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Substitution Rule Clarification
 
The use of a Special Pinch Runner (SPR) in Rule 7.14 is not a substitution and falls outside the provisions of both Rule 3.03 and tournament Rule T10.
 
Situation: In the 3rd inning, Sub1 substitutes for StarterA in the #1 slot in the batting order. Sub1 gets on base and moves to second by StarterB's single. Offensive manager puts StarterA in for StarterB as a SPR at first base.
 
Ruling: Legal. Although StarterA and Sub1 (her substitute) appear to be in the lineup at the same time, they are not. Rule 7.14 states: "The player for whom the pinch runner runs is not subject to removal from the lineup." An SPR does not enter the lineup since the original runner wasn't removed from the lineup. The T10 (e) provision is inapplicable in this situation.
 
 

Softball Pitching Clarification

Please be advised that close attention is being paid to the pitching rules for tournament play. The rules from the Little League Rules Manual may not conform to other rule sets to which your pitchers may have been exposed and 8.01 (a) thru (v) should be reviewed.  You can expect adherence to these rules in District Tournament and as you advance on. Though your experience in pool play with local umpires may vary, prepare your pitchers for upper levels now rather than necessitate a correction at game time later in the tournament.

 
The pitcher must present the ball with her hands apart. Please note this interpretation that we received from Dr. Mike Lantiere, Eastern Region Asst. Umpire-in-Chief:

Question:

Softball Pitching 8.01 (e) and (f) describes presenting the ball prior to the pitch. With the hands separated (e) or when brought together (f), is the pitcher allowed to keep the ball "hidden" within the glove or must it be visibly "presented" to the batter the whole time?

If visible when the hands are separated, does the ball need to remain visible or may the pitch bury the ball in the glove when the hands are brought together? 

Response:

The ball does not have to be visible all the time, just in the initial presentation.  Once the hands come together and the pitcher begins her windup, the ball does not have to be in plain sight just as in baseball when the pitcher has the ball in the glove during the windup, concealed from the batter.

The pitcher needs to have her hands separated when she takes her position on the pitcher's plate: see (e), (k), (l) and (m). If the pitcher takes her position with her hands together, she cannot legally separate her hands to present (f) and then bring them back together (m). She should legally disengage with the pivot foot and step back on with her hands separated.

 

In the Rule (f) requirement to hold the ball in front of the body, the "front of the body" shall be read to mean any position which is not behind the pitcher's back. As long as the ball is visible, any position to the side or forward of the body is acceptable. The timing requirement to present in this manner is separate from the (g) requirement to bring the hands together.

The pitcher's requirement to pause is not related to bringing the hands together. She still must bring her hands together. However, she may do so and pause or she may simply touch her hands together. In bringing the hands together, the pitcher may place the ball in the glove or simply touch glove to ball; however she chooses.