Non- pivot foot
 

I worked a couple of games over the weekend and noticed that most of the kids pitching were starting the wind-ups with their non pivot foot in front and/or on side of plate. We let most of this go,but wouldn't this be an infraction from the wind up position??

Non pivot foot
 

Assuming Fed ball, the windup position requires the non-pivot foot to be on or behind the line across the front edge of the rubber. The set position requires the non-pivot foot to be in front of that line. With no runners on, by rule it is an illegal pitch and with runners on it is a balk. Call it early.

That said, with no runners on, nobody cares where the pitcher stands as long as he is close to the rubber and field conditions could require a pitcher to move to one side or the other for comfort.

This new pitching stance is being taught by some of the off-season sports academies. Correct it early and get back to baseball. Have a great season!
Robt

Yep,
 

What Robert said.

Regards,

FYI,

Whole non pivot foot in front in front of the pitching plate equal set position. Rules don't say much about pivot foot except in 6-1-3. I wouldn't let pitcher contact the front edge of the rubber with his pivot foot heel in the wind up position. This is for FED.

No umpire that I know of would call a balk or illegal pitch based on the position of the non-pivot foot. It's such a non-issue. If we got that ticky-tack about foot position out here, we would be labeled an OOO for sure.

If the non-pivot foot is on or behind a line EXTENDING through the front of the rubber, it's a wind-up position. If the back of the heel of the non-pivot foot is against the rubber, consider this to be "on" the line, and, thus in the wind-up.

If the entire non-pivot foot is in front of that line, it's the set position.

Note that in neither case must the non-pivot foot be directly in front of the rubber.

Buttcept for:
 

Steve:

There were two slides in the NFHS presentation this year concerning the positioning of a pitcher's feet.

One slide illustrated the legal position from the wind-up and the second slide the set.

This means that the NFHS (remember coaches formulate these rules) want pitchers to start in the legal position.

In my neck of the woods we will not allow a pitcher to start in an illegal position. Call it OOO if you want -- but in my area we have been directed to call it.

Regards,

what's "OOO" again? thanks

Ok,
 

" . . . what's "OOO" again?"

Originally:

O(verly)
O(fficious)
O(af)

Changed to:

O(verly)
O(officious)
O(fficial)

Regards

And I'll remark that 'OOO' is redundant, since there is no right amount of officiousness. ;)

got it...thanks

6-1-3 Straight from the FED rule book:

Before starting his delivery, he shall stand with his entire non-pivot foot in front of a line extending through the front edge of the pitcher of the pitcher's plate and with with his entire pivot foot in contact with or directly in front of the pitcher plate.

This to me has always signified the pitcher is given special permission to contact the front of pitcher's plate in the set position only. 6-1-2 gives no mention of how a pitcher is to contact the rubber. I've seen the slide presentations Tee mentions, so I feel something is amiss somewhere.

Note : these kids were pitching in the wind up motion with their non pivot foot way in front of the plate. I believe per NFHS rules, this is a violation. Are you saying we should let this go as long as the foot is near the plate?

okay, the pitcher isn't going to step directly on the pitcher's plate either wind-up or stretch...to anybody who has ever pitched before, know that while the pitcher may start in contacting a part of the rubber, essentially they're pushing off of the part below the dirt...to me, unless I'm visualizing this incorrectly seems a bit like over officiating to me.

aren't they going to simply step further back anyway w/ their non-pivot foot if they start out that far in front?? the best pitchers in baseball take a very small step backward in their windup...if kids are doing this, it sounds more like a coaching problem to me than an umpire issue