Phantomz08 wrote:I will ask a more simple question this time. Does the pitcher have to have her hands separated before starting her pitch? Traina steps on the rubber with hand in glove and doesn't take her hand out until she starts her windmill motion, which I reference as her wind up. I am familiar with the whole pitching motion, but was just wondering if college pitchers had to have their hands separated.
That's all. Oh, and if they are required to keep contact with both feet on the rubber prior to starting their pitch.
You will need to watch more closely; I have watched her pitch many times over the years, and she does not step on the pitching plate with her hands together; that would be illegal.
She steps on the pitching plate with the ball in her glove hand, and her pitching hand to the right of her body; both feet are in contact with the pitching plate. She takes the signal with hands separated, and while fully paused; then brings the hands together inside the glove in front of her body, and moves the glove to the right side of her body to hide her grip from the third base coach. She does begin a windup with hands still together and the ball and pitching hand still hidden in the glove.
All this is still defined as preliminary to the pitch, meets every requirement, and does nothing that is illegal. As noted by MTR, the pitch does not begin, by definition, until the hands are separated. Pitchers MAY begin a windup before separating the hands; it is pretty clear she does that, but the pitch begins when the hands ARE separated after being together.
So your actual question doesn't exactly make sense; no one can pitch the ball with hands still together ......