WBSCFastPitchPitchingRule4

• Contactwiththepitcher’splate–oneortwofeet–Pivotmustbeincontact

• Thesignal

• Pause–Settingbackfoot

• Thestartofthepitch

• Thedelivery

• Pushoffandrelease

6BasicFeaturesofWBSCSoftballPitchingRule

ContactwithPitcher’sPlate

• Thepitchermuststartwiththepivotfootincontactwiththepitcher’splate.

• Thestepping(non-pivot)maybeincontactwiththepitcher’splateoritmaybebehindthepitcher’splate

• Thecontactfoot(feet)doesnothavetobeontopoftheplate

• Itislegaltoonlyhavethepivotfootincontactwiththepitcher’splate.

• Whetheronlypivotfootorbothfeetareincontact,bothfeetmustbewithinthelengthofthepitchingplate.

PivotFootinContact

Contact–HeelandToe-Legal

PivotfootLeading/Steppingfoot

Contact–OnTopofPlate

Contact–OnTopofPlate

• Thepitchermusttakeorappeartotakethesignalfromthecatcherwhilethepivotfootisincontactwiththeplate

• Thehandsmustbeseparatedandtheballmaybeinthebarehandorintheglove

Signal

• Aftertakingthesignalthepitchermustcometoacompletestopwiththehandstogether

• Thebodymustbemotionlesswiththehandstogetherforaminimumoftwosecondsandamaximumoffiveseconds

PreliminarytoDelivery

• Thesteppingfoot(non-pivot)footmustbestationarypriortothebeginningofthepause

• Thesteppingfoot(non-pivot)footmustremainstationaryduringthepause.

• Thesteppingfoot(non-pivot)footmayonlymoveforwardwiththestartofthepitch

OnlyPivotFootinContact

• Thesteppingfootmaybeintheheeluportoesuppositionwhileitisstationary.

• Thetoesorheelsmaydroptothegroundaspartofthestepandstartofthepitch.

OnlyPivotFootinContact

• Holdingtheballinbothhandstothesideofthebody,orabovetheheadisconsideredlegal

• Duringthestopthepitchermaymovetheballintheglovetogriptheball

PreliminarytoDelivery

• The pitch begins with separation of the hands, or with any motion that may be considered part of the wind-up

StartofthePitch

• Thepitchermayremovethemselvesfromthepitcher’splate,priortoseparatingthehandsorstartingthepitchingmotion,bysteppingbackwardsofftheplate

• Thepivotfootmayslideacrosstheplateprovidingcontactismaintained

StartofthePitch

• Liftingthefeetaminimaldistance,“clearingthecleats”toallowfootmovementispermitted

• Liftingthepivotfootandresettingthepivotfootcreatingarockingmotionisillegal

• NeitherthePivotfootnorthenon-pivotfootmayliftoffthepitchingplateorthegrounduntilthestepforwardbythenon-pivotfoot.

StartofthePitch

• Liftingtheheelofthepivotfootandusingthefrontofthefoot(ball/toes)topushoffislegal

• Thisallowsthepitchertotwistontheballofthepivotfootandthenpushoff,providingthefootdoesnotmoveforwardoffthepitcher’splate

StartofthePitch

The pivot foot must push off from the pitcher’s plate…

1.Pivotfootlegallyrotates.

2.Pivotlegallyslidesforwardandmaylegallyrotate.

3.Pivotlegallyslidesforwardandmaylegallyrotate.

• Thepitchermaydroptheirarmtothesideandtotherearaspartofthewindmillaction

• Thepitcher’sarmmaynotmaketwofullrevolutions

• Duringthedeliverytherecannotbeastoporareversalofthepitchingarmhowevertheremaybehitchorhesitationinthepitchingarmwhenthepitcherpushesofforturnstheirbody

Delivery

• Thepitcherafterhavingtheballinbothhandsmaynotremoveonehandfromtheball,takeabackwardandforwardswingandreturntheballtotheglove

Delivery

• ThepitchermaytakeonestepwiththeStepping(non-pivot)footsimultaneouswiththestartofthepitch

• Thestepmustbeforwardandwithinthe61cm(24inch)widthofthepitcher’splate

• OnlytheStepping(non-pivot)footmustlandwithinthewidthoftheplate

Step&Release

• Thepivotfootmustremainincontactwiththepitcher’splateuntiltheforwardstepistaken

• Pushingofffromaplaceotherthanthepitcher’splateisacrowhopandisillegal

Step&Release

Step&Release

• Itislegaltodrag,leaporhopandthenlandandthrow,aslongastheoriginalpushstartsfromtheplate

Legal-Stillincontactwiththeplateeventhoughhandsaretogether

Step&Release

Legal-pushingfromtheplate

Step&Release

Legal–handshaveseparated&leaping Legal–Thepivotfootmaylandandpush

Step&Release

Legal-Providedtherehasbeennostoppageintheactionandfluentcontinuousmotion

• Thehandsmustseparateduringthepushofforleapandthepitchingarmmustbeinmotionbeforethepivotstops(pushanddrag)orlands(leap).

Step&Release

Separation

• SoftballAustralia

• SoftballNewZealand

• SoftballCanada

• ThePlayersandAssistants

Acknowledgement