illegal pitch (confession: good for the soul?)

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by marvin

I also concur that this is an illegal pitch. The hands must remain apart long enough fulfill the requirement of NFHS Rule 6-1-1-b. If you don't stop the pitcher from immediately bringing together of the hands what are you going to do when she does this and goes immediately into a pitch?

The penalty for not complying with Rule 6-1-1-b is an illegal pitch, the penalty for quick pitching simply no pitch. See 6-2-4-b

ART. 4 . . . No pitch shall be declared when:
b. the pitcher attempts a quick return of the ball before the batter has taken position or is off balance as a result of a previous pitch.

You may go the entire game without the pitcher taking advantage of not complying with 6-1-1-b or it might cause you more grief later.

That said - I enforce this pretty simply. Was there a discernible pause before bringing the hands together? In other words immediately isn't a pause.

And where does it direct the pitcher or umpire to wait a specific period?

This is obviously something we would have to see since one person's idea of immediate may not be the same as the next.

Is there anything that states that the separated hands must remain still and not move toward each other as the pitcher is "similating" taking her signals?