Mixing the Set and Windup Positions

[mbyron]

It might have been helpful to know more about what the pitcher did and less about the rule (which most of us know).

I'm envisioning a wind-up type move after F1 has come set. The problem I see for that concerns his feet: if he steps with his free foot toward a base, then he cannot legally pitch to the batter.

OTOH, if he merely "winds up" with some motion of his arms, there's nothing illegal about that. It would defeat the purpose of the set position -- which is to minimize the time between the start of the pitch and delivering to the batter -- but that doesn't make it illegal.

Technically, it's impossible to "mix" the two positions. F1's feet determine whether he is in the windup or the set, and the requirements of each position apply once he has taken his position on the rubber. So the question really concerns whether his delivery is legal, and to rule on that I'd have to know more about it.