NCAA Pitching Rules.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

I am watching the North Carolina at Georgia game on the SEC/ESPN Channel and I cannot believe my eyes.

The pitcher for Georgia is a lefty and the tip (all the way down to the first knuckle) of her pitching had is completely covered with white athletic tape!

MTD, Sr.


P.S. I just got a better look at the pitcher's pitching hand. The tape goes all the way down to her second knuckle.

[Big Slick]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

I am watching the North Carolina at Georgia game on the SEC/ESPN Channel and I cannot believe my eyes.

The pitcher for Georgia is a lefty and the tip (all the way down to the first knuckle) of her pitching had is completely covered with white athletic tape!

MTD, Sr.


P.S. I just got a better look at the pitcher's pitching hand. The tape goes all the way down to her second knuckle.

10.13.4 The pitcher shall not wear any item on the pitching fingers, hand, wrist, forearm or thighs that an umpire considers distracting. This includes
a batting glove, sweatband and loose lacing on a glove, or ball-colored logos. Exception: The pitcher’s fingers, hand, wrist, forearm or elbow may be taped for injury, providing such tape is a neutral color.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Big Slick

10.13.4 The pitcher shall not wear any item on the pitching fingers, hand, wrist, forearm or thighs that an umpire considers distracting. This includes
a batting glove, sweatband and loose lacing on a glove, or ball-colored logos. Exception: The pitcher’s fingers, hand, wrist, forearm or elbow may be taped for injury, providing such tape is a neutral color.

Thanks for the response, but "white" is not a neutral color. I would think by "neutral" the Rules Committee means the same color as the skin.

MTD, Sr.

[Tru_in_Blu]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

Thanks for the response, but "white" is not a neutral color. I would think by "neutral" the Rules Committee means the same color as the skin.

MTD, Sr.

I watched that game. In my judgment, the wrapping on the finger was a flesh-colored Band-Aid.

I was once allowed to pitch (modified) with a flesh-colored plastic splint on my pinkie finger which was attached with a couple of pieces of white tape. And, back then, the balls we used were white.

BTW, the NC pitcher allowed the tying run to score on a 12U play. One out runners on 2nd and 3rd. She fielded a ball back to her and never checked the runner from third before flipping underhanded to first base. She clearly had a play at home.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Tru_in_Blu

I watched that game. In my judgment, the wrapping on the finger was a flesh-colored Band-Aid.

I was once allowed to pitch (modified) with a flesh-colored plastic splint on my pinkie finger which was attached with a couple of pieces of white tape. And, back then, the balls we used were white.

BTW, the NC pitcher allowed the tying run to score on a 12U play. One out runners on 2nd and 3rd. She fielded a ball back to her and never checked the runner from third before flipping underhanded to first base. She clearly had a play at home.

We have a 46" HD TV screen, and on at least two different occasions close ups showed that it was most definitely white and covered the index finger of her pitching hand from its tip to its second knuckle.

MTD, Sr.


P.S. And I am blind in one eye and can't see out of the other and I could tell what color and how much of her finger was covered.

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

Thanks for the response, but "white" is not a neutral color. I would think by "neutral" the Rules Committee means the same color as the skin.

MTD, Sr.

That is not a correct assumption. Neutral colors are white, black, brown, tan and gray, as opposed to team colors. What you are assuming would be stated as flesh-colored, if that were the intent.

Unless the umpire judges that white tape a distraction, it is legal according to the rule Big Slick quoted.

[Tru_in_Blu]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

We have a 46" HD TV screen, and on at least two different occasions close ups showed that it was most definitely white and covered the index finger of her pitching hand from its tip to its second knuckle.

MTD, Sr.


P.S. And I am blind in one eye and can't see out of the other and I could tell what color and how much of her finger was covered.

The police interview 3 witnesses to a hit and run accident. All three describe the vehicle as a different color and one says it was a pickup truck and the other 2 say it was a car.

Perhaps your TV needs the white balance adjusted.

My TV is not as ostentatious as yours. I saw it as just below her fingernail and covering the first knuckle from the end of her finger. I.E. regular Band-Aid size.

I think your outrage that this was permitted to happen has resulted in some embellishment on your part.

What we didn't see (and I was channel flipping) was if there was some discussion with the umpire(s) prior to the game. And I didn't see (again flipping) any complaints by the opposing coach.

The young lady pitched an excellent game, particularly since she's only a freshman and went the distance.

BTW, that pitcher did not have overpowering speed, she relies a lot on spinning the ball and changing speeds. The index finger is the most important digit for pitchers (other than opposable thumbs ) in commanding a pitch. Trying to throw a pitch with a Band-Aid or tape to the end of the index finger is actually counter-productive as it reduces the feel of the finger on the ball. So unless there was some illegal substance on that Band-Aid or tape I think it was perfectly fine. Given that she threw well over 100 pitches in the game, the bandage likely was changed out several time during the game.

And I don't even call NCAA.

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by AtlUmpSteve

Unless the umpire judges that white tape a distraction, it is legal according to the rule Big Slick quoted.

