Rule 6 – Fast Pitch Pitching Rule

Presented By: St. Louis District UIC: Greg Pohl: UIC

Fast Pitch ~ Pitching

Key Topics Preliminaries Hands Apart & Feet (Male vs. Female) Signal – Take or Appear To Take Hands Together Start – Once Hands Have Separated Step (Male vs. Female) Release Illegal Pitch Foreign Substances

Legal Delivery- Fast Release of the ball and follow through must be forward past the straight line of the body. Must not make another revolution after release of the ball –Known as the Eephus (Ephus) pitch

Eephus Pitch

Legal Delivery- Women’s & JO Girls Fast Pitch One step simultaneous with release of the ball –Must be forward within the 24” length –May slide foot in any direction across pitcher’s plate As long as contact is maintained –No rocking motion

Women’s / JO Girls Fast Pitch

Legal Delivery Must push off from pitcher’s plate –Women’s / Junior Olympic Girls Fast Pitch Pivot foot must drag –If a hole has been created the pivot foot may be no higher than the plane of the ground –If the dirt were there the toe would drag Determine If The Following Pictures Are Of A Legal or Illegal Delivery.

Women’s / JO Girls Fast Pitch Legal At This Point? Yes or No? Yes!

Legal At This Point? Yes or No? Yes! Women’s / JO Girls Fast Pitch

Legal At This Point? Yes or No? Yes! Women’s / JO Girls Fast Pitch

Legal At This Point? Yes or No? Yes! Women’s / JO Girls Fast Pitch

Legal At This Point? Yes or No? Yes! Women’s / JO Girls Fast Pitch

Legal At This Point? Yes or No? Yes! Women’s / JO Girls Fast Pitch

Legal At This Point? Yes or No? Yes! Women’s / JO Girls Fast Pitch

When is the foot above the plane of the ground? Women’s / JO Girls Fast Pitch

Legal Delivery ~ Male FP Must push off from pitcher’s plate Pivot foot may drag Or both feet may be airborne as long as pivot foot’s toe is pointed in a downward direction

One step simultaneous with release of ball –Must be forward toward batter –May slide foot in any direction across pitcher’s plate As long as contact is maintained –No rocking motion Determine If The Following Pictures Are Of A Legal or Illegal Delivery. Legal Delivery ~ Male FP

Male Fast Pitch

Is this Legal? Not In Championship Play!

Male Fast Pitch Is this Legal? Not In Championship Play!

Male Fast Pitch Is this Legal? Yes, If he has not violated the rule before this!

Male Fast Pitch Is this Legal? Yes, If he has not violated the rule before this!

Male Fast Pitch This Is A Crow Hop !

Male Fast Pitch This Is NOT A Crow Hop!

Male Fast Pitch

When is the foot no longer in a downward direction???

Legal Delivery May not deliberately drop, roll or bounce the ball Next pitch must be released within 20 seconds after receiving the ball

Intentional Walk All pitches must be legally thrown to the batter

Defensive Positioning Defensive players –Must be in fair territory when pitch is released except catcher who must be in catcher’s box –Must not take a position blocking the batter’s view of the pitch or distract batter Effect: Offending Player will be ejected

Foreign Substances Pitcher who licks fingers must wipe them off before coming in contact with ball No foreign substances are allowed to be put on the ball. However the pitcher may use:  Acceptable items Powdered Resin (must be left on ground – behind the pitching plate) Approved manufactured drying agent (Gorilla Gold, must be in pitcher’s pocket, or worn as intended)

Foreign Substances If A Pitcher or Other Defensive Member Is Caught Putting A Foreign Substance Directly On the Ball. First offense - Illegal pitch Second offense - Player ejected How to deal with this situation: When you see it is being done – take the ball and give them a different one. Throw it out of the game! If it happens again, call the illegal pitch, take the ball – throw it out! If it happens again, call the illegal pitch, eject violator!

Foreign Substances If The Umpire Determines The Pitcher Is Wearing Items On Their Pitching: –Hand –Wrist –Forearm –Elbow –Thigh That Are Distracting To The Batter, Then The Umpires Shall Ask The Pitcher To Remove Them.

