ASA pitching rule

[coachfanmom]

I'm so confused now I couldn't tell you how she was pitching!!! I'll just leave it alone until next game. I'll have my asa certified mom there to argue weather or not it was legal or illegal and let it go from there. Wait until I tell you what happened last night in the 16U girls game (after the boss leaves that is)

[DanIn]

Just to pick a nit coachfanmom......In your original post, you lost by one "run", not point. There....now you are nit free. LOL.

[coachfanmom]

huh?

[coachfanmom]

I wasn't implying that I lost the game because of what happened.....heck it wasn't my pitcher that lost it....it was that dreaded drop third strike rule that kills me!!! First inning we had 4 or 5 strike outs before we could get out of the inning!! Remember this is league ball and I can't find one girl on my team that can catch a 40 mph ball **ugh***.

I was just asking about the illegal pitch so I'll know for tournament ball (although she has pitched the same way for 5 years and this is the first illegal pitch she has been approached on).... I've got a HUGE headache and have finally had to just let it all go....water under the bridge that I hope doesn't rise to flood me out in the future!

Seems that this must be one of those things that just depends on who you have behind the plate.....and since it's the first time in 5 years and it's from a rookie ump....Imma stick with the way she pitches and not worry any more!!

Thanks for the help you guys!! You were all wonderful to give me your pointers and I'll print it out and carry it with me for future reference if I need to.

[mcrowder]

Dan was picking on your use of the word POINT when it should have been RUN. It was in fun.

[Dakota]

Originally posted by tcannizzo

Had a double pumper last night. Approaches the plate with hands separarated. Starts arms swinging before hands come together. Hands come together above her head, then separate to begin the full windmill. Perfectly legal.

You'll notice I qualified the comment by "after the hands separate." In your case, all the swinging is done before the hands come together. I agree this is legal, but not what I call a "double pump." Don't know if that is what coachfanmom's DD is doing. That is why I asked her - when did the hands separate?

This is what is illegal:
Hands together.
Hands separate.
Backswing.
Forward swing.
Another Backswing ---- ding, ding, ding, IP.

[Dakota]

Originally posted by coachfanmom
I'm so confused now I couldn't tell you how she was pitching!!! I'll just leave it alone until next game. I'll have my asa certified mom there to argue weather or not it was legal or illegal and let it go from there.

I'm sure she'll be able to help since she will be able to actually see the pitcher.

Just remember this: In ASA, the pitch does not begin until the hands separate. Up to that point, the pitcher can do pretty much anything except fake a pitch.

[coachfanmom]

Ever analyzed something too long that it all becomes one big blur????? lol

Calgon!!! Take me away!!!!

[coachfanmom]

ok ok ok......I have this problem.....lol....I just can't let things go until I understand it no matter how hard I try.....lol.....and I THINK I got it now.....

somebody give me the page number and rule for the "reversal of the forward motion" thing...... I might be eating crow here unless I'm just making it all up in my head as to what she does..... will get her to demonstrate her pitch to me again this afternoon but it seems to me like she might be IP after all...... I have read and re-read my original post on her pitching motion over and over and I do now think she is IPing because of the "reversal of the forward motion thing".....HELP!!!!

[Dakota]

Originally posted by coachfanmom
ok ok ok......I have this problem.....lol....I just can't let things go until I understand it no matter how hard I try.....lol.....and I THINK I got it now.....

somebody give me the page number and rule for the "reversal of the forward motion" thing...... I might be eating crow here unless I'm just making it all up in my head as to what she does..... will get her to demonstrate her pitch to me again this afternoon but it seems to me like she might be IP after all...... I have read and re-read my original post on her pitching motion over and over and I do now think she is IPing because of the "reversal of the forward motion thing".....HELP!!!!

The rule you want is ASA Rule 6-3-C (Fast Pitch). It is on page 83 of my Umpire Edition rule book. It says,

The pitcher must not make a stop or reversal of the forward motion after separating the hands.

Some overofficious umpires interpret this to mean "no backswing" but the backswing is specifically permitted in rule 8-3-D. But it does prohibit reversing the forward motion after the backswing.

[coachfanmom]

Ok...if my memory serves me correctly....this is what I THINK she does.....

1. feet on plate with hands separate to each side
2. swings hand together in front of her (start of pitch?)
3. drops hands to each side
4. brings hands back out in front pointing glove towards home plate (is this what you consider a forward motion??)
5. drops ball arm into her backswing (reversal of forward motion????)
6. then windmills to deliver the pitch



Legal or Not??

[Dakota]

Originally posted by coachfanmom
Ok...if my memory serves me correctly....this is what I THINK she does.....

1. feet on plate with hands separate to each side
2. swings hand together in front of her (start of pitch?)

Not yet, assuming the hands are still together.

Originally posted by coachfanmom
3. drops hands to each side

If the hands have separated, this is the start of the pitch.

Originally posted by coachfanmom
4. brings hands back out in front pointing glove towards home plate (is this what you consider a forward motion??)

If hands have separated, then this is the beginning of the pitching forward motion. There can be no stop or reversal after this.

Originally posted by coachfanmom
5. drops ball arm into her backswing (reversal of forward motion????)
6. then windmills to deliver the pitch
Legal or Not??

Not legal.

[coachfanmom]

ok...guess now I need to have her demonstrate her pitch to me in slow motion again so that I can see if I described it correctly or not.....if so....we have to change so that either when she does step 2 that she doesn't bring her hands together at that point until she points the glove or just cut out that movement all together......will let this topic die until tomorrow!! hahahaha

Thanks Tom!! You've been a big help!!

[coachfanmom]

If she is actually doing as I described..... then the umpire was correct to say it was an IP but not because of the reason she gave about passing the hip more than twice but because of stopping the forward motion. Correct?

Thinking about actually going to the school at lunch just so she can show me and get this OFF my mind....LOL

[Dakota]

Originally posted by coachfanmom
If she is actually doing as I described..... then the umpire was correct to say it was an IP but not because of the reason she gave about passing the hip more than twice but because of stopping the forward motion. Correct?

Correct.