1. Howard County Officials Training

2. 2008 Changes 2007 Rule Section 1. PRELIMINARIES A.The pitcher must take a position with both feet firmly on the ground and with one or both feet in contact with the pitcher’s plate. EFFECT: Delayed Dead Ball, Illegal Pitch Section 1. PRELIMINARIES A.The pitcher must take a position with both feet firmly on the ground and with one or both feet in contact with the pitcher’s plate. EFFECT: Delayed Dead Ball, Illegal Pitch B.(Seniors) The pitcher may take a position from the front edge of the pitcher’s plate to six feet behind the pitcher’s plate within the 24 inch width of the pitcher’s plate with both feet firmly on the ground. EFFECT: Delayed Dead Ball, Illegal Pitch

3. Defense Preliminaries  Fair Territory  Catcher

4. Catcher’s Box Violations 3 Feet 17” 6” 3 Feet 10 Feet Not part of catcher’s box. 3 Feet 4 Feet SLOW PITCH – Catcher must remain in catcher’s box until pitched ball is batted, touches the ground or plate, or reaches the catcher’s box. R/S #8 The catcher cannot move close to the plate if the batter is at the front of the batters box. Batter’s boxes are not a part of the catcher’s box.

5. DefenseFeet Preliminaries

6. Delivery

7. Catcher Restrictions Ball Back to Pitcher

8. RUNNER LEAVES BASE RUNNER LEAVES BASE OFFICIAL TIME RUNNER OFF BASE RUNNER OFF BASE DROPPED BALL DROPPED BALL OFFENSE TIME OFFENSE TIME No Pitch Runner Out Legitimate Confusion

9. Other Issues

10. Warm-Up Pitches

11. Slow Pitch Softball Strike A SLOW PITCH SOFTBALL STRIKE: 1.Must have a legal arc: a.Minimum 6-feet from the ground. b.Maximum 12-feet from the ground. 2.Must be delivered underhand at a moderate speed 3.Is judged when it crosses the plate.

12. 18”22”17”9”

13. Slow Pitch Softball Strike A SLOW PITCH SOFTBALL STRIKE: 1.Must have a legal arc: a.Minimum 6-feet from the ground. b.Maximum 12-feet from the ground. 2.Must be delivered underhand at a moderate speed 3.Is judged when it crosses the plate. 4.Must be a pitched ball that passes through the strike zone which is that space over any part of home plate between the batter’s back shoulder and his/her front knee when the batter assumes his/her natural batting stance.

14. Slow Pitch Softball Strike Remember that the position of a batter in the batter’s box makes no difference. The plate and batter’s natural stance at the plate are the controlling factors. STRIKE A pitched ball that touches home plate and is not struck at is always a ball. BACK SHOULDER STRIKE BALL KNEES BACK SHOULDER KNEES Some part of a legally pitched ball must pass through this zone to be called a strike.