Time for rule change?

[Pale Rider]

Seems to me every time I hear someone wanting to change a rule its to help the person requesting change personal interests...in today's softball there is no 'omnipotent' pitcher, nor organization it seems. Some folks want to give an advantage back to pitchers... *wonder whose parents want that*...?

This game is HARD because of rules like pitchers regs...
Softballs popularity is growing...soooo...lets make it like in the past?
Boring, no hitting...a pitcher, a catcher and 7 kids getting sunburned?

Leave things alone...You're seeing teams split 3 game series vs what happened in the past...and that's a good thing!
Know of teams who think a pitcher should win EVERY game and berate the kids if they dont...The playing field isnt what it was back in the Finch, Abbott , Osterman days...albeit they all did well in the NPF but were no longer 'un-hittable'
In other words, Kid A, playing for Team B isnt an automatic berth in OKC anymore...

Besides giving a pitcher an advantage, crow hopping and replanting do...why should it be changed?
Seen many pitchers who are un-hittable its seems but when forced to be compliant to rules and held to the standard...they get hit...

Our weak ass HS ball 'guru's' changed the rule on intentional walks to the dumbed down SP rule...just point vs a pitcher having to learn to to pitch out...to make it easier

Even heard the terrible announcers on the Baylor vs OK game say they need to do away with the run-rule...OK was run ruling Baylor at the time and the announcers were blatantly pro-OK...that people ENJOYED watching a team win by huge margins...
uh...that's just dumb ...nobody enjoys a massacre 25-0 game...

[Mark H]

So we shouldn't dump the leap rule because that might give an advantage to the pitcher. I'd say if that proves to be the case it's easily dealt with by moving the rubber. Anything else?

[UmpSteve]

Let them throw overhand. Why not? The boys do.

Will the game be worse 10 years from now if they throw overhand??

Maybe they should take leads off the bases, too. The boys do.

[PDad]

Lots of off point discussion and observations.

My post was within scope of the overall thread and wasn't in response to your questions. You should start a new thread if you want to control the discussion. Even then, good luck because some asshat will come in and try to take it over.

You and Sam have posted that women should pitch under the men's rules and I pointed out the differences. I suspect you're either unaware of those differences and/or forgot them.

- Do you really want the men's rule that regulates leaping based on the orientation of the pivot foot or do you want unrestricted leaping?

- For consistency's sake, are you willing to do away with the 24" pitching lane?

[Mark H]

Pdad,

I have one question. Would we be better off in ten years with or without the leap rule and why. OK, that's two questions.

UmpSteve

I believe you are thinking of baseball. Do you have an opinion on what good the leap rule does for the sport of women's fastpitch? I'm sincerely looking for a good reason it should be kept.

[PDad]

Pdad,

I have one question. Would we be better off in ten years with or without the leap rule and why. OK, that's two questions.

Better to have some form of leap rule because I don't like what I envision with unrestricted leaping.

Please return the favor by answering my previous questions.

[Mark H]

The am I in favor this that or the other leap or what have you question? I'm not married to anything except I'm sick of IP's being called on tv in the WCWS. Can't be good for the sport or viewership. So I want to understand is there a good reason to continue on the same path or is there a better way. So it occurs to me to ask what's the point of the leap rule. I'd prefer letting a pitcher use what seems to be the natural athletic movement but I'd really prefer not to run off viewers from our national championship tv audience. For apparently no particular reason other than the inertia of that's the way it is and it was good enough for grandma so it's good enough for us.

[jonriv]

I wish they would start clling it more at the Travel and High School level so that girls/coaches learn to do it the right way. No need to change the rule, just how it is implimented and enforced. IMO from what I have seen it is not called enough. It does not bother me that it get called- just the ex-pitcher anouncer complaing that there is no advantage.

[PDad]

I have no sympathy for a high-level player that can't pitch legally - there's no excuse for it. Period.

I think you're making a mountain out of a zit regarding it's impact on the sport and/or viewership with the WCWS. I think the amount of intentional fouling at the end of basketball games is ridiculous and takes away from that game, but it's doing very well despite it.

Legalize leaping and something else will become an issue. Legalize that and it will be something else. How far down that rabbithole are you willing to go?

The point of the leap rule is the pitcher is supposed step/stride while delivering the pitch. Nobody is suggesting going back to grandma's days where the pitcher's pivot foot hardly left the plate. I don't want to see it become a broadjump competition with a gymnastics element. I think there would be even more injuries if leaping wasn't restricted because they'd jump higher and farther which would mean having to withstand more forces when they land.

[Mark H]

I wish they would start clling it more at the Travel and High School level so that girls/coaches learn to do it the right way. No need to change the rule, just how it is implimented and enforced. IMO from what I have seen it is not called enough. It does not bother me that it get called- just the ex-pitcher anouncer complaing that there is no advantage.

OK. What would we lose or gain by keeping the rule or dumping the rule? Perhaps nothing?