IP w/o Pitch

[DaveASA/FED]

Originally Posted by Manny A

NFHS Rule 5-1-1p says the ball becomes dead immediately when "an illegal pitch occurs, but no pitch is delivered to the batter." That would imply to me that certain IP violations are killed as soon as they happen. But I guess I'm wrong there.

What that is saying is, as with any illegal pitch you call it illegal when it becomes illegal. Calling the illegal pitch is signalling a delayed dead ball and saying illegal. IF the pitcher stops and backs off the pitching plate and does not throw a pitch, we do not have a stalemate and stand there with our left arm extended.....we then call a dead ball and enforce the illegal pitch penalty.

So one situation with two outcomes.

A pitcher steps onto the pitching plate with her hands together. This is an illegal pitch and the plate umpire signals delayed dead ball and verbalizes "illegal pitch" when the pitcher steps onto the pitching plate with their hands together. In a) the pitcher continues her preliminaries and delivers a pitch. In b) the pitcher stops her progression, steps back off the pitching plate and seperates her hands looking at the plate umpire.

In a) we allow the pitch to be delivered and the batter has the right to hit the ball, knowing it is an illegal pitch.

In b) it is obvious that the pitcher is not going to deliver a pitch so we would then call a dead ball and enforce the illegal pitch penalty.