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Simply put, a crow hop occurs when the pitcher's pivot foot releases from the pitcher's plate and replants prior to the release of the pitch.
Simple, but accurate!
On the field you may see two forms of the crow hop. One - with her weight shifted back, the pitcher will pick up her pivot foot and and replant it either on the plate or in front of the plate. Illegal in both cases. However, sometimes it is only a slight rise and replant on the plate, or sliding to a new position on the plate. Legal in that case.
Second - on the drive, both feet may become airborne and the pivot lands first, somewhere in front of the plate. Definitely illegal. However, do not confuse this with the pivot foot losing contact with the ground due to unevenness of the ground immediately in front of the plate. That can be legal. Best thing is to watch the angle of the pivot foot. If the toe is up (or level), that is a step and it will be illegal. If the toe is down, that is a drag and even if the foot breaks contact with the ground, that is legal.
WMB
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