If you watch women's softball closely, you'll see that when the pitcher is striding toward the plate in her delivery, she's also dragging her back foot forward. At least she's supposed to drag her pivot foot, instead of hopping in such a way that she jumps into the pitch rather than stepping into it. It's a rule followed by the American Softball Association and other fast-pitch leagues, and it's one you may see some pitchers try to foil every once in a while.
The Pitching Motion
ASA rules, adopted by most schools and youth leagues, state that a pitcher must start her pitching motion with both feet touching the rubber and the hands apart. From there, the pitcher must move forward, not backward at all, by stepping toward home plate with the front foot and then dragging the pivot foot. The pitcher is not allowed to hop or leap toward the plate with the pivot foot in the air.
Motivation for Rule
The reason the drag-foot rule is in place is to prevent pitchers from gaining extra power and velocity by leaping into the air. Softball officials, such as those in the National Federation of State High School Associations, are constantly evaluating the balance between offense and defense and making periodic rule changes if it appears one aspect of the game is overpowering another. In 2009, for example, the NFHS moved the pitcher's mound from 40 to 43 feet away from home plate, partially to give the offense a little boost, but also to help keep the pitcher a bit safer from a line drive that comes straight back up the middle.
Leap and Crow Hop
Leaping is defined in the ASA rules as having both feet in the air at the same time while pitching. A "crow hop" is a little different. It's characterized by the pitcher stepping forward with the pivot foot and then moving forward again, essentially replanting the pivot foot for a second push-off point closer to the plate. Umpires are advised to watch for a crow hop by looking to see where the pivot foot starts its motion when the pitcher's hands separate. If the foot is in front of the rubber, there was an illegal crow hop.
Enforcement
If a pitch is delivered and deemed illegal because the pitcher didn't properly drag the pivot foot, or for another infraction, the call on the batter is a ball. If a hole has been dug in front of the pitching rubber by the pitchers during the game, the pitcher doesn't have to drag her foot down through the hole. Instead, she may bring the pivot foot forward at ground level and the umpire can assume she would have dragged the foot had there not been a hole there.
References
- National Federation of State High School Associations: Fast-Pitch Pitching Rules
- South Dayton Fast-Pitch Softball League: Girls 10U Rookie League Rules
- Pitch Softball; Crow Hopping, Foot Dragging and More; Gerald Warner
- National Federation of State High School Associations: Softball Pitching Distance to Increase to 43 Feet in 2010-11
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