NFHS pitcher's foot

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by youngump

How good would a field have to be for you tell the difference between the foot being a 64th of inch over the pitching plate and being behind it by a 64th of an inch? I don't think I could tell that from 6 feet away on a permanent turf field and I have 20/15 vision.

I don't have a problem telling on fields that have actual 24" x 6" undamaged plates with no large holes behind or in front. All you're looking for is a noticeable gap between the heel and the rubber where you can see the dirt.

It's those fields where it's obvious that the pitching plate has been the same for a few years such that it's missing chunks on the front edge, and/or there's a 2- to 4-inch crater in front of it. With those conditions, that sliver of dirt you see between the heel and what's left of the front edge of the plate can and should be ignored.