Is Dirt A Foreign Substance? This topic has been debated around the country and the answers have varied. For clarification, the national office published the following information on the "March 2010 Plays and Clarifications" web page.March 2010 Plays and Clarifications Rule 6, Section 6, Fast Pitch:

Here’s what Kevin Ryan, ASA National Director Of Umpires said, “ One common question from all areas of the country, especially in the game of Fast Pitch but would apply to other games is “By rule, is dirt a foreign substance?” Do you need to wipe off your hand if you pick up dirt and rub it on your hands?” Rule 6, Section 6A. Fast Pitch states that a defensive player shall not at any time during the game be allowed to use a foreign substance upon the ball. Under the supervision and control of the umpire, powder resin and or an approved manufactured drying agent may be used by the pitcher….”

Kevin Ryan Goes On To Say… “Why would we consider dirt, something common to the ground, a foreign substance?” If a pitcher or any other defensive player picks up dirt and applies it to the ball we say “no”. We do not allow the application of any material to the ball. Players can apply resin to their hand, not to the ball. If a pitcher picks up a handful of dirt or wipes the ground with their hand, then rubs their hands together, there is no foreign substance being transferred. If a defensive player puts dirt in their hand and throws it on the ground, then catches a thrown or batted ball and returns it to the pitcher do we call this illegal? No!”

Kevin Gives This Example: “If the catcher wipes their hand on the ground before catching the pitch and returns the ball to the pitcher without wiping their hand off do we have a violation of Rule 6? The answer is no. If we do not, then why do umpires from around the country say that the pitcher must wipe their hand off after touching dirt? Our Rule 6 is very specific, it says any “defensive player shall not at any time during a game be allowed to use any foreign substance upon the ball.”

Kevin Concludes By Saying… “So, if dirt can and has been used as a natural drying agent to dry off the hands, we do not believe it is mandatory for the pitcher to wipe off their hand if they pick up dirt, throw it to the ground or rub it into their hands. We do not allow dirt to be applied directly to the ball just as we do not permit any other substance. Therefore applying dirt to the hand and not wiping the hand off is perfectly legal by ASA Official Rules of Softball.”

What About The Catcher? Must remain in the lines of the catcher’s box until pitch is released Must return ball directly to pitcher except: –Strikeout –Putout –Attempted putout by catcher –Effect: Ball on batter

Throwing to a Base Pitcher shall not throw to a base: –While in contact with pitcher’s plate –May step backward prior to separating hands to remove from the pitching position

Warm-up Pitches Start of game / between innings / new pitcher: –Fast Pitch: Not more than 1 minute to throw not more than 5 pitches Effect: Ball on batter for every extra pitch

No Pitch Pitch during suspension of play Quick pitch Runner leaving early on pitch Before runner has returned to base after legitimately off base If anyone calls time or commits an act while the ball is live to attempt to make the pitcher commit an illegal pitch

Violations of Pitching Rule Unless otherwise noted: –All violations of the pitching rule are Illegal Pitches EFFECT: –If the batter hits the ball and reaches 1B safely, and if all runners have advanced at least one base on the batted ball, the illegal pitch is nullified. All action as a result of the batted ball stands. NO OPTION IS GIVEN.

Violations of Pitching Rule Unless otherwise noted: –All violations of the pitching rule are Illegal Pitches EFFECT: –Otherwise the manager has the option to take the result of the play, or the illegal pitch is enforced by awarding a ball to the batter and advancing all runners one base.

Violations of Pitching Rule Unless otherwise noted: –All violations of the pitching rule are Illegal Pitches EFFECT: –If an illegal pitch hits the batter out of the strike zone the batter is awarded first base and all other runners are awarded one base.

Violations of Pitching Rule Unless otherwise noted: –All violations of the pitching rule are Illegal Pitches EFFECT: –If an illegal pitch hits the batter in the strike zone (or the batter prevents the ball from entering the strike zone) –The manager has the option to take the result of the play, or the illegal pitch is enforced by awarding a ball to the batter and advancing all runners one base

Questions?