Quote:
Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA
Dirt is smarter than this rule. It is in-house communication among members of one team. Why should anyone give a shit about how the team wants to manually communicate?
IMO, when, where or how this communication takes place has zero bearing on the game.
But if you must believe in such a thing, why does it apply only to the defense?
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Mike, here's how it got to this point. In my words, not the official from NCAA (just like you and I were never to be official for ASA in the day).
For decades, as you know, pitchers stepped on the pitcher's plate, hands separated, paused to take a signal, brought their hands together and pitched. Exactly what was expected and intended.
As softball expanded in the 2000's, I think a lot of us noted that pitchers were now more often standing off the pitcher's plate to get signals, walking up and very quickly bringing the hands together. I believe that was due to more and more "coaches" whose only knowledge came from baseball, and they seemed to think that it was "safer", probably thinking baseball where it's a balk if the pitcher drops the ball while in contact. At the same time, we (umpires) had more and more issues with batters delaying getting the box, offensive coaches giving dozens of signals to keep them out, and batters asking to get out of the box as soon as they got in, if the pitcher didn't meet the exact timing the batters wanted.
It became more of a point of emphasis, especially in NCAA and NFHS, to NOT grant time to those batters; we waited forever for you to get in, now be a batter. Batters had to learn to be prepared to relax in the box, and not go full tension until the pitcher was ready to pitch. It then became apparent that, even though not meeting "quick pitch" because the batter was in the box, that the batter was potentially disadvantaged by the pitcher essentially walking through the "take a signal" pause that should tell the batter "it's time!!!"
Now come the armbands; and even more than when taking catcher's signals from behind, pitchers looked at the armbands, stepped on and their arms were even already in motion toward "together" before both feet had even stopped. It became repeated points of emphasis to call illegal pitches if the pitcher didn't come to a complete pause with hands separated after stepping on and fully engaged "to take or simulate taking a signal". But, across the country, UMPIRES DID NOT ENFORCE THAT. Not even on ESPN big series, not in postseason, not even in the WCWS. By the big names, no one wanted to be "THAT" umpire, when no one else had been calling it, all season.
NCAA tried to reinforce the full stop and pause; they made the rule a TWO SECOND pause, so no one could consider anything that wasn't absolutely a clear and obvious stop to be adequate. But umpires still never embraced it, there was essentially zero change as pitchers continued to walk right thru, and umpires still did not call it, even when clear. I had umpires tell me (when asked why they didn't call it) that they saw the pitcher's hands separated and not moving AS she was stepping on, like that was a substitute for pausing AFTER being on. Not even pauses that would meet muster without "two seconds", not even just a clear and obvious pause. In the words of VVK, the NCAA rules committee realized we proved over-and-over NO ONE CAN (or will) COUNT TO TWO, not pitchers, their coaches, nor the umpires. Left unsaid was not even counting to ONE (should be a prerequisite to getting to two, wouldn't you think??). Crabby_Bob, that's what was wrong with two seconds; it wasn't enforced, even on TV in the WCWS.
At the same time, the NCAA rule requiring pitchers to be on the pitching plate within 10 seconds of receiving the ball was ALSO routinely ignored. It became routine that after a pitch and receiving the ball that pitchers would take a 5 second (or longer) stroll around the circle, and not even pay attention to a possible signal; in meantime, a coach would chart the last pitch and result, decide what pitch to call, search their grid for the unique number sequence; then NOT even start to give the signal until until the pitcher stopped the stroll and looked at them (since visual number sequence required in any park with a crowd making any amount of noise). By the time the pitcher recognized 3-2-4, looked at her armband, found 3-2-4 with a 2-2 count and 1 out, realized that meant riseball, and then and ONLY THEN even walked up to the pitcher's plate, that 10 seconds was long over. Again, not called at any level; if you did, you were "THAT" umpire. The only exception allowed to be granted (by case play interpretation) was to allow a defensive signal (OH, I just realized there are runners on first and third and need to call that play), but that was routinely ignored as if the pitch signal she was taking off the plate was now another legal exception.
The pitchers/coaches that "got it" were forced to understand that the whole key was to have the pitcher on the pitcher's plate with hands separated, and either look at the catcher or coach and look at the armband WHILE ON THE PLATE. After all, they got a full 10 seconds to do that, even after taking the stroll, etc. It was the ones that stopped OFF the plate and looked at the armband then that consistently violated TWO rules; timing and pause. And still not called at the highest levels, where that was showing viewers the "right way", since the highest level available. Even though they created the possibility of advantage to pitcher and disadvantage to batter not ready.
Hence the new rule. Hence the repeated statement this isn't a rule change, it's a whole new rule. Hence a stronger enforcement at the armband off the pitcher's plate which almost ALWAYS created one or two uncalled violations every pitch. Here's what the goal is (all parts in sequence, and all in this order, only):
1) Pitcher receives the ball; within 10 seconds the batter is in the box ready AND the pitcher is on the pitcher's plate with hands separated and ready to get a pitching signal.
2) Once both pitcher and batter are ready, the pitcher has no more than 10 seconds to NOW get a signal (whether coach, catcher, or armband) and THEN bring her hands together. The pitcher CANNOT jump to hands together before the batter is in the box and ready.
3) The pitcher must separate and begin the pitch within no less than 5 seconds.
That's how to comply, that's how to enforce. Pitcher getting a pitch call before step one is complete (looking at armband before engaging is one stated prima facie proof) is an illegal pitch, immediately, there is no remedy. Pitcher bringing her hands together before the batter is set (umpire stops holding up pitcher) is an illegal pitch (can only be remedied by stepping back off with both feet, AND re-engaging BEFORE the 10 seconds of step one is exhausted). Or, I guess, the umpire could mistakenly grant "time" to protect her from her illegal act.
To Mike's last point, why does it apply only to the defense? As it relates to the violation of the pitching rule, only the pitcher has the responsibility to comply with the pitching rule, just as the batter has the responsibility to comply with batting rules. As it relates to the timing rules, it relates equally to BOTH; the batter is required to be in the batter's box and presumed ready within the first 10 second sequence, and if the batter then steps out to take ANOTHER offensive signal after that step is complete (again by both batter and pitcher) it is to be an awarded strike. Again, the umpire could mistakenly grant that batter "time" to ignore the violation.
It may not be the perfect rule, but given the goals I stated, the state of the NCAA game as it has evolved, I think it is a fair effort to rein the pitchers back to the timing wanted, the sequence wanted, AND grant the batters the relief they deserve when they wait relaxed, legally and properly (and as we WANT), but the pitcher runs right through the required pause.