How far sidearm?
 

I had a pitcher tonight who would take a large forward step, lunge really and then flick the ball with her wrist out away from her body.

It was so quick it was hard to see but I am sure.

How far out before you would call an illegal pitch?

Rita

Rita, by rule, the pitcher's wrist must be between the body and the elbow when he/she delivers the pitch. If the wrist is outside of (farther from the body) the elbow, it is not legal.

Key word most often misapplied: WRIST!! It doesn't say the hand or the ball must be inside the elbow, just the wrist. So the forearm must be straight down, or even pointing back into the body.

But many people look at the ball being outside the wrist (and thus the elbow)to argue a pitch is illegal. If that were the rule, no one could throw a legal curveball or drop.

Then she wasn't legal. But, of course, I'm the ONLY one who has ever called it. (I guess they didn't hear it Wednesday night.)

I just called more.

Rita

Physiologically, the human forearm arm has a natural carrying angle that places the wrist outside of the elbow. This angle is often more pronounced in females than in males.

This makes it virtually impossible to throw an underhand pitch, with the palm facing forward, and have the wrist not be outside of the elbow.

Strange...but true!

http://njirm.pbworks.com/f/STUDY+OF+...RAT+REGION.pdf

Strange ... and definitely false.

Edited to add, for specificity: Perhaps the first sentence is scientifically true. But pitching and standing still are not the same motion, and it's completely natural for the wrist to be directly below the elbow when pitching - even if you film it and slow it down.

But we are saying part of the hand/ball can be farther from the body than the elbow, as long as the wrist is not.

Yes, I know that. His post was saying it's impossible to pitch without having your wrist OUTSIDE your elbow (the entire article he posts talks about the elbow and wrist). I'm saying that's flat out wrong and the article is about your arm at a resting position, and has nothing to do with where it is when it's in motion (as in pitching).

Just trying to get back to the rule, for the readers. :)