Note sure if the Rules forum is the right place for this, but since at least some of this is rules-related, I'll start here.
I was watching quite a bit of the Little League Softball regionals on the ESPN app this weekend (more than I care to admit, actually, but I was a bachelor this weekend and it kept me out of trouble), and saw some inconsistencies between the two regionals, so thought I'd ask about them here.
1. Pitching Rules - I saw one pitcher take a clear step forward off the rubber as she started her motion. She didn't leap or hop, she just stepped forwarded and then pitched. She did it on every pitch, and no IP was called. Also saw more than a few girls appear to step on the rubber and immediately go into their pitching motion with no hesitation. Does LLSB have it's own rule set or does it follow one of the others?
2. Batter helmet masks - saw one team (west coast team...Washington maybe??) with several batter wearing helmets with no masks. Surprised that a mask is not mandatory.
3. Safety Base - East regional had an orange safety base at 1B, West regional did not. Would have thought this would be a "yes or no" kind of thing, not discretionary.
Also interesting to see replay being used here. Saw quite a few coaches take advantage of it, with a couple of calls being overturned (one was an egregiously bad call by a poorly positioned PU - tag missed by a foot; the other a very close play at the plate initially called safe).
I was watching quite a bit of the Little League Softball regionals on the ESPN app this weekend (more than I care to admit, actually, but I was a bachelor this weekend and it kept me out of trouble), and saw some inconsistencies between the two regionals, so thought I'd ask about them here.
1. Pitching Rules - I saw one pitcher take a clear step forward off the rubber as she started her motion. She didn't leap or hop, she just stepped forwarded and then pitched. She did it on every pitch, and no IP was called. Also saw more than a few girls appear to step on the rubber and immediately go into their pitching motion with no hesitation. Does LLSB have it's own rule set or does it follow one of the others?
2. Batter helmet masks - saw one team (west coast team...Washington maybe??) with several batter wearing helmets with no masks. Surprised that a mask is not mandatory.
3. Safety Base - East regional had an orange safety base at 1B, West regional did not. Would have thought this would be a "yes or no" kind of thing, not discretionary.
Also interesting to see replay being used here. Saw quite a few coaches take advantage of it, with a couple of calls being overturned (one was an egregiously bad call by a poorly positioned PU - tag missed by a foot; the other a very close play at the plate initially called safe).