Fastpitch Pitcher's Rule Proposal

[WestMichBlue]

Originally Posted by ukumpire

Greetings
With thanks to Charlie we now have a link to my proposal. To everyone else that offered help Dakota, Steve etc thank you.

http://charliewaller.us/umpire/ISF_Pitching.pdf

This is an ISF version of the Proposal with references to the sport of 'Cricket' of which the USA won the 1st ever World Cup!
Hope you still remember partial theories to the sport!

Although all the Rule Points are taken from the ISF Rule Book I know that they all pertain to the ASA version and if concensus in good in principal to the proposal then I shall translate it into ASA Lanuage

It is an interesting concept; however I do not like the idea of using rules to negate the advantage of athletes with superior skills or size. (The NBA would have to send Yao Ming back to China.)

The real issue with FP softball - the one that generates maybe 75% of the comments on umpire boards and in clinics, locker rooms, etc. is the illegal or perceived illegal footwork - leaping or crow hopping. The solution is extremely simple.

Turn the clock back to the rules in place for 50 years before ASA took control. Allow the step back, and require that the pivot foot remain in contact with the plate until the ball is released. No need to even define leaps or crow hops - they don't exist. Landing within 24" is not required. That spells the end of 98% of IP issues.

WMB

Note: the reference to ASA is not a slam but simply a historical reference. The Joint Rules Committee, of which ASA was simply one of twenty-some voices, wrote softball rules for 50 years. Rules were relatively consistant over time and, IMO, followed a purist concept of the sport. About 1980 the JRC was disbanded and ASA took over. Pitching rules seemed to change yearly, probably in response to ASA's constituents - the players (especially the spoiled male pitchers).