Catchers box?

[umpjim]

Originally Posted by BretMan

The catcher being out of the box prior to the pitch is an illegal pitch that should probably never happen. The umpire should hold up the pitcher, tell the catcher to get in the box, then not allow a pitch until she does.

The baseball and softball rules are similar, but not identical. Baseball confines the catcher to the box (which is much smaller in baseball) until the pitcher starts any motion associated with his pitch delivery. Softball says that the catcher has to be in the box until the pitch is released.

The baseball codes vary in allowing the catcher to position out of the box. It’s not worth describing the differences as no one should looking to call the violation anyway.