Illegal Pitch?
 

Something that happened to me in a 9U game the other day. Playing Fed rules with modifications, including no balks, but technically illegal pitches can be called.

So, the pitcher *every* time pitched from the strech, would come set with his pivot foot about 4" in front of the rubber, shift his foot back so it touched the rubber, and then would pitch. The assistant coach complained, his head coach said don't worry, it's not an advantage before I could even say anything. As far as I was concerned, before pitching his pivot foot was in contact with the rubber, and he was 9U. Thoughts?

As a coach and not an umpire, I would consider a 9U game to be instructional. As a coach, I would have corrected that motion in practice. At that age I think it would have been entirely appropriate for the umpire to go out to the mound and ask the pitcher's coach to come on out for an instructional chat. If he continued to pitch that way, let it go since their was no advantage and no real applicable penalty to be enforced.

Playing that funny ball, huh? Well, I think you used logic and common sense, and so did the opposing head coach, which is probably why he is the head coach and not his assistant. The pitcher's coach, on the other hand, should teach the kid how to do it the right way between innings.

I did forget to mention that the pitching teams coaches did talk with him after that inning, he still didn't get it right the next inning, so they did some more instruction during warmups in the 3rd, and he got, well, a bit better. Sort of. But I didn't see any advantage, so we let it go.

It's been my experiance when calling a "modified" game with the emphasis of "no balks" thats exactly what they get from me... no balks. When I get any talk from HC I am quick to remind him what "their" league says and usually nothing else. The problem seems to come when the game is close or a runner gets picked.... But at that age they are trying to just get the mechanics down and the league must feel it's better to not call balks. Maybe talk to the coach between ininngs? (I already know someone will make the comment concerning "coaching" but I have no problem in this situation).

Are leadoffs allowed in the game?

If so, then I'd call it. The motion of moving the pivot foot back to the rubber looks like the motion of stepping off. So, the runners move back toward the base, then there's a pitch -- advantage defense.

If there aren't any leadoffs, then ignore it.