Illegal Pitch

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by NDblue

So, slapping the ball towards the ground is illegal? Isn't that INTENTIONALLY contacting the ball with dirt/chalk?...

So what? The rule is that the player may not "use" a foreign substance on the ball or on the contact points of the hand, and may not "apply" a foreign substance to the ball (ref: NFHS 6-2-2). It says nothing about keeping the ball from contact with the playing surface during normal play. I don't know why you cannot see the distinction.

Originally Posted by NDblue

....If a pitcher puts some dirt/chalk on his/her hand
...Heck, I've had pitchers almost bury the ball in dirt before they pitched it.
...the ball gets wet, the pitcher dries it off with some infield dirt,
...

All of those violate the rule. I'll grant you that most of the time in girls fastpitch, when a foreign substance is applied to the ball it is not to affect the flight of the ball in the classic spit-ball sense, but rather to improve the pitcher's grip. Nonetheless, if done improperly, it is a violation.