Babe Ruth Pitching Rule

[waltjp]

During a 10U game played under Babe Ruth rules I had a coach complain about the opposing pitcher's motion. I'm certified under Fed and ASA and I didn't see anything illegal but was wondering if there's something specific under the BR code that I'm unaware of.

The pitcher would take a position with both feet on the pitcher's plate. She'd hold both hands in front of her with the ball in her pitching hand and not in contact with the glove. Without moving her feet she'd swing both arms behind her then bring them forward again and together in front of her. Once the hands were brought together she'd continue moving up to about shoulder height and then she would separate them and swing them back behind her as she started her motion to the plate.

The coach was complaining about the first swing of the arms behind her before she brought her hands together.

Please help clarify this for me.


Thanks

[AtlUmpSteve]

I don't know squat about Babe Ruth softball, but in every ruleset I call, that is a legal motion. One of the first things worth learning is that a coach complaining has little relevance to the legality of any pitching motion.

Since a pitch doesn't begin until the hands are brought together and then separated, what she does prior to that point is completely legal. The only things I can think of that a pitcher can do before separating the hands that would be illegal are 1) applying a foreign substance to the ball, 2) stepping on the pitching plate with hands together, or 3) stepping on the pitching plate and bringing the hands together without pausing to take or simulate taking the signal. And, in 2) & 3), the pitcher can still legally disengage and restart prior to the illegal pitch. The illegal pitch in those cases shouldn't be called until the pitcher separates.

[waltjp]

Thanks Steve. Just checking to see if there was something in BR that I was unaware of.