There Oughta Be A Law

This weekend my daughter’s travel softball team participated in the 18A ASA So Cal State Tournament. As a first year travel ball team they did very well and we were proud of their overall play. But the most interesting topic of the weekend was the calling of illegal pitches.

Now, illegal pitches can be of many varieties. There’s the crow hop, the leap, not presenting, both feet not touching the rubber to begin, illegal substance, etc. Many times they are overlooked. Other times, the umpire will warn the pitcher and try to help the pitcher correct the offense. And then there are those times, which seem to be quite rare, where the ump will call the illegal pitch, the pitch is called a ball (unless of course, the batter chooses to hit the pitch), and any runners on base are awarded a base.

I have had an interesting journey with illegal pitches, especially the crow hop. My first year coaching high school softball, one of the rival pitchers in our league had a major crow hop. This girl flew off the rubber. After a series of discussions with the base ump, his final answer was “I’m the President of the Association and I’m not going to call it.”

Wow.

The girl happened to be the coach’s daughter and he told me that she was pitching 18 under travel ball and that she had not been called. I had my parents wanting to bring out the rule book. It got pretty crazy. But off and on over the years, I have run into instances in both high school and travel ball where pitchers were crow hopping, stepping off the rubber, etc. and couldn’t get a call. At ASA State in Palm Springs a few years ago (16u) a girl was hopping and our first base coach was trying to get the ump to see it but she wouldn’t call the hop. When our pitcher came out, and again when the other team put in another pitcher, the ump would say now she’s dragging properly. We agreed. But still couldn’t get her to call the illegal pitch on the first pitcher.

Now I have read about and been told that there are a few reasons that umps tend to ignore crop hopping. But the biggest reason seems to be the lamest, unless of course you are the umpire and you have to bear the brunt of your calls. That is, it has been said that most blues will not call illegal pitches because of the fallout from parents and coaches. Once you call one girl, then that team wants you to call the opposing pitcher. Sort of like speeding, where do the cops start writing tickets…5 mph over, 10? Other reasons for not calling illegal pitches are a new ump not recognizing or understanding what the offense is; poor field conditions, etc. Another confusing thing for those umpires that do multiple levels is that it is legal in men’s fastpitch to crow hop. And of course, one of the issues that came up this weekend, with some pitchers if the umps called every illegal pitch a two hour game could become a four hour game.

The sad part of all this is that illegal pitches are called in college ball and quite strictly. I once saw Amanda Freed called for illegal at a UCLA game once. I couldn’t even notice her off the ground. Here again, depending on your angle, you may not even notice it. My daughter almost never hops but once, upon returning home from a 12u tournament in Las Vegas, I was looking over some pictures I took and low and behold, here was Jessica frozen in air with both feet a few inches off the ground.

Anyway, this weekend at Artesia Park, the umpires were calling illegal pitches right from the outset. In our second game, the ump must have called at least eight to ten pitches between both team’s pitchers. The opposing coach was jawing in his ear every inning about our pitcher, until his pitcher also got tabbed. Finally, the umpire said he wasn’t calling any more unless they were real extreme, otherwise we’d be here all night.

My issue with this is fairness. Remember, I’m one that has been trying to get blue to call pitches for several years, and I’m not alone. But at the same time, it really isn’t fair to the players when the umps ignore the illegal pitches all year in friendlies and smaller tournaments to suddenly decide they are going to enforce the rule. It’s sort of like telling your kids, don’t put your shoes on the sofa, then ignore them putting their shoes on the sofa for six months, then suddenly WHAM giving them a swat for putting their shoes on the sofa today.

ASA…let’s make this simple. Either instruct the blue to enforce the rule ALL THE TIME or take the rule out of the books.

While I know some advantage can be gained by replanting in front of the rubber, but how much of an advantage is it really? When you have kids throwing 60+ mpg from 43 feet, or even 40 feet, what’s another six inches. It usually is the stronger pitchers that get called for hopping because they have so much leg drive off the rubber. Maybe we draw a chalk line six inches in front of the rubber and a pitcher is only called for illegal if they go over the line. It may simplify the rule making it easier to understand. It may save a lot of arguments and grief. And it may take a little heat off our kids.

Oh, and by the way…pitching instructors…this is on you too. (I know some of you actually teach kids to crow hop, although you may be in the minority.)

Either way, let’s come up with a solution to this issue. A lot of time and energy is wasted yearly on this. Let’s get back to playing softball.