Pitching the Wind-up from the Set

[Kali]

You look out and see a pitcher standing with his pivot foot parallel to and against the front of the pitcher's plate.  His free foot is in front of his pivot foot (well away from the plate).  This looks like the Set position to me.  But when he begins his pitch, he steps backwards with his free foot and then toward the plate with his free foot (two steps) as he delivers the ball.  He obviously thinks he's pitching from the Wind-up.

6-1-2 states   For the wind-up position ... The pitcher's non-pivot foot shall be in any position on or behind a line extending through the front edge of the pitcher's plate.

He's obviously not in a proper Wind-up position by 6-1-2.  In the past, I would stop him the first time I saw this and warn him that this was an illegal pitch even with no runners on, but, recently, I'm being told that, if this is his normal motion, that's OK.  Is it OK?  

He starts every pitch from the same foot position so how do I tell if it's a pitch from the Wind-up or the Set?  Remember that in the Wind-up that additional step is optional.

 

(Yes, I know the MLB has inserted language that allows a pitcher to declare which position he is pitching from but, in MLB he can pick off from the Wind-up and, this ain't the MLB and that language hasn't transferred.)

[ousafe]

I think this thread addresses what you are talking about. Refer to 6.1.3H: "...If nonpivot foot is lifted after the stop, he must immediately pitch or step directly toward a base..."

 

[zoops]

Sounds like the 'hybrid' pitching position, which I believe is still illegal in FED. 

[Thunderheads]

22 minutes ago, zoops said:

Sounds like the 'hybrid' pitching position, which I believe is still illegal in FED. 

it is illegal in FED