Softball--pitching circle

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by tcannizzo

...I had at least 6 different pitchers who were not pausing at all after bringing their hands together....It is my ASA understanding that P must bring both hands together, pause, then when the hands separate the pitch then begins.

Am I misinformed?

Yes, you are misinformed. There are really two separate issues being discussed here. First is the pause, second is the minimum time the hands are together. They are not related, except that both are part of the pitching rule.

The only pause either ASA or NFHS requires is with the hands separated while taking, or pretending to take, the signals from the catcher. The purpose of the pause is to prevent a quick pitch.

The touch (bringing the hands together) followed by separating the hands does start the pitch in ASA, but not NFHS. In NFHS, the pitch is started with the motion of the windup (which may be before the hands actually separate).

The hands may be in motion while together; no pause is necessary here. IOW, this is part of the wind-up.

In ASA, the touch-and-go has been an accepted interpretation of the 1 second minimum for years, although this interpretation has never been put in writing AFAIK.

I don't do international rules, but IIRC previous discussions on this board, the international rules make it clear that touch-and-go is not accepted by making the timing 2 to 10 seconds rather than 1 to 10.