10 years ago??? Son, I have been calling FP for a couple of decades now, and believe me, there was the same emphasis on calling IP's back then as there are now. Odd that the NCAA decides to make a POE on calling IP's, and suddenly the weak minded believe that there is a new movement taking place. This "movement" is as old as the hills.

I have been an advocate of making women's and JO softball pitching rules more in line with men's. This would go a long way in eliminating much of the controversy. However, if a coach driven rule set like NCAA's is going to try to water down the IP rule, then they should just abolish it as it is written altogether. Allow the leap. Allow a step outside of the 24 inch lane. (Oh...but wait. That would ruin those cute little lines the coaches demanded just a couple of years ago.) Allow anything that doesn't technically deceive the batter. That, or leave things as they are and allow us to enforce the rule without a lot of media controversy when it is done. IMO, this past year, there were many IP's that could have been called that weren't.

While I cannot speak for the rest of the country, it appeared that around here NCAA officials were doing a good job of focusing on the IP as per the SUIP directive. Now that the coaches have started to realize just how often their pitcher's are illegal, they once again want to change the rule. I find it odd that one rule can cause such controversy.

Can't disagree with that one. But it does bring a question to mind. If the same emphasis was put on IP's decades ago, does that mean umpires have ignored it for decades? Or is it the scrutiny now being put on the situation causing umps to start making the call? If it's been emphasized for 20 years and umpires still aren't making the call you have to wonder how hard it was emphasized, or were umps ignoring the emphasis and calling their own versions. Hmm.

I don't see them changing it. They don't want good pitching in the game. They want good hitting. They've already moved the pitchers back, not they've done it for the younger levels of play. Giving any advantage to the pitcher does not fit into the direction they have pushed this sport to progress.

I'd favor eliminating the leap as an illegal act. If the men are allowed to leap, the women should be as well.

I'm on the fence about stepping outside the 24" width. Maybe a 30" PP could allow some leeway.

Crowhop should remain an infraction as far as I'm concerned.

I can live either way with a base award. If it's the rule, call it.

I don't golf, but saw recently where someone "grounded his club" and got a penalty. Seemed overly harsh to me, but again I don't play and don't know all those rules. But if it's a rule, and violated, enforce the penalty.

Coaches should not expect to have more IPs called than before. They should be called the same. Having a lesser penalty should not be a reason to now start calling IPs now


If they are afraid to call IPs, they should not be calling NCAA ball.:(

You know I agree, but I think you also know the sad reality.

Of course, they should expect more to be called since the purpose of the exercise of reducing the penalty was initiated because umpires would not call every IP because they did not want to incur the wrath of the coach who definitely has more pull via AD with an assignor than does the umpire.

Should it have been that way to start? No, but it is no different than when NFHS changed their OBS rules and appeal procedures.

Rant on!

Look what happened this year when the umpires did start to call the IPs and I'll bet you my last dollar that all still were not called. The result was quite positive in many areas because most pitchers easily adjusted. In the televised regionals, the majority of pitchers were legal and still performed well.

I don't hesitate in my belief that the "big time" NCAA coaches were putting on a show to attempt to intimiate officials and umpires. It may have worked.

Why is it the majority of pitchers could stay legal, and the few who could not seem to be carrying the attention? Did you hear the coaches' complaints? I didn't hear or read of one who claimed the umpires were wrong in their assessment of the pitch, but that they were actually calling it. But the "show" was unbelievable. In interviews, coaches and pitchers were whining about why "all of a sudden" these are called when they weren't all season. What? They expect people to buy that when published game statistics showed many of these comments to be outright lies. The sorry part is that fans suck this **** right up in spite of the facts and, of course, everyone is wrong, but those poor girls on their favorite team.

Even the TH noted how illegal some pitchers were, but bemoaned the fact that the umpires were enforcing the rules. Wow, people employed to officiate a game to maintain a level playing field actually enforcing the predetermined game rules, what a concept!

Rant off!

Apparently, with some schools and coaches, that was a job requirement.