Please clarify why the white tape on the hand is not covered by the exception to the distraction rule. Is it because white is not listed as neutral?

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by AtlUmpSteve

What you are assuming would be stated as flesh-colored, if that were the intent.

There is some sensitivity about the term "flesh-colored", possibly being avoided.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Tru_in_Blu

The police interview 3 witnesses to a hit and run accident. All three describe the vehicle as a different color and one says it was a pickup truck and the other 2 say it was a car.

Perhaps your TV needs the white balance adjusted.

My TV is not as ostentatious as yours. I saw it as just below her fingernail and covering the first knuckle from the end of her finger. I.E. regular Band-Aid size.

I think your outrage that this was permitted to happen has resulted in some embellishment on your part.

What we didn't see (and I was channel flipping) was if there was some discussion with the umpire(s) prior to the game. And I didn't see (again flipping) any complaints by the opposing coach.

The young lady pitched an excellent game, particularly since she's only a freshman and went the distance.

BTW, that pitcher did not have overpowering speed, she relies a lot on spinning the ball and changing speeds. The index finger is the most important digit for pitchers (other than opposable thumbs ) in commanding a pitch. Trying to throw a pitch with a Band-Aid or tape to the end of the index finger is actually counter-productive as it reduces the feel of the finger on the ball. So unless there was some illegal substance on that Band-Aid or tape I think it was perfectly fine. Given that she threw well over 100 pitches in the game, the bandage likely was changed out several time during the game.

And I don't even call NCAA.

First, my TV screen is not ostentatious; it was a surprise Christmas gift from Santa (my wonderful wife) to my sons and me three year ago.

That said, my eyesight is still pretty good and I was not embellishing because you thought I didn't like what I saw. During the couple of innings that I watched there were two closeups of the Georgia pitcher that included very good views of her pitching hand. It was most definitely white athletic tape (not a band-aid) that covered her index finger from its tip to the second knuckle.

I was not outraged. I was surprised though. When one looks at the Rules Codes of the two diamond sports (baseball and softball), NCAA Softball is the only one that allows what the Georgia pitcher did. I looked up the NCAA Rules the next day and I was surprised that the pitcher was allowed to wear something on her pitching fingers, and when I asked Mark, Jr. (he umpires women's college softball) if he knew the rule, he confirmed that he knew the rule (Boy! Nobody tells me these things, !).

The other Ruled Codes prohibit pitchers from having such items on their pitching hands so as to prohibit the pitchers from gaining an advantage in gripping the ball.

My puzzlement is with the word "neutral". The word "neutral" allows for one hell of a lot of wiggle room for defining what is "neutral". I may be wrong but my gut (and I have a lot of gut, ) tells me that if we were to read the NCAA Softball Rule being discussed to all of the umpires that umpire baseball and softball (excluding professional baseball and college softball umpires) and then poll them about the word "neutral" I would bet dollars to donuts that a majority would first think flesh colored. And I think that a majority of those that umpire professional baseball would also first think flesh colored.

I accept the NCAA Ruling, I just believe that the Exception could be written a little better.

MTD, Sr.

[Tru_in_Blu]

As you described your TV, it was, in my judgment, ostentatious. I am the receiver of the message, and I will interpret it as I will.

"characterized by or given to pretentious or conspicuous show in an attempt to impress others"

Bling on music artists is ostentatious and it doesn't matter how they came about their shiny baubles. The origin of the item makes it no less conspicuous.
We cannot see your TV but you felt it important enough that we all know about it.

I believe you made that comment exactly to impress others and/or lend credibility to your observations. After all, those watching on a Sony Trinitron from 1995 wouldn't have been able to see the pitcher's hand, much less something on her finger. Right?

A lot of rules books could be written a lot better. I only read 2 sanctions and that's plenty for me.

[BlueDevilRef]

In today's world of 70+ inch 4D HD tvs, is saying you have a 46" HD tv really bragging or pretentious? Cmon. I took it to mean that he wasn't watching on his phone or similar small device.

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by CecilOne

Please clarify why the white tape on the hand is not covered by the exception to the distraction rule. Is it because white is not listed as neutral?

In my opinion, anything judged to be distracting would supercede a generic approval or lack of nonapproval. And I would stay with that perspective until a much higher authority told me I was wrong.

Example; NCAA allows pitchers to wear sunglasses. One pitcher has glasses that reflect the sunlight into the batter's (and PU's) eyes. My ruling; she cannot wear those glasses now. Fine to wear when they do not distract (at night, overcast, or when sun is behind her); but not now.

[Tru_in_Blu]

Originally Posted by BlueDevilRef

In today's world of 70+ inch 4D HD tvs, is saying you have a 46" HD tv really bragging or pretentious? Cmon. I took it to mean that he wasn't watching on his phone or similar small device.

I thought so. The post could have said something fairly simple, like: "I was watching the game last night and noticed..." Which is how he started the original post, but then had to go into size and definition to make a point.

So it really is about size, huh? And now, pixels. Ask Jerry Jones!

[CecilOne]

Enough of that, please.