Pitcher covers rubber with dirt.
 

Adult league game. Partner stuck in traffic, sends me a text message that he'll be a couple minutes late, so I get the game started by myself.

Top of first inning comes and goes w/o incident.

While the pitcher is warming up before the bottom of the first, I notice two things: 1) the pitchers plate is covered with dirt - odd, as I could cleary see it during the top of the inning, and 2) the pitcher is a good foot or more behind it while performing warm up pitches.

I pitched slow pitch for 25 years. I know what he's trying to do.

So...I let him toss a few warm ups, then walk out to him. I clear the dirt off the rubber with my foot and tell him that "I'd hate to call an illeagal pitch on him for not being on the rubber". I go back my position to start the game...and lo and behold, the rubber is covered with dirt! I couldn't believe it. So I go back out there, tell him in no uncertain terms that I will remove him from the pitcher position if he does it again.

He countered with the obvious: "Show me where in the rulebook...." I cut him off in mid sentence with "Don't do it again". He didn't and actually moved to shortstop the next inning.

BUT...The "show me where in the rulebook" made me curious. So I've been looking. Do we have anything other than Rule 10, Section 1 to deal with this?

asa 6sp.1.a

I had a player try this bull in an USSSA pitching/bat rule league that was played with otherwise ASA rules (I know, quirky, but we have one here in Omaha). When I told him I was going to call unfairly delivered ball everytime, he said that he was an USSSA umpire and that USSSA had come out with an interpretation that said his actions were legal. Bear in mind, I was wearing my ASA outfit that night (because our leagues in Omaha are ASA), and said, I am also an USSSA umpire and I have neither seen you work any USSSA stuff nor heard of this ridiculous ruling from USSSA. I told him, the plate stays clean intentionally. He looked at me and said "I gotta protect myself." I said find another way. He piled dirt in front of the plate so the PU couldn't see it (the PU doesn't do USSSA). PU looked at me with a quizzical look, and pointed to the plate as if he were asking if that was legal. I shook my head and gestured to the pitcher to make the plate visible to both umpires. The pitcher then asked "What the hell do I have to do to protect myself in this league???" I gave him an answer that made him the first ejection of the season before the game even had its first pitch.

My partner had the second ejection of the season on just the second pitch on the first batter. Crazy night we had.

Speaking ASA

Don't try to out-think the rules, it isn't worth it the headache or attempt to justify a rule which does not exist. Use the rules that are there.

The rule previously cited clearly states that the pitcher must have a foot in contact with the PP. If, in your judgment, the pitcher is not in contact, then it is an IP.

However, considering the conditions of many of the fields I've worked and seen, I can appreciate the pitcher's concern and I have no problem with a pitcher covering up the PP as long as I believe the pitcher met the prerequisite for a legal pitch.

To me, this is a booger not worth seeking out unless you have reason to do so.

Thank you.

I see no good reason for the pitcher to deliberately cover the pitching plate with dirt. I would have done the same thing.

I have a different response to the pitcher.

"Pitch, you have to be in contact with the pitcher's plate to throw a legal pitch. If you are, there would be no reason to hide it. You hide it, I call every pitch illegal until I see you in contact, because hiding it only tells me you are not in contact."

Unless, of course, it is a Senior's game.

Or an Utrip game.