Illegal Pitch at 12U - What would you do as an Umpire?

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May 15, 2019
56
8
USSSA rules 12U division -opposing pitcher keeps glove in front of her body, uses her hip to adjust grip and goes straight into pitch. Top of 2nd inning - after a few pitches umpire calls time, walks out to pitcher (coach comes out as well). Can't hear what is said but can see umpire and coach demonstrating with their hands "bringing hands together". Game resumes, pitcher moves glove from center of body to right thigh area when delivering pitch for a few pitches then goes back to taking ball straight from hip to pitch. Game goes 4 innings, nothing else said, no illegal pitch called. What's your opinion? While it's not the umpires job to teach the pitcher how to pitch - how do you make the decision not to call it? Because you can tell it's an inexperienced 12U pitcher? I'd rather you call it now while they are young and learning instead of them having to re-learn the right way once they are older and "it matters now".
 
Jan 22, 2011
1,610
113
At 12u it should be called every time. My DD was leaping in first year 12u and I got her to about 80pct fix it. When she got called for it 3 times in a championship game and had to be pulled as the pitcher, she worked very hard to fix the last 20pct.

I think the other coach was nit-picking a little bit, but I thanked him and the umpire after the game for calling her on it. My DD got the revenge and got the RBI for the mercy run to end the game. She picked up about 2 mph after she fixed her leaping.
 
May 27, 2022
412
63
A/B/C Level?

A/B - I call it - especially in bracket play

C - not so much - some of the girls at that level are still learning basics

To @Dabears17 point, to me it is part of the learning experience that kids need to go through. It is a disservice to them to not call it. otherwise, they'll get called on it later and the coach will say 'she's never been called on it before..." thinking they can get by with it.
 
May 15, 2019
56
8
A/B/C Level?

A/B - I call it - especially in bracket play

C - not so much - some of the girls at that level are still learning basics

To @Dabears17 point, to me it is part of the learning experience that kids need to go through. It is a disservice to them to not call it. otherwise, they'll get called on it later and the coach will say 'she's never been called on it before..." thinking they can get by with it.
B level. I agree - that's my reason for questioning it. If it's my daughter I want you to call it. I want her to learn the right way now - not "get away with it" until someone decides to call it.
 
May 29, 2015
3,731
113
Just because it is a tournament doesn't inherently make it any more or less egregious than it is on league night. Many tournaments yield equally crappy play. The key is to KNOW THE LEVEL and to KNOW YOUR DISCRETION.

Sometimes as umpires we are given instructions coming in to a tournament on how the TD wants it handled. Sometimes coaches will come to an agreement at the plate meeting (if they agree, there is no reason for my partner and I not to). Sometimes we judge by the level of play in the game we are observing.

The answer, by rule, is call it all the time every time. The answer by reality is far more complex. I've written before about a certain pitcher that I "ran out of the game" (according to her coach) and the coach would scratch her from pitching any time they had me for a game. Personally, I thought it would have been a better answer to teach her not to leap.

Today we took a "warn, work, call" approach as we were having a major issue with pitchers (18s, 16s, and 14s) getting their wrist band numbers and launching into pitching. They were failing to simulate taking a signal from the catcher. I also noticed one org (at both levels) was more egregious about this.

I only called one pitcher (14s), and immediately the coach went into a tirade about "the ump show." He was mad because I warned their first pitcher, talked to the catcher and had the catcher talk to the pitcher, and then had a conversation with the coach and the pitcher (all in the 1st inning). Sorry, I don't care that it was a new pitcher in the 6th inning ... you should have worked it out by then. This was not a individual mechanic problem.
 

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