Limit of Height of Hand together with baseball in set position

[Guest Jim]

Watching the Little League Great Lakes Regional Final, Bowling Green vs Illinois, on ESPN, 

and the Illinois Pitcher in the late innings, 4th and 5th, when he come to the set position

and brings his hands and ball together he is way above his head.  Thought there was a limit

on height of the set with hands together with the ball of like the chin or  below.

Obviously, must be legal because Plate Ump not calling illegal pitch or a balk.

[UMP45 308]

In NFHS(Fed) the ball has to be at or below the chin. Nothing in OBR.

[Lou B 63]

Set Position: holding the ball in both hands in front of the body and coming to a complete stop.

[LRZ 284]

The LL rule, 8.01(b), reads, in part, "Set Position shall be indicated by the pitcher when that pitcher stands facing the batter with the pivot foot in contact with, and the other foot in front of, the pitcher’s plate, holding the ball in both hands in front of the body and coming to a complete stop."Body," not "torso" or "chest." But above the head? 

[noumpere 3,024]

51 minutes ago, UMP45 said:

In NFHS(Fed) the ball has to be at or below the chin. Nothing in OBR.

Any part of the glove ...

[Rich Ives 1,110]

2 hours ago, LRZ said:

The LL rule, 8.01(b), reads, in part, "Set Position shall be indicated by the pitcher when that pitcher stands facing the batter with the pivot foot in contact with, and the other foot in front of, the pitcher’s plate, holding the ball in both hands in front of the body and coming to a complete stop."Body," not "torso" or "chest." But above the head? 

Was it behind him? No? Then it was in front.

[Lou B 63]

33 minutes ago, Rich Ives said:

Was it behind him? No? Then it was in front.

His hands can't be behind him or directly over his head but as long as they are "in front of his body" he's fine.

[JoeC 13]

 

8.01 (b)

NOTE: In Little League (Majors) and below the pitcher need not come to a complete stop.

 

They do not have to come to a complete stop in Little League Majors and below.

[The Man in Blue 247]

I’m assuming that is because of their base running rule (no leadoffs)?

[Senor Azul 365]

To our guest Jim, Little League (better known as the Majors division) by rule does not call balks. I am not sure whether the illegal stance would make an illegal pitch.

A BALK: Baseball is an illegal act by the pitcher with a runner or runners on base entitling all runners to advance one base [Intermediate (50-70) Division/ Junior/Senior League]. A balk is not called in the Little League (Major) Division and below. (See Rule 8.05 - Illegal Pitch.)

As for the question of how high the hands can be when stopped in the set position, I was taught that a pitcher could not stop above his head under OBR rules. As noted above, high school actually spells out in its rule 6-1-3 (and in a case play) that the pitcher must come to a stop with his glove at or below his chin. Here’s the only supporting evidence I can find on the subject-- 

From the 2013 Wendelstedt Rules and Interpretations Manual (p. 211):

Play P178:  R2, no outs, no count. The pitcher, after indicating the Set Position, stops with his arms high above his head.

Ruling:  This is a balk.

[basejester 407]

In the Major Division, the pitcher doesn't have to stop at all.

8.05 - With a runner or runners on base, it is an illegal pitch – Major/Minor League [a balk in Intermediate (50-70) Division/Junior/Senior League] when -

. . .

(m) Intermediate (50-70) Division/Junior/Senior League only: The pitcher delivers the pitch from the set position without coming to a stop.

NOTE 1: Little League (Major) and Minor League - 8.05(l) and 8.05(m) shall not be enforced at any time.

[Lou B 63]

This might be "nit picking" but (l) and (m) both start with the words: "Intermediate (50/70) Division/Junior/Senior League only", so why do you need a NOTE that says they don't apply in Little League (Majors) and Minors?  Just askin'

 

 

 

[Aging_Arbiter 1,343]

16 hours ago, Lou B said:

This might be "nit picking" but (l) and (m) both start with the words: "Intermediate (50/70) Division/Junior/Senior League only", so why do you need a NOTE that says they don't apply in Little League (Majors) and Minors?  Just askin'

 

 

 

Majors and below cannot lead off...........therefore, he isn't "deceiving" any runners.

[Lou B 63]

I know that, that's not what I meant.

Why the NOTE about (l) and (m) not applying to majors and minors when (l) and (m) already say they only apply to intermediate, juniors and seniors?

 

[Aging_Arbiter 1,343]

maybe it was from the Department of Redundancy Department?