A few years ago I had an illegal pitch called
againsed me in a slow pitch softball playoff
game that, if I interpret the rules correctly,
shouldn't have been called. Upon reading the
rules on pitching (ASA slow pitch) I discovered
(or so I thought) that the pitcher DOESN'T
have to step TOWARDS home plate while releasing
the ball. I decided to incorporate a pitch
that I released while stepping BACKWARDS
(keeping contact with the rubber) into my
repertoire. I used it about 3 times a game
for a few games with good results and no
warnings. Then, in a playoff game, the plate
Ump calls it an illegal pitch. He said that
it "would be legal if I threw ALL my pitches
like that but since I started the game stepping
forward it would be considered deception and
therefore was illegal." Was that a correct call?
(I haven't played slow pitch since so I haven't
needed to resolve this issue until now)

Some of the guys in our association take that same view--that anything not in the usual delivery of the pitcher and meant to deceive should be called illegal. For example, one well-known area pitcher (also an ump, but a bad one) throws three or four pitches a game by starting with the ball out in front of his body and then taking a full revolution and delivering on the first pass of the hip. They maintain that such a delivery is illegal; I maintain that a pitcher can throw 17 different ways as long as they're all legal.

In SP, the pitcher can take a step in any direction, and, as far as I know, vary that direction from pitch to pitch.

Don't have the book with me, but I'm not sure he even has to take a step. I'm sure that some guys present the ball and then rock and deliver without an actual step. I've <i>never</i> seen that called illegal.

In ASA, rule 6.3.E (Slow Pitch) clearly says: <i>... If a step is taken, <b>it can be forward, backward, or to the side,</b> provided the pivot foot is in contact with the pitcher's plate and the step is simultaneous with the release of the ball</i>