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WMB's points are well taken. When you read the definition of a leap, pivot and non-pivot must be airborne and moving toward the plate at the same time. The crow hop pitcher takes an extra step, not necessarily lifting the pivot foot, but then replants AND pushes off from the new point. With a leap, the umpire literally has to confirm pivot and non-pivot are airborne at the same time. The reality is most pitchers that push off from the plate and don't crow-hop may go airborne for an inch or two and then drag. Thus, the umpire's call is based on synchronizing the feet for those few inches, which make a leap call very difficult. Moreover, when a pitcher jumps up instead of out, they catch a lot of air, and generally throw a ball anyway.
Skahtboi, I am a relative newcomer to this site, and I enjoy your attention to this issue, even though I disagree in part with your position. Under Little League rules, the illegal pitch rule does say that the pivot foot must maintain contact with the ground, and push off and drag, but it then provides "IF NOT, IT IS CONSIDERED A LEAP" , and directs you to the leap definition (Rule 2.00), which does not require that the foot stay on the ground, but defines a leap consistent with WMB's analysis. The rules contradict one another, which leads some umps to call leap whenever they see air under the back foot. The Little League Rules are almost identical to ASA.
My daughter has been coached by Kaci Clark for almost 2 years, and we have literally spent entire lessons watching her back foot. The only time an umpire ever even pays attention to it is when a coach complains, and they generally will not call it as long as the jump is a few inches and there is a drag. I think that is consistent with the letter and spirit of the rule.
[Edited by turk on Jul 17th, 2003 at 10:55 PM]
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