anything wrong with this pitching sequence?

[shipwreck]

NCAA softball, although all rulesets are probably the same. Tell me if this is all legal. Pitcher steps on the pitching plate with hands separated. She then brings hands together waiting for the catcher to give her a sign. She then takes the sign from the catcher with her hands together and pitches the ball. A friend of mine says it is all legal since she stepped on with hands separated and at that point she could have been simulating taking the sign. His reasoning made sense altough I am wondering how long she needs to wait before bringing hands together. Dave

[RKBUmp]

Not sure of the exact NCAA wording, ASA and FED says take the signal or simulate taking the signal with the hands separated. Sounds like a whole lot of umpire judgement as to how long it takes to receive a signal.

[KJUmp]

Originally Posted by shipwreck

NCAA softball, although all rulesets are probably the same. Tell me if this is all legal. Pitcher steps on the pitching plate with hands separated. She then brings hands together waiting for the catcher to give her a sign. She then takes the sign from the catcher with her hands together and pitches the ball. A friend of mine says it is all legal since she stepped on with hands separated and at that point she could have been simulating taking the sign. His reasoning made sense altough I am wondering how long she needs to wait before bringing hands together. Dave

She can't wait longer than 10 seconds...

NCAA 10.16 Time Allowed Between Pitches

The pitcher must be on the pitcher's plate and the batter in the batter's box within 10 seconds after the pitcher receives the ball in preparation to pitch or after the umpire calls "Play Ball." After both the pitcher and batter are in position, the pitcher has 10 seconds to bring her hands together. The pitcher has not more than five seconds to deliver the pitch.

[shipwreck]

She was basically stepping on the PP and right then bringing her hands together and then taking the sign. My friend said that short, short time that she was on the PP before her hands came together "may" have been the time she was simulating taking the sign. Dave

[HugoTafurst]

Originally Posted by shipwreck

She was basically stepping on the PP and right then bringing her hands together and then taking the sign. My friend said that short, short time that she was on the PP before her hands came together "may" have been the time she was simulating taking the sign. Dave

And I wouldn't disagree with your friend.

Kind of like judgeing "immediatly" in the look back rule.... Judgement.

As far as I'm concerned if I can judge the stepping on the plate and the bringing of the hands together as two seperate acts, no problem.

[shipwreck]

So let me get this right. Simulating taking the sign can mean almost anything? The pitcher can be looking up at the clouds, eyes closed, anything? When this pitcher stepped on the PP with hands separated, the catcher was looking over to the dugout getting the sign from the coach. While the catcher was still doing this, the pitcher brought the hands together and waited until the catcher gave the sign. But that part doesn't matter right, since she may have already simulated taking the sign earlier? Dave

[Andy]

The purpose of the wording about taking or simulate taking the signal from the catcher is to make the pitcher pause once she steps on the pitcher's plate and prevent her from quick pitching. If there is a pause, even with her hands together, I don't have an illegal pitch.

But remember, as KJ said, in NCAA play, that once she step on the PP and brings her hands together, she only has 5 seconds to deliver the pitch.