Leaping? Or replanting?

[earlg3]

For all intents and purposes, that girl's feet are landing simultaneously. At least, that's what I am seeing here. If that's the case, doesn't that screw up the front-side resistance for the pitcher? Maybe I am missing something here, but that motion is ugly.

This will create more confusion than the prior rules.

Raises an interesting question of what's more important to speed: front-side resistance or being able to pitch without momentum from an extra couple feet closer to the plate?

 

[The Man In Blue]

It is impossible for your back foot to land before the front and you not push again with your back foot. The girl in the video has to push with her back leg or she would fall to the ground. I don't really care what the rules are, I just hate the spineless jerkwads that come up with stuff like this. The way this is explained as long as they start legally there will be almost no way for someone to pitch a ball, and get called for an illegal pitch. I would say the Power Mechanics guy was right all along.

I am still trying to find the physics simulator I have been looking for for ages. I totally agree with you, but maybe "push" is not the correct terminology. Those of us making this argument are not saying the pitcher is imparting acceleration from the back foot, but that she is gaining acceleration from the pivot that occurs.

I am not a physics person, so somebody please help me explain this.

Whenever a projectile is launched and then comes in contact with an object (e.g., the ground), the contact point will experience rapid deceleration (or a stop) which provides rapid acceleration for the top. Think about a ball hitting the ground, it begins to spin (top forward). Toss a bat, when it makes contact with the ground, the top accelerates.

Rotational velocity is not what I am looking for. Vectors? I don't think that's right either.

What we are saying is that the back foot landing first provides acceleration, even if there isn't a muscular push.

All that said, the video does a fine job of explaining what they want called and not called, so I am good with it (even if I don't quite agree).

 

[Northball]

What sunk in for me was she leaps, the pivot foot lands, then the other foot lands where you expect it to. If she replants the pivot foot and pushes again, the feet would get farther apart than expected until they both are on the ground.
Only a base umpire would see that separating of the feet after pivot foot landing.

 

[jdint]

All that said, the video does a fine job of explaining what they want called and not called, so I am good with it (even if I don't quite agree).

I agree it explains it, but I can't imagine an ump having to try and figure out the landing trajectory of the front foot in real time, unless it is super obvious.

I also think it's entirely plausible to have an extra push from this position without altering your front foot landing position much. However, after that second push, it would be difficult to keep your upper body back or 'stacked' as LEsoftball alluded to....I think.



Can't wait til the season starts...."C'mon blue!!! Get your head in the game!!!....She's clearly altering the landing position of her front foot due to a secondary push!!! Get your glasses checked!!

 

[ArmWhip]

I have been saying that mini replants like this are common and I don't think they provide a significant advantage to the pitcher, maybe you get a few inches closer to the batter, but it can be debated. One thing that is left out of the NFHS calculation is that the mini replant fosters or allows a pitcher to get out a little further with less effort. The momentum from the push off is redirected forward (horizontally) by the replant, at the same time it softens the impact on the landing leg/foot. The extra distance is preplanned or engineered into the motion so it is camouflaged. So the replant is not really a second push off. The best analogy I can come up with is walking on crutches. When the crutches plant they don't give you any extra energy, but they allow you to take a longer stride by spreading the motion forward.

 

[RADcatcher]

Softball players have been facing all sorts of strange pitching Mechanics for many decades.

Thankfully hitters will continue to hit the ball no matter what the pitcher does!

 

[jdint]

Softball players have been facing all sorts of strange pitching Mechanics for many decades.

Thankfully hitters will continue to hit the ball no matter what the pitcher does!

Right, but this is the pitching forum where we hope hitters don't hit.

 

[dogpatch]

The video from NFHS finally was made available on youtube.

Now if only the umpires would watch and learn. Multiple high school umpires at our two pre-season jamborees over the past couple of Saturdays were asked to explain how they will interperet and call the new rule. None could give an answer!

 

[RADcatcher]

Now if only the umpires would watch and learn. Multiple high school umpires at our two pre-season jamborees over the past couple of Saturdays were asked to explain how they will interperet and call the new rule. None could give an answer!

Or none Would give their answer.
who knows why they wouldn't
but...
sometimes when an Umpire gives their reasoning it opens up the opportunity for debate.
Notice some umpires will not give their reasoning for that reason.

 

[dogpatch]

Or none Would give their answer.
who knows why they wouldn't
but...
sometimes when an Umpire gives their reasoning it opens up the opportunity for debate.
Notice some umpires will not give their reasoning for that reason.

Not the case here! These were informal multi-team settings where numerous umpires were in attentance, rotating in and out of the many short scrimmages to satisfy their annual pre-season practice requirement in our state. Lots of healthy discussion took place among umpires and coaches. It was apparant that our local umpires have so far received little or no guidance on interpretation of this rule. Hopefully the availablity of this video will help the situation.