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 Orthodox Pitch |
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What The Heck Is Orthodox Pitching in OCSL?
Rules for Orthodox Pitching in OCSL:
PITCHING RULES (ORTHODOX/BOWLING STYLE)
PRELIMINARIES. The pitcher shall take a position with both feet on the ground and in contact with, but not off the side, of the pitcher's plate.
- The pitcher, while standing on the pitcher's plate, must take the signal from the catcher or look at the catcher. If the signal is taken, it must be taken while the pitcher has both feet with contact with the pitcher's plate. The ball must be held in one hand (either bare hand or glove) and the hands must be separated.
- Preliminary to starting the delivery, the pitcher must bring his whole body to a full and complete stop facing the batter with his hips in line with first and third base and with the ball held in one or both hands. This full and complete stop position must be maintained for a minimum of one second and not more than ten seconds before starting the pitch.
- The pitcher shall not be considered in the pitching position unless the catcher is in position to receive the pitch.
- The pitcher may not take the pitching position on or near the pitcher's plate without having the ball in his possession.
THE PITCH starts when one hand is taken off the ball or the pitcher makes any motion that is part of his windup.
- In the act of delivering the ball, a pitcher will be allowed to step back. The league will allow some flexibility with regard to giving the opportunity for a pitcher to step back upon release, similar to Quebec Orthodox softball. This means that pitchers will still have to start with both feet on the plate but can do a small step back during the wind up. The league reviewed this rule as a means to attract more teams to the league (from nearby Quebec leagues) and to allow easier flow and improved pitching through technique and speed. This rule, however small, will be reviewed in the 2007 season to judge its effect, if any, on the competitive nature of the league.
- Pushing off the pivot foot from a place other than the pitcher's plate is illegal.
NOTE: It is not a step if the pitcher slides his foot across the pitcher's plate provided contact is maintained with the pitcher's plate. Raising the foot off the plate and returning it creates a rocking motion and is an illegal act.
A LEGAL DELIVERY SHALL BE A BALL WHICH IS DELIVERED TO THE BATTER WITH AN UNDERHANDED MOTION.
- The pitcher's arm should draw a figure eight during the complete motion or the pitcher may use a bowling style as long as the downward motion does not have an abrupt stop near the hip.
- The release of the ball must be on the first forward swing of the pitching arm past the hip. The release must have a complete smooth flow-through with no abrupt stop of the arm near the hip.
- The ball must not be outside the pitcher's wrist and the wrist must not be farther from the body than the elbow on the downward motion and during the complete forward delivery.
- On the forward swing of the pitching arm, the elbow does not have to be locked at the point of release. The driving hip must be squared to home plate when the ball is released.
- He may take the ball behind the back on the backswing.
- The delivery must be an underhand motion with the hand below the hip and the palm may be pointing downward or upward.
- The pitch is complete when the ball is released toward the batter.
- The catcher must remain within the lines of the catcher's box until the pitch is released.
- The catcher shall return the ball directly to the pitcher after each pitch, except after a strikeout or a put out made by the catcher.
- The pitcher has twenty (20) seconds to release the next pitch after receiving the ball or after the umpire indicates "play ball".
- The pitcher's arm should draw a figure eight during the complete motion or the pitcher may use a bowling style.
THE PITCHER MAY USE ANY WINDUP DESIRED PROVIDED.
- He does not make any motion to pitch without immediately delivering the ball to the batter.
- He does not use a pitching motion in which, after having the ball in both hands in the pitching position, he removes one hand from the ball, takes a backward and a forward swing and returns the ball to both hands in front of the body.
- He does not use a windup in which there is a stop or a reversal of the forward motion.
- He does not use a windmill or slingshot type pitch or make a complete revolution in the delivery.
- He does not continue to wind up after taking the forward step which is simultaneous with the release of the ball.
NOTE: A slingshot type pitch is defined as "turning the body toward the first or third base and bending the elbow during the backswing".
PENALTY/INFRACTION FOR AN ILLEGAL PITCH
- The umpires shall rule on whether a pitcher is using the correct style as per the constitution (Amendments underway) if approved. If a pitcher violates the pitching rule, a pitch is considered illegal and the rule will be applied as per Softball Canada - Section 6.
- PENALTY/INFRACTION: In summary, a ball is awarded to the batter and all baserunners advance one-base. However, if the batter hits a fair ball and advances to first base and all base-runners advance at least one base the 'illegal pitch is nullified. If the batter-runner and all base-runners do not advance at least one base then the offensive team has the option of taking the result of the play or having the batter return to the plate with an additional ball awarded to the batter and all base-runners advance one-base from the time of the 'illegal' pitch.
The Rise Ball
Because of the lack of info concerning Orthodox style pitching, most of the info in the following articles is based on windmill. However, the release is the same.
The riseball is a pitch that is going spin backward and has a tendency to rise up through the strike zone.
See picture for the riseball grip. You will want to put your middle finger on the top seam, your ring finger on the bottom seam, tuck your index finger, and then your thumb is typically opposite of your middle finger.
The spin is going to be underneath, so it spins backward. It has basically the same effect as an airplane, so that it's going to cause a decrease in pressure underneath the seams and cause the pitch to actually rise up through the zone.
The Drop Ball
The opposite of the rise is the dropball. That is a pitch that's going to spin over the top, or spin forward, and move from high to low.
The Drop ball grip is where you put all your three fingers over the top of these seams, (see diagram) thumb opposite of the middle finger, and you work on snapping the ball so you get a downward rotation and the ball moves down through the zone.
The Curve
The next pitch is the curve. It is snapped around, almost spins like a top, and that's going to move it's going to move in to a right-handed batter for lefties and away from a right-handed batter for righties.
The grip on the curveball exactly like the rise, but it rotates the ball just a little bit so that the sliding middle finger up on the smile of the ball so rotating the finger up onto the smile. The ring finger is, again, on the bottom, and this time it's going to pull the ball across the body and gets it to spin like a top. And when it spins like a top, that actually makes the ball cut, or curve, into the zone into the batter.
The Change Up
Finally there is the changeup, or the off-speed pitch. The pitch should look explosive, driving off the mound, and then, hopefully, the speed of the pitch is going to be about 25 percent slower than a pitchers hardest pitch.
The changeup pitch can have a lot of different grips. And it is best to hold it deeper in the palm of the hand, tucking a finger so it looks like a rise or any other pitch and let it go slow...
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