Please find rule

[shipwreck]

From Federation ball 2000 rule book Rule 6 Art.1a note: It is an illegal pitch if the pitcher places her pivot foot on the pitcher's plate, brings her hands together and then changes the ball from one hand to the other.
I cannot find this rule in the 2001 rule book. Any help would be appreciated. P.S I found this rule in the 1999 rule book also. Dave

[bluezebra]

Try 6-1-2 a.

Bob

[Roger Greene]

Effective 2001 it is no longer a violation. That is why it was removed.

You might judge it to be a violation of 6-1-2a if it occured after the signal, and or after a significant pause. Before 2001 if F1 just stepped on the pitcher's plate, and then shifted the ball, even before she took her position and looked to the catcher for a signal, you called an illegal pitch. Now it is a nothing.

Roger Greene,
Member UT

[shipwreck]

6-1-2a???? that doesn't make sense to me.

[bluezebra]

6-1-2 a..The pitch starts when one hand is taken off the ball or the pitcher makes any motion that is part of the windup after the hands are have been brought together.

When one hand is taken off the ball, the pitch starts. If the ball is shifted from hand-to-hand, illegal pitch.

What don't you understand?

By the way, sometimes FED changes rule numbers because another rule is inserted.

Bob

[shipwreck]

Bob, if this is the case where did Roger Greene get his information that effective 2001 it is no longer an illegal pitch unless other things happen by the pither? Read his reply to my question. Dave

[Roger Greene]

Dave,

F1 is required to do 3 things before the time of the pitch.
(1)Take a position with shoulders in line with 1st and 3rd and hold ball in one hand.
(2) Take a signal from F2
(3) Bring hands together at least one second....

Because of the note you indicated that was in the earlier rule books, if F1 shifted the ball an instant after contact with the pitchers plate, and before she had preformed acts 1 and/or 2 above, you were required by rule to rule an illegal pitch. The batter had not been deceived, the runners had not been deceived, and the pitcher had gained no advantage, but the note required that an illegal pitch be called.

By deleating the note, that momentary shift of the ball done by a pitcher, even though not "good form" no longer requires the illegal pitch call. However, if the shift occurs after items one and two above were done by F1, then Bob's interpertation that the movement is the start of the pitch would be correct.

Fed sometimes makes deletions from their rules such as this without notification. I do not know if it is intentional or inadverant. This year they also listed a change, when in fact there was no change. See the listed editorial revision of 6-1-1d and compare the penalty to the 2000 rule book. There was in fact no change. (Your guess is as good as mine on that.)

The source of this information is from our FED clinics and meetings in NC prior to the 2001 season. I can not claim any official statement from Fed about this change, but this interpertation is logical and not without precident.

Roger Greene,
Member UT