USA Softball Council Meetings

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by Big Slick

I guarantee that USA will not make any rule about the stride foot . . . now the NON-PIVOT FOOT.

Yes, I'm being that guy. NCAA is the only rule code that calls the non-pivot foot the "stride foot." USA/NFHS/WBSC use pivot foot and non-pivot foot.

I'm simply referring to the foot that the pitcher strides with. I'm not quoting what a particular rule book calls it. And, quite frankly, it's a misnomer to refer to that foot as the "non-pivot" foot because the pitcher can legally pivot with that foot during her delivery.

[Big Slick]

Originally Posted by Manny A

I'm simply referring to the foot that the pitcher strides with. I'm not quoting what a particular rule book calls it. And, quite frankly, it's a misnomer to refer to that foot as the "non-pivot" foot because the pitcher can legally pivot with that foot during her delivery.

USA defines the pivot foot as "(fast pitch)The foot which must remain in contact with the pitcher's plate prior to pushing off." (Rule 1 - pivot foot). The other foot is the "non-pivot foot", which is referred to in rule 6(a) 1 c 1 (6a 1 c 2 is now removed) and in rule 6 2 H and I. So yes, words do have meaning.

NCAA introduced the term "stride foot" a few years ago. I'm not sure when, but I see this as really just wanting to be different. Probably around the time when a pitcher "goofy-footed" and everyone wondered if that was legal.

As to your semantic word play, yes, a pitcher can "pivot" on the non-pivot foot, but not in any motion or definition of the pitch. The same way Ross pivots the couch going up the stairs.

[Big Slick]

The playing rule changes for USA Softball are now available:

https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball...-SB/Governance

Of note to this thread:

Rule 6A, Section 1C: Both feet must be on the ground within the 24-inch length of the pitcher’s plate. The shoulders shall be in line with first and third bases. The pitcher shall take a position with their pivot foot in contact with the pitcher’s plate and their non-pivot foot in contact with or behind the pitcher’s plate.

Comment: Allows female pitchers to start with one or two feet on the pitcher’s plate. This aligns the male and female pitching rule as it relates to foot placement.

Rule 6A, Section 1E: The pitcher shall bring their hands together for not less than one second and not more than 10 seconds before releasing the ball. A backward step may be taken before, simultaneous with or after the hands are brought together. The pivot foot must remain in contact with the pitcher’s plate at all times prior to the forward step.

Comment: Allows female pitchers to take a backward step from the pitcher’s plate, before, during or after the hands are brought together. This aligns the male and female pitching rule as it relates to stepping back from the pitcher’s plate.

This is the same as the NFHS rule. However, this is different than 2020-2021 NCAA, which does not allow any movement backwards after the pitcher position has been set.

And while we are at it:

Rule 6A, Section 11B&C, Rule 7, Section 5D: (Junior Olympic Fast Pitch Only) Eliminates the penalty of advancing a runner one base without liability to be put out from the effect of committing an illegal pitch.

Comment: In Junior Olympic Fast Pitch ONLY, when an illegal pitch is declared, the penalty is only a ball on the batter. We no longer advance runners in Junior Olympic Fast Pitch as part of the penalty.

This aligns with NCAA and NFHS.

[CecilOne]

Good job, Slick !!

[RKBUmp]

Every rule set except NFHS moved away from the step back years and years ago, why in the world would USA move back to it??????

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by RKBUmp

Every rule set except NFHS moved away from the step back years and years ago, why in the world would USA move back to it??????

Playing that game we all played as children, Follow the Leader

[Big Slick]

Originally Posted by RKBUmp

Every rule set except NFHS moved away from the step back years and years ago, why in the world would USA move back to it??????

USA technically never 'moved away' from the step back. That has been the men's rule for as long as I've been around (circa 1997). I think this is just a matter of not writing two separate preliminaries for genders. And to my knowledge, NFHS has not required two feet on (well, since 2000).

NCAA made the change this year for only one foot on, but they adopted the WBSC rule for preliminaries on the feet. That includes no step back once the feet are set.

But since the USA Male rule is the same as NFHS (in totality since 2016, once NFHS allowed the step back once the hand came together), USA just opened the preliminaries to all fast pitch.

It really isn't that big of a deal.

Now the big deal is when NCAA (and NFHS, and USA Jo/females) allows leaping, which is legal in WBSC.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Big Slick

USA technically never 'moved away' from the step back. That has been the men's rule for as long as I've been around (circa 1997). I think this is just a matter of not writing two separate preliminaries for genders. And to my knowledge, NFHS has not required two feet on (well, since 2000).

1936 - Both feet need to stay in contact until the delivery

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by Big Slick

USA technically never 'moved away' from the step back. That has been the men's rule for as long as I've been around (circa 1997). I think this is just a matter of not writing two separate preliminaries for genders. And to my knowledge, NFHS has not required two feet on (well, since 2000).
...
It really isn't that big of a deal.

I have a different theory that may be totally out of whack. But maybe USA made the move to attract more fast pitch players to participate in USA travel ball. By allowing the step-back, there may be more pitchers who opt to play travel because they now can pitch as they would during the high school season.

Seriously, this, to me, was a fix to something that wasn't broken. I've never heard anyone in any USA-related event (tournaments, clinics, meetings, etc.) clamor that they wanted the women's fast-pitch rule to align with the men's rule. So if that's really the only reason why they went that way, I think it's dumb. My suspicions tell me there's another underlying motivation that may be related to attracting more girls to the organization, now that there's so many other options out there (USSSA, PGF, NSA, USFA, etc.)