Enforcing the rules v. impacting the game

[bobbyb]

If there is a stutter step, it means there's a slight pause, and that slight pause is where the second push happens. By laws of physics, with the front foot in the air, and a pause with the back foot, there has to be a second push.

Totally agree. That is exactly what i found in video too. If that pivot foot pauses...it pushes off again...therefore is a replant...and is a crow hop.

The dirt...shows the signs.

Leaping is easy to see and easy to detect in the dirt because of lack of drag mark. I watched one ump...watch a pitcher closely that leaped every single pitch. Someone asked him about it and he watched her warm up...each time was a leap. He shook his head no...and never called it.

I wanted to ask him, with her being a leap/drag pitcher...how there could be no drag mark after she pitched...but figured if he couldn't see the 3 inches of air under her pivot foot...it was probably a useless endeavor.

 

[RulesMeister]

My guess is, he did see it. Umpires don't want the confrontation. Potentially from the coach and/or the parent. Over the years I've heard all of the (invalid) excuses by umpires: "She's not gaining an advantage" {where is that in the rule book?]. "It's only a little leap" {Officer, I only took a little money}. "Your pitcher does it too" {no she doesn't}. "She's not that fast, what's the big deal" {How about we play by the rules?} "At this level she's still developing" {Exactly why it should be called}. "She hasn't been called all year, I'm not about to call her on it." {Just because other umpires haven't done their job, doesn't mean you shouldn't}