Licked Fingers & Others...

[AtlUmpSteve]

For discussion purposes, let's consider the rationale behind the rule(s) in question.

The general rule of delayed dead ball rather than immediate dead ball is to not keep the offended party from a more favorable result. We also signal/call the offense when it occurs, so that the offending party realizes and isn't "tricked" into providing a more favorable opportunity. In that way, the balance between offense and defense remains.

When dealing with a "defaced" ball, or one with a "foreign substance", that adds an additional factor, one of potential safety. If you knew the ball had an illegal substance applied, and the ball got away from the pitcher (or a subsequent player) and a serious injury resulted, there is every possibility (and likely argument) that you, knowingly allowing that pitch, contributed to the cause of injury; folks, that's called liability, contributory negligence, and other legal terms I'm not wanting to hear applied.

Well, NFHS doesn't want that, either. In this specific case; you know a ball is "dosed", they want you to stop the pitch from happening if you can. No other form of illegal pitch relates to safety, they all amount to gaining an unfair advantage.

Get a bat removed as soon as you recognize it; do the same with an unsafe ball.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by AtlUmpSteve

For discussion purposes, let's consider the rationale behind the rule(s) in question.

The general rule of delayed dead ball rather than immediate dead ball is to not keep the offended party from a more favorable result. We also signal/call the offense when it occurs, so that the offending party realizes and isn't "tricked" into providing a more favorable opportunity. In that way, the balance between offense and defense remains.

When dealing with a "defaced" ball, or one with a "foreign substance", that adds an additional factor, one of potential safety. If you knew the ball had an illegal substance applied, and the ball got away from the pitcher (or a subsequent player) and a serious injury resulted, there is every possibility (and likely argument) that you, knowingly allowing that pitch, contributed to the cause of injury; folks, that's called liability, contributory negligence, and other legal terms I'm not wanting to hear applied.

Well, NFHS doesn't want that, either. In this specific case; you know a ball is "dosed", they want you to stop the pitch from happening if you can. No other form of illegal pitch relates to safety, they all amount to gaining an unfair advantage.

Get a bat removed as soon as you recognize it; do the same with an unsafe ball.

As a practical matter, moist fingers touching a softball is not a detriment to safety. This is not baseball; the ball is too big and too heavy for that little bit of moisture to have any material effect on the flight of the ball. In fact, it may be the opposite, since isn't the pitcher typically doing that to improve her grip?

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by Dakota

As a practical matter, moist fingers touching a softball is not a detriment to safety. This is not baseball; the ball is too big and too heavy for that little bit of moisture to have any material effect on the flight of the ball. In fact, it may be the opposite, since isn't the pitcher typically doing that to improve her grip?

I don't disagree; however, I understand the intent is for all similar offenses to be treated similarly, without assuming all within the rank and file can effectively judge which foreign substance may be safe and which might be unsafe.

Have you ever called men's fastpitch when they were applying pine tar? OMFG!!

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by AtlUmpSteve

I don't disagree; however, I understand the intent is for all similar offenses to be treated similarly, without assuming all within the rank and file can effectively judge which foreign substance may be safe and which might be unsafe.

Have you ever called men's fastpitch when they were applying pine tar? OMFG!!

Shouldn't the real point of the rule address the application of foreign substance to the ball?

Applying anything from saliva to gorilla gold to the fingers or hand doesn't do anything unless it is transferred to the ball. Getting a better grip on the ball is not forbidden.

Even if something is applied to the ball, from what I understand it is too large a sphere traveling too short a distance for anything that isn't obvious to affect the pitch.