Legal Wind Up?

[JonnyCat]

Had this question asked of me by a fellow umpire, and for some reason I am not sure if it is legal or not. I couldn't find anything prohibiting it in any manual I looked in, so I think it is legal, but I want to make sure. Maybe I missed something.

Situation: LL(Juniors/Seniors)/OBR. Runner on 3rd, outs don't matter. RHP is in the windup position, both feet on rubber facing batter. Hands are at his side with ball in right hand. Pitcher pitches by taking one step towards home and throwing ball. Never brings his hands together, just basically steps towards home and pitches. Legal? I would think so, but not sure. I can't find anything that would prohibit this motion.

Does he have to hold his hands together in the start of the wind up? FED is specific about hand placement, but LL/OBR not so much.

Seems like it is legal in FED (6.1.2), but what about OBR?

Thanks.

[maven]

Legal. A rocker step is permitted but not required. Main danger is a quick pitch.

[JonnyCat]

Rocker step? Pitcher never steps backwards with non pivot foot, just one step foward with non pivot foot and throws. Sorry, but I'm probably not understanding what a rocker step is. (I could blame it on Monday, but that's probably not the case!)

Excellent point on the quick pitch consideration.

Am I correct that it is legal in FED as well?

[grayhawk]

5 minutes ago, JonnyCat said:

Rocker step? Pitcher never steps backwards with non pivot foot, just one step foward with non pivot foot and throws. Sorry, but I'm probably not understanding what a rocker step is. (I could blame it on Monday, but that's probably not the case!)

Excellent point on the quick pitch consideration.

Am I correct that it is legal in FED as well?

It's the traditional step back/sideways that most pitchers use in the windup.  As Maven said, it's allowed but not required, so stepping directly and pitching without it is legal.

[JonnyCat]

Thanks, Now I understand what Maven was saying. I though he was saying the pitcher had used a rocker step in my OP. I thought the step was legal, just wasn't quite sure if the hands were required to come together at some point during the delivery. Thanks for the quick replies and I will pass that information along, and thanks to you guys, once again I will look smarter than I actually am!

[maven]

1 hour ago, JonnyCat said:

I thought the step was legal, just wasn't quite sure if the hands were required to come together at some point during the delivery.

Most pitchers do bring their hands together, and when F1 starts with both hands down, bringing the hands together is the TOP. But it's not required: your F1 just seems to rare back and throw!

[Jimurray]

24 minutes ago, maven said:

Most pitchers do bring their hands together, and when F1 starts with both hands down, bringing the hands together is the TOP. But it's not required: your F1 just seems to rare back and throw!

This is not the TOP in OBR/LL, NCAA. Bringing hands together and some other action associated with the delivery would be TOP. PER MLBUM, bringing hands together and stopping "shall not be construed as the start of his actual delivery UNLESS some otheraction is initiated by another part of his body simultaneously and is associated with the actual delivery."

In other than FED, you will know TOP when you see it.

[JonnyCat]

1 hour ago, maven said:

Most pitchers do bring their hands together, and when F1 starts with both hands down, bringing the hands together is the TOP. But it's not required: your F1 just seems to rare back and throw!

Apparently, that's exactly what he did on some occasions. I had a HS pitcher last year do something similar, except he brought his hands together. Looked funny, but In FED I knew it was legal. Thanks for the response and explanation!