[Dakota]

Just to give our resident UICs my view to support / correct...

Originally posted by WestMichBlue
(#1) ASA pitcher steps on plate with pivot foot, hands are separated, stride foot is just behind plate. Is she illegal right now?

No.

Then she slides her stride foot forward to touch the plate. Is she now legal?

There is nothing in the rules about how speedily she brings both feet into contact with the plate. She ain't required to hop on with both feet at the same time.

Instead of sliding the stride foot forward, suppose she stepped back with her pivot foot. Has she committed an illegal pitch?

Interesting question. If this is illegal, it is an illegal back off of the plate after taking the pitching position. However, since she never actually took the pitching position (both feet were not on the plate), then I'd say, no, not illegal - just starting over.

(#2) NFHS pitcher steps on plate with pivot foot, hands are separated, stride foot back and outside the 24" plate width. Is she illegal right now?

No... she can enter the pitching position from the side if she wants.

Then she slides her stride foot sidways and is only partially outside the 24" width. Is she now legal. Instead of sliding the stride foot sideways, suppose she stepped back with her pivot foot. Has she committed an illegal pitch?

She was never illegal, based on my logic above.

Real nitpickin. (#3) ASA pitcher with both feet in contact with plate, hands apart, takes signal, brings hands together and steps back with stride foot. Is she illegal right now? As your arm goes out, she steps back with pivot foot and seperates hands, thus legally removing herself from the pitching position. Illegal pitch?
Ooops, Dakota already posted this one. But it fits in my sequence so I'll repeat it here.

You already have my view on this one. She's legal.

Now a real winger. (#4) ASA pitcher with both feet in contact with plate, hands apart, takes signal, brings hands together and raises them together over head, shifts weight back and picks up pivot foot and sets it down in front of the plate. Is she illegal (crow hop) right now?

Illegal pitch. There's nothing she can do to undo the illegal step with the pivot foot. The rest of this scenario does not restore legality. But, it is not a crow hop (no push off). Instead it is a violation of ASA Rule 6F-8,

The pitcher may move back from the pitching position by stepping backwards off the pitcher's plate prior to separating his hands. Stepping forward or sideways at any time constitutes an illegal pitch