[Dakota]

Originally Posted by KJUmp

...Question..what do the hands separating have to do with determining if the pitcher crow hopped?

What either got this discussion started, or added fuel to it, was an explanation from NFHS.

From the NFHS 2009 Rule Book, Points of Emphasis, Pitching:

B. Crow Hop. A “crow hop” is defined as a re-plant of the pivot foot prior to releasing the ball. This can be done by sliding the foot in front of the pitching plate, lifting the pivot foot and stepping forward, and/or jumping forward with the pivot foot off the pitching plate prior to starting the pitch. To help determine whether the pitcher has replanted her pivot foot, the umpire should look at the location of the pivot foot when the hands separate to start the pitch. If the pivot foot is off and in front of the pitching plate before the hands separate to start the pitch, this would be a “crow hop” and an illegal pitch shall be called by the base umpire.