IL HS rules. My son was pitching from the stretch and was called for a balk. The umpire stated he didn't come set with any of this glove below his chin. He dropped it a little and when the other coach complained for another balk, the umpire said, no, now he has some of this glove below his chin.
Never heard that one before.
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It's part of the definition of the set position in 6-1-3:
"He shall come to a complete and discernible stop . . . with the ball in both hands in front of the body and his glove at or below his chin."
Well, there you go. Weird but true, I guess.
I haven't been umping long. In one of the first youth games (14U-ish) I worked, I saw a pitcher with his glove too high. I didn't call it because I wasn't fully confident I had the rule right. Between innings, I asked my partner about it. He confirmed my understanding of the rule but said calling it would be an example of going out of your way to pick up the [dirty] end of the stick. I've only seen a couple borderline cases since. I've never called it. And no coach or fan has ever clamored to have it called. But it is the rule.
I haven't been umping long. In one of the first youth games (14U-ish) I worked, I saw a pitcher with his glove too high. I didn't call it because I wasn't fully confident I had the rule right. Between innings, I asked my partner about it. He confirmed my understanding of the rule but said calling it would be an example of going out of your way to pick up the [dirty] end of the stick. I've only seen a couple borderline cases since. I've never called it. And no coach or fan has ever clamored to have it called. But it is the rule.
Ir's a FED rule. Not many youth leagues use FED.
This was a local "travel" league that uses Fed rules with a few modifications, such as letting the whole roster bat with free defensive substitutions.
My senior partner knew the rule and affirmed that we could have enforced it. However, he thought calling it would be inappropriate in the circumstances of that game (two young teams struggling not to get swallowed up by the big diamond).
I tell my pitchers to 3-count at the belly button. Maybe your son could adjust to the same style?
I tell my pitchers to 3-count at the belly button. Maybe your son could adjust to the same style?
I don't want to change him too much. I think a pitcher needs to set where he's comfortable (well, within the rules I guess.) What was real bad about this was he tried four different set points on the next four pitches. Finally he got high enough that the umpire was happy and he was comfortable.
I'd be interested in hearing the theory behind this rule. I don't see the point.
I tell my pitchers to 3-count at the belly button. Maybe your son could adjust to the same style?
No offense but if your pitchers come set with a 3-count at the belly button we are going to steal on you all day.
It's part of the definition of the set position in 6-1-3:
"He shall come to a complete and discernible stop . . . with the ball in both hands in front of the body and his glove at or below his chin."
Note that this rule means ANY PART of the glove at or below the chin. And since I'm not carrying a laser level out there with me and my interest in anatomy doesn't include any specific definition of chin Im not going to pick at this one.
FED gave some reason for this once upon the time - at first it was because they interpreted "body" literally to mean just the torso so the entire glove had to be below the chin. Then when they changed the rule about 12 years ago I think they said some pitcher could gain an unfair advantage in throwing to first if his hands were already up by / above the head in a "throwing position.'
I don't know -- Im not asked to make the rules just to enforce them
That makes a little bit of sense.
There is nothing wrong with a pitcher gaining an advantage, as long it is a legal advantage. By all rule codes other than FED, this is a legal advantage. FED pitching regulations are largely nonsense, beginning with having an illegal pitch in which there is no pitch. Ugh!
I tell my pitchers to 3-count at the belly button. Maybe your son could adjust to the same style?
No offense but if your pitchers come set with a 3-count at the belly button we are going to steal on you all day.
Hardly. It's called changing up your timing. Look them back, step off, throw over. We have more pick offs and caught stealing than any other team in our district.
I tell my pitchers to 3-count at the belly button. Maybe your son could adjust to the same style?
No offense but if your pitchers come set with a 3-count at the belly button we are going to steal on you all day.
Hardly. It's called changing up your timing. Look them back, step off, throw over. We have more pick offs and caught stealing than any other team in our district.
Maybe I'm not understanding you if you're changing up your timing. I'm reading it as that when your pitchers come set with their hands together and stopped; they stop for 3 seconds. Then at the three second mark they either deliver, step off or pick - is this all correct?
If that's correct then a team who knows how to run bases will steal on you because they will be able to time what the pitcher is going to do.
Now if they come set for random periods of time then it will be much harder to steal.
I tell my pitchers to 3-count at the belly button. Maybe your son could adjust to the same style?
No offense but if your pitchers come set with a 3-count at the belly button we are going to steal on you all day.
Hardly. It's called changing up your timing. Look them back, step off, throw over. We have more pick offs and caught stealing than any other team in our district.
Maybe I'm not understanding you if you're changing up your timing. I'm reading it as that when your pitchers come set with their hands together and stopped; they stop for 3 seconds. Then at the three second mark they either deliver, step off or pick - is this all correct?
If that's correct then a team who knows how to run bases will steal on you because they will be able to time what the pitcher is going to do.
Now if they come set for random periods of time then it will be much harder to steal.
Yes, they are random and sporadic. I did say 3 seconds as a point of reference. We go anything from a second delay quick pitch to a wait, wait, wait until batter calls time. We do mix it up, and the 3 seconds is not set in stone. I should have been a little more clear. I guess the time frame is irrelevant as long as there is a pause. My emphasis was the glove falling to the belly if that makes sense.
