FED set position--What is everyone doing?

[aaluck]

FED QUESTION ONLY.  Okay, wish I had a video of this but was behind the plate and not a good idea to shoot video while umping!! 19U "showcase" playing under FED rules.  

Pitcher is in the "set" position.  (ONLY TALKING/ASKING ABOUT NO RUNNERS ON BASE). Pivot foot in front of, and parallel to, the rubber. Free foot is toward home plate, about 2 feet in front of pivot foot--same direction (parallel to pivot foot) toward home.  Pitcher steps on the rubber (in this position) with hands together, and goes into a "windup" (by that I just mean long, exaggerated motion) whereby he breaks his hands and then back together and throws to the batter. He does not ever set, other than he is already "set" with his hands together when he gets on the rubber.

I'm obviously relying on 6.1.3 of the fed as follows:

“For the set position, the pitcher shall have the ball in either his gloved hand or his pitching hand. His pitching hand shall be down at his side or behind his back. Before starting his delivery, he shall stand with his entire non-pivot foot in front of a line extending through the front edge of the pitcher’s plate and with his entire pivot foot in contact with or directly in front of and parallel to the pitcher’s plate. He shall go to the set position without interruption and in one continuous motion. He shall come to a complete and discernible stop (a change of direction is not considered an acceptable stop) with the ball in both hands in front of the body and his glove at or below his chin”

In my case all of the underlined are violated with what he is doing.

Does anyone bother to call an illegal pitch, correct the pitcher, simply not say anything?  The reason I ask is I talked to the coach about it he said, not only has he done it in the pervious 9 games of the weekend tournament but also does it in high school and no one has ever said a word.

[Replacematt]

I get this during warmups. It's usually the converse that happens in my games--pitcher warms up from windup, then uses something similar to start his set.

[aaluck]

9 minutes ago, Matt said:

I get this during warmups. It's usually the converse that happens in my games--pitcher warms up from windup, then uses something similar to start his set

I just want to know what others are doing because I either get: 1) no one is one base (irrelevant to 6.1.3) or; 2) he always does it--which tells me no one else enforces it..

[Richvee]

Sounds illegal for FED, and I would be putting a stop to it in a high school game. In a showcase, I'm leaving it alone. 19u. Sounds like graduating seniors. They're next level won't be worrtying about foot placement. Maybe a mention to F1 in between innings about shoulder alignment in the college rule book. But nothing more. 

Edit: I'm blaming spellcheck for the improper use of their/they're. 

[Replacematt]

10 minutes ago, aaluck said:

I just want to know what others are doing because I either get: 1) no one is one base (irrelevant to 6.1.3) or; 2) he always does it--which tells me no one else enforces it..

I should have been more clear. I correct this during warmups.

However, I agree with Rich's advice. I do showcases on occasion and I will make mention of something that would be illegal in NCAA, but I'm not enforcing it to the FED standard. I also do the same when I'm doing college scrimmages in the fall--I tell the PC what's illegal and let them handle it.

[Catch18]

I had 18U same tourney type this weekend. Obvious hybrid, but it wasn’t over the top. I figured the same as a couple posters, these kids are on their way out of HS, no need to jump on everything and look for boogers.

1. Try to catch in warmups if you want to go after it.
2. I wouldn’t “ask” the coach anything. Tell him what you see and what you’re going to call. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve been told “he’s been doing that all {insert random piece of time}” I wouldn’t need to work for some of these ********. Whether or not other umpires enforce certain rules, has nothing to do with me, and the game I’m working today. And yes I’ve been blunt with that.
3. If you have problems with that approach, ask the coach if he were to protest an opponent’s illegal bat, would he accept an umpire’s answer of “well I dunno coach, he’s used it all game, can’t we just let it go?”

Sorry for the soapbox.


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[MooseLoop]

I have seen this problem only a few times, all intermediate skill level high school.  Each time I decided it would be overly officious to see-a-hybrid, call-a-hybrid, and disrupt the pitcher's attention to more important matters.  Then with runners on, the pitcher assumes a proper set position.  After the inning ends, I'll discuss it with the head coach.  They usually are unaware of the issue (which may explain why their pitcher is doing it) and say no other umpire has mentioned it.  But then they correct it.  I have never had to decide what to do with a runner on third only (where pitchers often pitch out of the windup) and the pitcher using a hybrid stance. 

[aaluck]

6 hours ago, MooseLoop said:

I have never had to decide what to do with a runner on third only (where pitchers often pitch out of the windup) and the pitcher using a hybrid stance. 

Excellent point. Fortunately I did make mention of it after the end of the 1st and they quickly corrected it. However if it had occurred with a man on third I have to believe I would have called it then. Again glad it didn’t come to that. 

[Kevin_K]

If the situation is a showcase, no one is there to see an umpire be an OOO.

While some here may disagree with not enforcing FED standards, it may harm the umpire's chances to continue to work that kind of setting, and ultimately retard their own ability to be seen and work better baseball.

Regular season and HS playoffs are different, as others have mentioned. Not enforcing in those situations could be equally detrimental to the umpire's chances of working better baseball.

My .02. YMMV.

[Richvee]

Something else you can do in a showcase setting. I know all showcases are different, but in the types I've worked, there is easy access to the people running the event. Ask them. :Hey guys, are we going to allow pitchers to pitch from the hybrid windup?  Chances are they're going to tell you to let them pitch.