 

The Umpire Corner

Pitcher taking signs

Rule question? Get it answered here.

by bestt » Thu May 01, 2014 12:00 pm

CIF high school rules question: What is the rule about where a pitcher is allowed to take a pitch sign? Our pitcher takes her sign behind the rubber, then steps on rubber, pauses, and then starts pitch. Opposing coach making a fuss, says pitcher must take sign on rubber, but blues never said anything... Want to do the right thing for upcoming playoffs.
User avatar
bestt
 
Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2009 7:45 am

by Comp » Thu May 01, 2014 1:19 pm

From what I can tell CIF plays under NFHS rules. The rule you are looking for is 6-1-1-a&b Prior to the pitching, the pitcher must ake a postiion with shoulders in line with first and third base with the ball in the glover or pitching hand, and with the hand sseparated. b. While in this position, the pitcher shall take (or simulate taking) a signal from the catcher.


The pitcher can take the signal from anywhere and from anyone she chooses. There is no restriction on this, however, after taking position on the pitching plate with the hands separated the pitcher must simulate taking a signal. This is generally accepted to mean the pitcher must pause for a moment with the hands separated prior to bringing them together.
Comp
 
Posts: 589
Joined: Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:27 am

by jodesi111 » Fri May 26, 2017 11:23 pm

As a umpire and a mother of a pitcher it is a outdated rule I feel. Hardly any pitcher takes the sign on the rubber but it is the rule for now
jodesi111
Premium Member
Premium Member
 
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed May 11, 2011 1:33 pm

by Comp » Sat May 27, 2017 8:59 am

jodesi111 wrote:As a umpire and a mother of a pitcher it is a outdated rule I feel. Hardly any pitcher takes the sign on the rubber but it is the rule for now


No rule set requires the pitcher to be on the pitching plate when the take the actual signal. It says "take or simulate taking a signal". As was pointed out above it simply means the pitcher must step on with hands separated and pause for a moment with the hands remaining apart.

It was a point of emphasis in NFHS softbalsl this year to enforce the requirement to pause with the hand separated with the influx of a lot of teams using wrist bands to call pitches. Many pitchers take the signal behind the pitching plate, step on and immediately go into their pitching motion. Much of the problem would go away if they would just engage the pitching plate prior to taking the signal.
Comp
 
Posts: 589
Joined: Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:27 am

by Sue Trubovitz, Turbo » Fri Aug 24, 2018 8:52 am

Comp wrote:From what I can tell CIF plays under NFHS rules. The rule you are looking for is 6-1-1-a&b Prior to the pitching, the pitcher must ake a postiion with shoulders in line with first and third base with the ball in the glover or pitching hand, and with the hand sseparated. b. While in this position, the pitcher shall take (or simulate taking) a signal from the catcher.


The pitcher can take the signal from anywhere and from anyone she chooses. There is no restriction on this, however, after taking position on the pitching plate with the hands separated the pitcher must simulate taking a signal. This is generally accepted to mean the pitcher must pause for a moment with the hands separated prior to bringing them together.


In the first paragraph it says pitcher must take a stance on the mound shoulders to 1st and 3rd, with ball in glove or in hand with hands separated.

Question is about pitchers presenting the ball.
Regulations for CIF High School and travel ball please clarify.
Does the pitcher at any point have to separate the ball from her glove and pause for a moment while on the mound about to start a pitch?
Or as described above can they leave the ball in their glove and just stand with open hand separated?

Please explain, Thanku
Sue Trubovitz, Turbo
Premium Member
Premium Member
 
Posts: 163
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2012 2:21 pm

by MTR » Fri Aug 24, 2018 7:47 pm

Sue Trubovitz, Turbo wrote:
Question is about pitchers presenting the ball.


No such rule
Does the pitcher at any point have to separate the ball from her glove and pause for a moment while on the mound about to start a pitch?


