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NFHS - opening rounds of H.S. Tournament. Top level big school team, could go fairly deep into tournament. I had this pitcher earlier in the season and the other coaches complained about her pitching. Will probably see her Saturday afternoon in the District Championship game.
F1 lifts her pivot foot heel when she shifts her weight back. This is a technique taught by many pitching coaches. They replant the heel as they shift weight forward, and then drive off the plate.
Problem is that she takes weight off toes and her foot moves. Sometimes her toes come up just a fraction, sometimes a inch or more. (Picture: foot at angle with heel up 2"-4", toes up less.) She then sets (or slides) the foot over the front of the plate so that the toes are down in the depression and only the heel is still on top of the plate.
So she starts with all of her foot on top of the plate, and pushes off with only part of her foot on the plate. (Almost like a baseball pitcher that pushes from the front of the plate.)
Are we getting too technical to call that a replant? These girls have already played 40 games and are now in a "one loss and you're out" run towards the State Championship, and there may be state officials in attendance.
Do you warn them before the game? You know that you're going to get a "nobody's called that all year" response. Do you let it slide and only call it if it is very obvious (ie., toes come up 2")? At this level you can expect the offensive coaches to be complaining to you and demanding that you call it.
I will have the plate for the championship game, and I am excited to have the opportunity. But I know this issue may give me problems.
(BTW - District is 1st round, winners go to Regionals, then Quarter-finals. Then 4 teams from four classes - both baseball and softball - go to one location for State Championship weekend. What a sight - 32 teams, thousands of players and parents and fans - tailgating and food tents and canopies everywhere on the grounds.)
WMB
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