New to the site. I'm a fast pitch player and have a question on pitching. According to ASA rules, does the pitcher have to have one foot on the rubber when the ball leaves his/her hand?

As an umpire who has both played and coached (after I started to umpire) it is physically impossible to throw the ball with any type of velocity without the pivot foot leaving the pitching plate. Thus, you don't have to have a foot in contact with the pitching plate when the ball is released. You do, however, have to maintain what was explained to me as the "spirit of the rule." This means your pivot foot should remain in contact with the ground when you push and drag away from the pitching plate.

Even when beginning to pitch, your foot cannot maintain contact with the pitching plate without holding back on your rotation/push. Keep the foot in contact with the ground, within the 24 inch lines, and you'll be fine.

Men's FP is a whole different animal altogther.

Nothing to do with any spirit of anything, it's written in the rule book. 6F.3.I

There was a change this year, "kinda" changing men's pitching. The leap is legal - if the toes are pointed down.

Hell Steve,

Everything is legal in men's. :D

I guess I should have known that using anything but die-cast fact would insight a backhanded slam from people from certain parts of the country :)

I didn't have the rule book with me :( Sorry if I mislead anyone ;)

Personally, I like the men's rule. It's the only thing that is keeping the game alive in some parts of the country.

Glen,
Yeah, darn near just about anything goes. But FUBlue is right. And why not, by rule, give the players the game that they want? Men's ball has changed since I played it, but it's still a great game and I want to see it stay alive. There's nothing like some of those games where the pitches come at 80-100+ miles/hour.

The men's rule was adjusted to stay competitive with other sanctioning bodies.

I agree with the change and wish they had passed it across the board. I guess there were too many purists in the JOs to get it by.

I still like the idea of moving the PP back, keep the circle and let the pitcher do anything they want as long as start while in contact with the PP and they don't leave the circle.

Not bragging, but you are right. I've been clocked in the mid-80's, and when I coached, my girls would just kill the faster pitchers (guess who threw batting practice). Getting them to stay with the slower pitchers was the hard part :)

I was fortunate enough to call games with all the great pitchers from Indiana when they were still playing...Planger, Banush(sp?), Bender, Manusak, Meredith, etc. It really made you concentrate the whole game and I learned so much about being a good umpire from working games with these guys throwing. Talk about having to track the ball...some of these guys routinely hit 100 mph and moved the ball side-to-side SEVERAL FEET. Amazing stuff.

The league I used to do threw the pitching rule out the window...anything goes. ANd that's what the HITTERS wanted!

all pitches are legal
 

I have been informed by two TD via the UIC that illegal pitches are to be called only when blatant and only after letting the coach know.
I missed at least two youth tournaments and probably a HS State Tournament because I have been calling illegal pitches.

Re: all pitches are legal
 

I didn't know you lived in Nebraska, Cecil! ;)

That is really sad, but it is what I have tried to tell people like Ron O on eteamz, who seem to want to blame crooked umpires.

By "DEFINITION"
 

Hey folks let's be real !!!!

The intent of the pitching rule has nothing to do with the enforcement of same.

The interpretation depends on 3 factor only
1 Geographic location
2 Which alphabet soup your working for that weekend
3 The UIC definition/interpretation otherwise known as his "preferences"

As for the "book rule" enforcement quite frankly we'd never get out alive callin' every freakin' technical violation that occurs

Finally a sad note to everyone.... I actually broke down last night and read a rule books for the very first time...My wife was soo proud of the effort teaching me to read finally paid off

Re: By
 

You mean you signed the Declaration of Independence and couldn't even read the damn thing?!?!

Re: By
 

I agree on #1---worked a national within the last 3 years and UIC TOLD us not to call illegal pitches until Saturday!

I agree on #2---some of the soup can't spell IP.

I agree on #3, for personal reasons. When I UIC state tournaments, it depends on the age level and division on how close we call the rule. UIC'd 10U a few weeks ago, and I only had them call IP in the "A" division. In the "B" division, we worked with coaches on the pitching rule...I can't fault a girl (and I'm opening myself up for attacks here) for having a coach that knows nothing about pitching.
When I UIC 16U, we call it close, especially at the "A" level. They know by now how to pitch, they are obviously doing something on purpose. (IMHO)

Just FYI folks,

In Europe (and here in Israel), men's fastpitch uses ISF rules, which are the same for the women, except for the distance.

Viz, pitcher must start with BOTH feet touching the plate, pivot foot must remain in contact with the plate, or with the ground until the ball is released, and distance is 46 ft., not 43 ft.