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Originally Posted by NDblue
So, slapping the ball towards the ground is illegal? Isn't that INTENTIONALLY contacting the ball with dirt/chalk?...
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So what? The rule is that the player may not "use" a foreign substance on the ball or on the contact points of the hand, and may not "apply" a foreign substance to the ball (ref: NFHS 6-2-2). It says nothing about keeping the ball from contact with the playing surface during normal play. I don't know why you cannot see the distinction.
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Originally Posted by NDblue
....If a pitcher puts some dirt/chalk on his/her hand
...Heck, I've had pitchers almost bury the ball in dirt before they pitched it.
...the ball gets wet, the pitcher dries it off with some infield dirt,
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All of those violate the rule. I'll grant you that most of the time in girls fastpitch, when a foreign substance is applied to the ball it is not to affect the flight of the ball in the classic spit-ball sense, but rather to improve the pitcher's grip. Nonetheless, if done improperly, it is a violation.