[MD Longhorn]

It is a little ironic, but I agree with you on football. I've been doing football for 2 years - so I'm much less experienced there, but you are right as far as your opinions of how veterans call the game. There is, for some reason, a lot more leniency on the football field regarding calling penalties that don't affect the play. Perhaps it is because football is a constant motion sport, and if one were to call it by the book, on every play at every point on the field, there would likely be a penalty on every single play.

However, to the point that we should let things go in baseball or softball, I tend to disagree. I'll have to think a lot more about WHY I disagree, but initial thoughts are thus:

The rules in baseball are nearly all there for specific reasons. The "no harm, no foul" principle doesn't apply because nearly every "foul" in baseball is actually part of the play. If there is truly no advantage in pitching from 3 inches in front of the rubber, then you have to ask yourself why she does it. If there is some disadvantage to her to do it correctly, then obviously there IS an advantage to her doing it wrong. If there's no disadvantage, then there is simply no reason not to do it right.

Think about the lookback rule. A girl is strolling 1 step off the bag, and a pitcher gets the ball in the circle. The BR takes another slow step off the bag, stops, and then returns to 1st. No harm, right. But sorry folks - she's out. So the no harm-no foul principle clearly doesn't hold water there - so why be lax elsewhere.

The only instance where I can see leniency on a rule is when safety is involved (like the canyons in front of the rubber mentioned above).