Enforcing Illegal pitches

[HugoTafurst]

So I think I have this site figured out - it is mostly populated by travel ball (as opposed to HS or College) coaches and parents (at varying age levels).

I'm not sure if I know how to ask this question so please bear with me...

I am an umpire and work at various levels.
When I work at a tournament - I am often told "Don't bother with illegal pitches unless they are really obvious" by the TD or the UIC.
Well besides the fact that "obvious" is subjective - and varies depending on if you are on defense or offense.............

Well to get to the point - I don't call them - someone bitches...
I do call them someone bitches....

Do you (the coaches and parents) want them called or not?
TD's seem to think you won't pay them to play if we call IPs..Is that true?



When I go do a tournament, sometimes I am instructed

[CrushersDad]

IMO, they NEED to be called at ALL levels. If they aren't called at the lower ages and levels, pitchers will not learn how to throw legally and the problem will continue.

[Comp]

Hugo, I do a local rec league and haven been debating this for 2-3 years. Its rec league, do I really need to enforce the pitching rules? Well, I am now seeing many of the girls from the rec league show up in HS games and some have gone on to play club ball. All of them are still doing the same illegal stuff they did 2-3 years ago, because I never enforced the letter of the rules. We are not doing them any favors by not calling them and making them follow the rules. Sooner or later they are going to run into an ump that will call them on it, and it could have easily been corrected long ago.

[HugoTafurst]

Hugo, I do a local rec league and haven been debating this for 2-3 years. Its rec league, do I really need to enforce the pitching rules? Well, I am now seeing many of the girls from the rec league show up in HS games and some have gone on to play club ball. All of them are still doing the same illegal stuff they did 2-3 years ago, because I never enforced the letter of the rules. We are not doing them any favors by not calling them and making them follow the rules. Sooner or later they are going to run into an ump that will call them on it, and it could have easily been corrected long ago.

Thanks for the comment..
FWIW, I agree with you - for exactly that reason - if I'm going to call it on them in HS and College, why shouldn't they get it right, now!!

I don't get to do much ASA (not much in my area), but I'll tell you, ISA, NSA, USSSA - it doesn't matter, TD's are all saying they don't want it called...

[ontheblack]

At a few friendlies lately I have seen blue go the mound after the first IP and explain to the pitcher and coach why it was illegal, giving the pitcher the opp to make the adjustment. The 2nd time, an IP has been called. IMO this is a good approach in a friendly. In a tournament, you need to call the IPs as they happen.

[hit4power]

As the parent of a pitcher, it drives me nuts when IP's aren't called for obvious leaping and replanting infractions. When my kid was playing 10U fall ball, an ump took me aside and pointed out that she was illegally replanting. He also said that he wasn't going to call it ("its just fall ball") and he said that she might not ever have it called at the higher levels in her career. We corrected her mechanics, so not an issue today, but I think he was spot on that it might never get called. I've seen plenty of pitchers doing what she was doing and never an IP call.

For whatever reason, the coaches I know (HS and TB) don't seem to be too wound up over this issue...seems to be a "live and let live" mentality out there..

[umpinva]

As a UIC I ask my umpires to call IP's as they seem them. This past weekend during a tournament, the same pitcher was called for illegal pitches several times on different fields and complexes by different umpires. After being called for IP's, this pitcher would adjust for a couple of innings and then revert back to leaping.

[wadeintothem]

OK.. so... They are writing your check, do what they ask. Men's ball is the same way here... they do not want the "technical" IPs called (the few that are left in men's FP), and I'm happy with that. I dont get heartburn over the fact they dont want that called. I dont want to hear the whining when its called anyway. The only IP I'll call in that situation is the "balk" type IP where they cease delivery...and those are obvious.

If they complain when you arent calling them tell them to go talk to the TD. Its their rule.

[fasterpitch92701]

One the fastpitch board there is a thread called "NCAA MEMO ON ILLEGAL PITCHES" or something like that. It's about 10 down from the top (at this moment). Overall, it appears that most people want the rules enforced as long as the blues to go totally anal (explained in the thread).

[MTR]

One the fastpitch board there is a thread called "NCAA MEMO ON ILLEGAL PITCHES" or something like that. It's about 10 down from the top (at this moment). Overall, it appears that most people want the rules enforced as long as the blues to go totally anal (explained in the thread).

The coaches were not complaining that the umpires were wrong in their assessment, but the fact that the IP were being called. Even the player interviews that I saw did not suggest the umpires' assessment of the pitcher's actions were wrong. Quite a few pitchers stated it was a problem on which they were working to correct. I'm sorry, you are at the NCAA level of softball and have exhausted thousands of dollars on pitching instructions and you are still working on being legal?

Even Candrea, who was tossed over arguing IPs complained that they were being called and he is one powerful source in the development and application of the rules in NCAA. That means he was aware of the enforcement being stepped up as probably was every other coach. I guess they thought the umpires didn't have the courage to do it.

I wonder if there was a similar memo sent to the coaches instructing them to stop making a mockery of the game by knowingly and with full intent to violate of the rules, put a pitcher in the circle. I doubt it since it is there game.

All that really happened is that the coaches were called to task for their code of silence, you don't complain about my illegal pitcher and I won't complain about your's. And they didn't like it.