No, that would be an illegal pitch. Once the pitcher separates their hands, the pitch has started and must be delivered in a continual motion
MTR
 
Posts: 2317
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 5:21 am

by Sue Trubovitz, Turbo » Sat Aug 25, 2018 12:56 pm

Not referring to stopping the pitcher in her motion to do this. Rather a pitcher preparing to get in position to start her motion...

In other words how the pitcher steps onto the mound ball in glove, or ball in hand, she has to go directly into her pitching motion from that position and cannot shuffle the ball to then be in a ready position to get the signal from the catcher to then start her pitch.

Coaches were having a discussion about it and neither would agree with the other.
one coach thought they were being quick pitched because the batter's never got to see the ball in the pitchers hand.

Would be great if someone could post the regulation on this.
Sue Trubovitz, Turbo
Premium Member
Premium Member
 
Posts: 163
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2012 2:21 pm

by Sue Trubovitz, Turbo » Sat Aug 25, 2018 2:27 pm

Downloaded the usssa 14th Edition 2 - 18 online revision
Pitching section pg33
( as previously discussed pitcher steps onto the mound with hands separated ball can be in glove or in her hand and then this)
here is verbage
B. preliminary to pitching the pitcher must take a position with the ball in glove or pitching hand.

C. while in this position the pitcher must take or simulate a signal from the catcher.

D. after completing 'C' the pitcher shall bring hands together in front of the body for not more than 10 seconds. the hands maybe motionless or moving.

we know the pitcher does not have to have the ball in her hand when she is going to start the pitch.

The specific question now is this. It says 'D' the pitcher has to bring "her hands together in front of her body". ?-what about pitchers who swing their glove over across their body to their pitching hand or hands come together over their head and they don't have that moment with their glove in hand in front of their body?
in essence a pitcher who steps onto the mound has a ball in her glove hand separated....that moment of simulating getting a signal.... and then suddenly is already in her motion.
There's no hands and glove in front of her. How is that construed if the pitchers hands are coming together above her head or to the side of her body?


Kind of technical hope I'm explaining it well enough...
Sue Trubovitz, Turbo
Premium Member
Premium Member
 
Posts: 163
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2012 2:21 pm

by josephrt1 » Sun Aug 26, 2018 7:49 am

The rules vary depending on the organization and type of ball.

In USA/ASA fastpitch there IS NO requirement to bring the hands together in front of the body. Nowhere in the rules does it say that.

In USA/ASA slowpitch there IS a requirement to bring the hands together in front of the body.

In NFHS (high school) the rule also states to bring the hands together in front of the body.

The term present the ball is not in any of the 3 above codes, but you hear it a lot, incorrectly

Other codes also vary on the requirement for "in front of the body".

Couple of other notes that were discussed earlier: Ball can start in the hand or the glove and a quick transfer from one to the other is not considered bringing the hands together.

In softball it is a "pitcher's plate", not a mound.

Hope this helps.
josephrt1
 
Posts: 15
Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2014 8:56 pm

by Sue Trubovitz, Turbo » Sun Aug 26, 2018 9:25 am

[/quote] Couple of other notes that were discussed earlier: Ball can start in the hand or the glove and a quick transfer from one to the other is not considered bringing the hands
together.

Hope this helps. josephrt1[/quote]

thank you for breaking it down.

Specifically to this notation,
the pitcher 'can' step on to the mound, hands separated and say she had the ball in her hand or ball in her glove and decided to 'switch it befor' she was going to take a signal or simulate taking a signal from The Catcher. And then commence.
Just confirming??
Is it ok in all or? Asa, Nfhs, Usa,
Pgf , Triple crown ect??



_
Pitching plate yes...
Mound more of a universal word that is used both in baseball and softball.
To not be confusing
of 'the plate'.
-Did read that notation about in slow pitch it is a requirement to show the ball and that they do use the verbage present the ball. At least in rules I read looking things up yesterday.

Gettin' to the nitty gritty of it ;)
Sue Trubovitz, Turbo
Premium Member
Premium Member
 
Posts: 163
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2012 2:21 pm

Next

Return to The Umpire Corner

cron