Generally, "figure-four" or West Coast style pitchers are taught to turn the pivot sideways, much like a baseball player, and then push off on a line, keeping their hips closed until they drag through the pitch, at which point they drop their pivot foot to the right and open up to field their position. The pivot foot should be parallel, but pushing off the plate as a starting point, sometimes catching a few inches of air before the drag starts. WMB's description of the mechanics is accurate for the more traditional "step and drag" pitchers, who generate their power from a hip snap, and don't stride along a line, but key on moving their "hips to the glove".

The difference between the disciplines is the pivot and agressive jump step, which creates the scenario you described. My daughter throws in Little League and travel ball in Central Florida, and has only had one comment made to her all year, during an All Star game where the opposing coaches would not leave the plate ump alone. Most of the umpires here in the Tampa area call it as you do at every level, and as WMB does, because if they jumped on a girl everytime she caught some air or lost contact on the pivot, they would be calling illegal pitches 75% of the time. It often turns on whether there is a replant, which generally occurs more with the open hip discipline than the West Coast. Our best and most experienced umpires will not bother with it if they are pushing from the plate.


Skahtboi's position that the rules are the rules, and the rules say the back foot can never lose contact certainly has some merit. Howevere, as I stated earlier in this thread, there is enough language and contradiction in the Little League rules to justify a no call if there is a small loss of contact or a few inches of air. Compare Rule`8.01(s) closely with Rule 2.00 (Leaping).