Call this???
 

College game. U Tenn's top pitcher (Monica Abbot).

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...59913668&hl=en

Since I don't call college games, let alone top 10 Div 1 games, I have no comment on whether this should have been called. I do know it seemed to happen pretty quickly. It is clear, though, that the person running the camera was wanting "proof"! :)

That is the 4th of a series of 4 short clips. Here's the first three:

First Clip
Second Clip
Third Clip

Should it be called? Unless there were certain allowances due to property of the dirt, yes. From the looks of the ground around the PP, these were either the first four pitches of the game, or the other pitcher isn't dragging either which makes me think something isn't right.

At that level? Not going to happen as shown.

I don't call college and have little interest in doing so. But it is clear that you don't bang pitchers if you wish to remain in the assignment rotation.

That won't be the only thing that happens if you start banging pitchers:rolleyes:

As long as ...

... no, I won't go there.
;)

We have some streaming sites blocked at work due to bandwidth concerns. Apparently Google Video is one. I will have to check this out when I get home.

speaking ISF/ESF...
 

Though it looks a bit odd to me, the way she's having her moves before the pitch, I can't see anything illegal in her feet motions. The only thing I COULD (not saying I would) call upon is her two seconds-rule. It's nowhere close to two sec's, so I would first talk to the catcher. If that has no effect, then I've a IP! But only on the 2 sec's-rule. I can't see anything illegal on her feet-movements...

Sander

You can't? Really? She quite simply steps with her pivot foot and pushes off. No drag at all, not even a pretense at a drag.

ASA, I'm IPing this if I see it.

NCAA - they've made it quite clear that they want this to still be illegal in the book, but not illegal on the field.

This looks like a little more than your typical, small "leap" where the pivot foot loses contact with the ground while the stride foot is also airbourne. That infraction seems to be overlooked in NCAA ball.

This does look like a full-fledged, honest-to-goodness "crow hop", where the pitcher is bringing the pivot foot fully in front of the plate, then pitching from that newly established push-off point.

Perhaps this is considered a bit more egregious than a little leap.

She also seems to losing contact between her pivot foot and the pitcher's plate during her rock back. Minor? I'm not privy to how the NCAA instructs the umpires to handle this, but do recall seeing a pitcher called for that (possibly this same pitcher?) during the NCAA World Series last year.

(PS: You should especially avoid banging pitchers if you work in predominately men's leagues! Not that there's anything wrong with that...)

Be prepared for a lot of grief if you call this a IP. While not being 100% legal it's close enough imho to be overlooked. It's like doing 70 mph on a road where 55mph is the "legal" limit.

ASA & FED - IP without question. How Alex could say he sees nothing wrong just boggles my mind.

NCAA - I agree with mcrowder - they want it illegal in the book but don't want it called. The offensive team will complain about it though . . .

In most places you get ticketed for doing 15 over the speed limit!

My primary sport is H.S. and college basketball, but I do umpire H.S. age boys' baseball and girls' fastpitch softball. After watching the four videos, I would call in IP every time, no matter what level the game. Especially at the D-1 level. Why? Because as the skill level of the player increases, so should the player's ability to play the game as required by the rules. It has always bothered me that the SS or 2B only as to catch the ball while in the same area code of 2B to get a force in a MLB game, but in a H.S. freshmen game we would call the runner safe.

MTD, Sr.

Strange. Illegal, yes, but the move looks amateurish, like something you'd see (and probably ignore) in a rec league. And regardless of the foot question, she doesn't appear to be exerting the kind of bodily effort required to get speed on the ball.

A D1 pitcher who doesn't drag but instead takes a half step toward the plate with the pivot foot and doesn't even appear to dig in?