[FUBLUE]

Originally posted by Skahtboi

How can you support that by rule?? I see nowhere in any rule book that says anything about not calling the IP if the pitcher "is not gaining a clear advantage."

How can I support that? It's a judgment call. If I feel she is leaping/crowhopping, doing anything to gain an advantage (which is what makes the pitch illegal) then I call it.

For example, look at that picture...is she leaping by definition? Probably, but I'm not sure where the ground would be in relationship to her foot. I was always taught, by some very good umpires, that if you weren't sure it was an illegal pitch, don't call it.

Had a game this weekend...college...where pitcher was pushing so hard off the pitching plate that she would pop here foot upwards, making the pitch a leap. But she only did it when she was trying to get "a little extra" on the pitch. Did I call it? I called it once, when it was clear to me that her foot popped upward before the pitch was released. After I called it, opposing coach wanted to called every time...but it wasn't every time...that's where the judgment comes in...we had a six inch hole in front of the pitching plate...It had to be clear to me that she was popping her foot up above the level plane of the pitching plate. MY JUDGMENT.

The minute we start looking for illegal pitches, looking for every minute detail, we kill the game.

Also had a HS coach this weekend tell me "blue she's illegal...she's stepping...but don't call it, because she only does it on the rise ball." You know what, she wasn't stepping but it looked like it.

All I'm saying is that from the superzoom of "worm-cam" the foot may be in the air, but as a former pitcher I fully know that the foot has to be at least a couple of inches up in the air or well outside the 24 inch line before even the best umpire will call it...if it's not obvious, you're guessing.

[Edited by FUBLUE on Apr 26th, 2004 at 12:07 PM]