Little League illegal pitching - Umpire question

[obbay]

A lot of the players on the local Major League All-Star team play for me on another team so yesterday I went to watch their tournament game and was extremely irritated by what I saw. The other team put in a relief pitcher in the 2nd or 3rd inning who was leaping on every pitch with no attempt to keep the drag foot dragging. Both feet were in the air on every pitch. It did not affect the outcome of the game, but it is wrong. Our coaches knew it was illegal pitching, but where we were winning, they chose not to make an issue of it.

I have a problem with this on two levels-

1) at this point in the season that shouldn't be happening and how is she supposed to learn

and

2) the pitch was illegal and obvious. not even close. and when brought to the umpire's attention, he did nothing. I think he was a baseball umpire and did not know what constitued an illegal pitch in softball. I have seen this before at higher level playoff games where the Plate Umpire tried to call a Balk and the base umpire did not understand that the baserunner can't leave until the pitch is released.

My question- when the officials seem to be lacking the knowledge of the rules, what is the correct way to address this?
call time and note that you are playing the game under protest? then what?

 

[Comp]

You would have to question the umpire as to what he was seeing, and if he expresses in his judgement it is not illegal then you would have to go to whoever the UIC is. Not sure on how LL handles protests, but generally speaking umpire judgement is not protestable unless it is a complete missaplication of a rule.

 

[TimothyJ]

You don't play a game under protest in LL All-Stars. The game stops.

If it can't be resolved by the tournament director on site, they call the regional office.
If the regional office can't resolve it ( and it's up to the protesting manager to accept the TD or regional office's resolution), then it gets escalated to Williamsport.

The tournament committee in Williamsport has final say if it gets that far

Either way, the game is discontinued until it's resolved.

You cannot protest umpire judgement, only violations or interpretations of a rule

 

[MaverickAH]

A lot of the players on the local Major League All-Star team play for me on another team so yesterday I went to watch their tournament game and was extremely irritated by what I saw. The other team put in a relief pitcher in the 2nd or 3rd inning who was leaping on every pitch with no attempt to keep the drag foot dragging. Both feet were in the air on every pitch. It did not affect the outcome of the game, but it is wrong. Our coaches knew it was illegal pitching, but where we were winning, they chose not to make an issue of it.

I have a problem with this on two levels-

1) at this point in the season that shouldn't be happening and how is she supposed to learn

and

2) the pitch was illegal and obvious. not even close. and when brought to the umpire's attention, he did nothing. I think he was a baseball umpire and did not know what constitued an illegal pitch in softball. I have seen this before at higher level playoff games where the Plate Umpire tried to call a Balk and the base umpire did not understand that the baserunner can't leave until the pitch is released.

My question- when the officials seem to be lacking the knowledge of the rules, what is the correct way to address this?
call time and note that you are playing the game under protest? then what?

This in & of itself would be cause for an issue. As an umpire, it's been one of my pet peeves when baseball umpires try to do softball games. They think that they can just apply their baseball mechanics & rules to fast pitch & the majority of times they are wrong!

The definition of what qualifies as a legally delivered pitch in fast pitch is more intricate than baseball. It's no wonder that they wouldn't know what to look for if they were used to doing baseball & not fast pitch.

Now, to the matter at hand.........

Was this pitcher illegal? Based on your description, it's possible, but I'd actually have to see it to be sure because it is possible for the back foot to leave the ground & the pitch to still be legal. How? Very often there is a hole in front of the pitcher's plate from continuous use. If the pitcher's back foot leaves the ground but does not rise above the level plane of the ground had the hole not been there, you still have a legal pitch.

I will also add that it is the responsibility of both umpires to look for an illegal pitch & very often it is easier for the BU to make the determination than it is for the PU especially in cases of "crow hopping".

 

[PA SB Dad]

Why would you insert yourself into a game you had no stake in? After the game or at your next practice, let your players know that the pitcher was illegal and why. It is not your job to be the softball police at every field you come across.

 

[WARRIORMIKE]

The manager of the team should have stepped up and said something to the Ump. Being that he did not then the game move forwards. However, the game can be protestable if he did advise the ump and the illegal pitching continued.

 

[David Carter]

The manager of the team should have stepped up and said something to the Ump. Being that he did not then the game move forwards. However, the game can be protestable if he did advise the ump and the illegal pitching continued.

Usually the BU has the best angle for calling IP for leaping.

So after you spend your $50 to protest the meeting would go something like this...

Protester: The ump said she was not pitching illegally but he does not understand she can't leap

Ump: Oh is that the rule....In my judgement she was still legal I did not see her leap (especially since he was not looking for that)
you can't call what you don't see.

Tourney Director: Thanks for the $50 donation to our league

 

[WARRIORMIKE]

Usually the BU has the best angle for calling IP for leaping.

So after you spend your $50 to protest the meeting would go something like this...

Protester: The ump said she was not pitching illegally but he does not understand she can't leap

Ump: Oh is that the rule....In my judgement she was still legal I did not see her leap (especially since he was not looking for that)
you can't call what you don't see.

Tourney Director: Thanks for the $50 donation to our league

In Little League their is no fee to Protest. Also this is not a judgement call, but a rule violation. Again had the manager brought this to the BU, and the BU did nothing then it would go to a protest committee. Manager would have won.

 

[CycloneSoftball22]

In Little League their is no fee to Protest. Also this is not a judgement call, but a rule violation. Again had the manager brought this to the BU, and the BU did nothing then it would go to a protest committee. Manager would have won.

There is no chance a manager would win a protest in this situation. Especially in LL

 

[WARRIORMIKE]

There is no chance a manager would win a protest in this situation. Especially in LL

LMAFO........ Are you serious??

I have......