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Greymule: "However, I would be very surprised if at the moment one of them makes the release, the ball of her pivot foot is not several inches in front of the rubber and in subtantial contact with the ground. And they are certainly not delivering during the drag; their pivot foot has stopped and is giving them plenty of support. Go out to a mound and try it yourself. You'll seeyou are delivering off the back foot after the drag forward, not during it."
Can not agree with you, GM. (Qualifier: in my long career I have been a pitcher, a pitching coach with several H.S. all conference girls, a H.S. coach, and an umpire.) Let's talk about throwing mechanics. Whether Underhand or Overhand, the throwing motion starts with a push by the pivot foot. But the actual throw is executed when the stride foot lands, the hips close, or are closing, and the wrist snaps. After creating the initial forward momentum, the pivot foot has nothing to do with the actual delivery. If overhand, then the shoulder are going down, the hips are closed, and the pivot foot will pick up and reset to the side. If underhand, then the shoulders are coming up and the pivot foot typically drags behind the thrower, then resets to the side when the hips close. (And it is that drag that creates the gully you see, usually about 45 deg from the plate.)
The initial push is, by rule, supposed to come from the plate. If the underhanded pitcher leaps with both feet, and the pivot foot lands first, and the push-off is from that point - then you have a crow hop. After that, everything is the same. The pivot foot will drag (from the new push-off point), the stride foot will land, and the ball is released. And it's illegal
Another thing to look at is the knee. Again, whether Underhand or Overhand, as the weight is transfered forward the pivot foot knee has to buckle in order to push. To truly push off from a new point, the pivot knee would have to buckle a second time and straighten and push. Even when a girl has picked up her foot and relanded a few inches in front of the plate, I don't think she is pushing. (You almost need slow-motion video to see that.) I think that her forward momentum is already established and her pivot foot is just landing and dragging along. Even though I see that little step, if I don't see her pushing from that point I do not call a crow hop.
WMB
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