[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by WestMichBlue

"the purpose of allowing the non-pivot foot to be behind the PITCHER'S PLATE was for participation purposes. Apparently, it is easier to pitch without the two-foot restriction and as we all know, not every school has a good pitcher from the start."

Sorry, Forrest, but this is what I have been told by Federation folks for a few years now when questioning this exact position

No good pitchers available?

Maybe opposite to your area and beliefs, but in some areas, HS ball is barely a step above recreational ball. Many teams couldn't play at the ASA "B" level if their lives depended on it. WMB, it's about time that you just accepted that without the geographical freedom other organizations enjoy, Fed ball just doesn't stand up against good 16U-18U ball games no matter what their association.

Then please tell me why ASA men have been allowed to “weaken your standard?” Why do the most powerful and fastest FP pitchers in this country need that “additional help?

Strawman argument. We are discussing 16-18 yo women. What does the men's game have to do with it?

If you must have an answer, it is simple. ASA, and most likely other organizations, adjust their rules for the purpose of competing with ISC. Life in the big city, deal with it, many others in this country do.

BTW – what happens to the ASA men when they get into international competition? Are they just like a H.S. or L.L. female pitcher that has to change for the tournament, and then goes back to the old way?

Yep, which is one reason ASA and ISC have created a developmental program for pitchers in the men's program.

I’ve watch several Senior L.L. girls capture the World Series pitching with step-back. At least one of those teams would have whipped any comparable age-group national class ASA team.

Yet the big question is from where did this pitcher emerge? It is not unlikely that, in spite of LL rules, a pitcher of variable experiences was recruited to play for this LL team. And no, not on a high horse, it happens.

So who has been inconsistent? Who keeps changing their pitching rules? Who allowed men (only) to legally leap (in 1992)? Who stopped men from stepping back in 1999, and then reversed direction again one year later? Who took away the leap in 2000? And allowed it back (“toe down rule) in 2005?

You may find it positive, or negative – but both NFHS and L.L. normally take years to change their rule sets. I suggest that careful and lengthy deliberation beats bowing to pressure groups frequently.

OK, I am off my soapbox. Fire away!


WMB

ASA, and I can only assume other bodies, makes no bones about the fact that sometimes rules are put into place that just do not work for the game. Maybe that's because they do not sit back and wait for the smoke in the back room to clear while a small group of individuals decide how their game of softball should be played. God forbid a mistake is recognized and corrected within a year's time. Maybe others should take note of the lack of an ivy-covered tower mentality.

And since you want to play the LL card, let's go all the way. IMO, there are only two reasons LL even supports what they call a softball program. Give the organization (1) a place to direct female players interested in playing baseball while (2) still keeping the family money within the organization. BTW, Williamsport shouldn't feel singled out by my opinion as Babe Ruth and a few other baseball-oriented organization are, IMO, operating under the same guise.