Western Piedmont Baseball

1. Rule 6 Pitching Western Piedmont Baseball

2. Rule 6Pitching • Windup or Set position is determined by pitcher's feet (pivot and non-pivot). • Regulations begin when P intentionally contacts rubber. • P must take sign from catcher while in contact with rubber. • Turning shoulders to check runners in set position (before stretch) is legal. After stretch and coming set – not legal. • No quick pitch allowed. • Catcher must have both feet in catcher's box at TOP. • Ambidextrous pitcher's must face batter as one or the other.

3. Rule 6Pitching • P attempting to field batted or thrown ball or is throwing to a base while not in contact with rubber has same status as infielder (except when batted ball passes but does not touch P and then strikes an umpire or runner – may become dead for interference). • Legal pitches declared strike, ball, fair or foul when hit, or dead ball by umpire. • Pitch dropped during delivery with no one on base and which crosses foul line is ruled a ball, if it does not cross – no pitch. • Pitch dropped during delivery with runner on base that does not cross foul line is balk. • Rest periods for P can be determined by state assoc.

4. Rule 6Pitching • Windup: P not restricted on how P holds ball: hands are together in front of body, both hands at side, either hand is in front of the body and the other hand is at side; non-pivot foot in any position on or behind a line extending through the front edge of the rubber; two pumps maximum; must continue without interruption; may only deliver a pitch or step backward off rubber with pivot foot first; after stepping back P may change to set, throw or feint; during delivery P may lift non-pivot foot to step forward, sideways or backward then forward.

5. Rule 6Pitching • Set: P holds ball in glove or in pitching hand; pitching hand must be at his side or behind his back; before start of delivery, P stands with entire non-pivot foot in front of a line extending through the front edge of the rubber and with entire pivot foot in contact with or directly in front of and parallel to rubber; bending over at the waist is permissible, but arms may not swing; P must assume set position in one continuous motion; P must come to complete and discernible stop with both hands in front of his body and the glove below the chin; prior to stop and during set, P may turn on pivot foot or jump turn to step with the non-pivot foot toward a base while throwing or feinting; P may lift pivot foot to step backwards off rubber to change to windup position or throw or feint.

6. Rule 6Pitching Infractions and Penalties • Delay the game by throwing to any player other than the catcher, when the batter is in the batter's box (except to attempt to retire a runner) Penalty: P ejected after warning. • Delaying the game by consuming time with a defensive conference after using all 3 charged conferences Penalty: P must be removed for duration of game. • Delaying the game by failing to pitch or attempt a play within 20 seconds after receiving ball Penalty: Batter awarded one ball. • Intentionally pitch close to a batter Penalty: P ejected or warned.

7. Rule 6Pitching Infractions and Penalties • Balk (while in contact with rubber): P feints toward batter or first base, drops ball which does not cross foul line, failing to step with non-pivot foot toward base (occupied or unoccupied) when throwing or feinting in an attempt to put out or drive back a runner, throwing or feinting to unoccupied base when not an attempt to put out or drive back a runner, making an illegal pitch from any position, failing to pitch to batter in continuous motion after beginning motion to deliver, taking hand off the ball while in the set position (except to pitch to batter, throw to a base or step toward and feint to second or third base), failing to pitch to batter when entire non-pivot foot crosses back edge of rubber (except to feint or throw to second base in attempt to put out runner).

8. Rule 6Pitching Infractions and Penalties • Balk (while not in contact with rubber): P makes any movement associated with a pitch, P is on, astride or within 5 feet of the rubber without the ball. • Note: If P stops or hesitates as a result of batter unintentionally causing a balk because he steps out of the batter's box or calls “Time” or puts a hand up to request “Time,” no balk is called. If batter's act is intentional, umpire may eject.

9. Rule 6Pitching Infractions and Penalties • Illegal pitch results in immediate dead ball. If no runner, pitch results in ball. If runner, results in balk • Illegal acts include applying foreign substance to ball, spitting on ball or glove, defacing ball, discoloring ball with dirt. Penalty: Dead ball. Umpire may eject P. If pitched, then detected it is an illegal pitch. • Pitching hand in contact with mouth without wiping before touching ball. Penalty: Ball awarded to batter • Distracting items (in umpire's judgment) on hands, wrists or arms, wearing tape, bandages or other foreign material on pitching hand, using glove with white or gray, undershirt sleeves that are white or gray. Penalty: Infraction must be corrected before next pitch

10. Rule 6Pitching Infractions and Penalties Warm-up: Note: The starting pitcher may warm up by using no more than eight throws, completed in one minute (timed from the first throw). This rule applies to relief pitchers as well. At the beginning of each subsequent inning, the pitcher may warm up with no more than five throws, completed in one minute. If illness, injury or ejection to P causes replacement, umpire's discretion.