Leaping into Rule 6. Key Topics Preliminaries Starting the Pitch Delivery Intentional Walk Defensive Positioning Foreign Substances Catcher Throwing to.

Leaping into Rule 6

Key Topics• Preliminaries

• Starting the Pitch

• Delivery

• Intentional Walk

• Defensive Positioning

• Foreign Substances

• Catcher

• Throwing to a base

• Warm-up Pitches

• No Pitch

Preliminaries• Hands must be separated when making

contact with pitcher’s plate (ball in hand or glove)

• Catcher must be in position to receive pitch

• Take or simulate taking a signal

• Bring hands together for 1-10 seconds

• Foot(Men’s) Feet (Women’s, JO) must remain in contact with pitcher’s plate prior to forward step

Starting the Pitch

• The pitch starts when one hand is taken off the ball after the hands have been placed together

Legal Delivery

• No motion to pitch without immediately delivering the ball

• After separating the hands to pitch the hands may not come back together

• May not make a stop or reversal of forward motion after hands separate

Legal Delivery-Fast Pitch

• May not make two revolutions of arm in windmill

• May drop the arm to side and rear before starting windmill

Legal Delivery- Fast

• Release of 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 Fast Pitch

• One step simultaneous with release of 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 Fast Pitch

Legal Delivery• Must push off from pitcher’s plate

– Women’s / JO • 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

Women’s / JO fast Pitch

Women’s / JO Fast Pitch

• When is the foot above the plane of the ground?

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 on the ball– Acceptable items

• Resin (must be left on ground)• Approved manufactured drying agent (Gorilla

Gold, must be in pitcher’s pocket)

• First offense- Illegal pitch

• Second offense- Player ejected

Foreign Substances• Pitcher may not wear any item on

pitching:– Hand– Wrist– Forearm– Elbow– Thigh

Which in the umpire’s judgment may be distracting to batter

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?