WCWS Umpiring

[TShark]

I have been curious about those lines coming off of the rubber in the circle. A couple years back it was illegal to go outside those lines(illegal pitch), when did they change the rules, to where it is no longer illegal? Just wondering . I notice Rickettes normally has both feet out side those lines.

[MTR]

From the NCAA rulebook:

12.14 Collisions
The rules committee is concerned about unnecessary and violent collisions with
the catcher at home plate and with infielders at all bases. The intent of this rule
is to encourage base runners and defensive players to avoid such collisions,
whenever possible.
12.14.1 A defensive player shall not block the base, plate or baseline without
possession of the ball or not in the immediate act of catching the ball.

EFFECT—Delayed dead ball is signaled. Obstruction is called and the base
runner is declared safe. Each base runner must return to the last
base legally touched at the time of the infraction. Exception: If
the base runner collides flagrantly, the ball is dead, and although
the base runner is declared safe on the obstruction call, the
player is ejected.

The rules are rather ambiguous on this. You can't block the base/plate, but you can if you are in the immediate act of catching the ball. What constitutes 'immediate act of catching the ball'? Does this mean when the ball hits the glove and you are in the process of wrapping it up? Is it when the ball is 10' away and you are about to catch it? Too much grey area on this rule.

Any umpires who have been to some NCAA rules clinics want to chime it?

Don't really need a clinic, the NCAA rule is basically the same as what it used to be in NFHS & ASA. "About to receive" is when the ball comes between the runner and the defender. Now, this wording obviously confused most of the people who want to outthink the rules and insisted if that is the point, ATR can never exist if the throw is coming from a direction other the that of the runner. All bodies eventually broke it down as simple as it could possibly get, if the ball gets to the defender before the runner, it is not OBS. The ATR portion of the rules simply protects the defender from being called for OBS if she has the opportunity to get the ball prior to the runner coming to the base.

[Fredegar]

I have been curious about those lines coming off of the rubber in the circle. A couple years back it was illegal to go outside those lines(illegal pitch), when did they change the rules, to where it is no longer illegal? Just wondering . I notice Rickettes normally has both feet out side those lines.

TShark -- Ricketts first step is always within the pitching lane. After the initial step, momentum can carry a pitcher outside that lane.