![]() Women's baseball and softball are different from men's baseball in that pitchers usually do not wear batting helmets. In this case, she will need to learn to throw overhand. The exception to this rule is if a pitcher has "the gun" - an excess of muscle on her throwing shoulder that makes it difficult for her to throw straight. ![]() As they release the ball, they snap their wrists, causing the ball to go over the plate. The arm speed is therefore slow, around 100 mph (160 km/h). This is because when they shoot out a pitch, their arms are straight and their shoulders are relaxed. Greater than the elbow Aside from pitching, most women in softball toss overhand. Pitchers must throw underhanded according to softball regulations. By adding the windup, they were able to create more movement off the pitch and wear down the defense as the season went on. Before then, pitchers only had two ways to deliver the ball: over the plate or under it. In 1890, George Bradley invented the windup, which gave pitchers another advantage over hitters: control. This delivery method became known as the "ward shot" because it resembled what an angry husband would do to his wife if she got on his bad side. He had learned this technique from a former teammate who worked for a butcher shop and used it to pick up some extra cash by playing ball during lunch hours. The first recorded game using this type of pitching delivery was on April 19, 1869, when John Montgomery Ward of the Troy Trojans defeated the Chicago White Stockings 2-0 while standing on the pitcher's mound with his back to the batter's box. ![]() In fact, he called it "a perfect way to release the ball." An underhanded pitch has several advantages over an overhand one: it starts out with more speed and breaks away from the hitter at the end of its path. Pitching underhand is OK, according to an MLB umpire. If you violate this rule, you could be charged with assault.Īre you allowed to pitch underhand in baseball? One such rule is that no one can throw at any player on their team with intent to injure. Since all fields are unique, there are some rules that apply to everyone on them. For example, an overhand throw may look nice and smooth, but it also means that the ball comes out of your hand quickly, making it more likely to get hit by a bat. Some people think this difference isn't important, but it actually makes a huge difference when trying to control a moving object as small as a ball. This is different from how most people throw or handball in those cases, your hand and arm move simultaneously when throwing or catching the ball. Underhand throwing means that when you throw the ball, your hand moves forward first, then your arm follows through after the ball is released. This is part of what makes pitching so difficult a sport there are so many rules regarding how you can and cannot handle the ball that it's easy for players to get confused or go against type just to be able to say they did. Is a softball pitcher only allowed to pitch the ball underhand?Įvery other player on the softball diamond can throw the ball overhand if they like, but the pitcher must always deliver the ball underhand to a batter. In conclusion, there is no rule against throwing the ball sideways, but major league coaches say that it is not recommended. However, many major league pitchers report that they are still able to compete at a high level into their late 30s and early 40s by using this method. ![]() The repetitive motion of pitching with your side causes muscle fatigue and can lead to injury if used too frequently. Major league coaches claim that this style of pitching hurts your arm over time. ![]() As a result, many minor league pitchers use some type of sideways delivery. Minor leaguers are not allowed to wear face masks, so they tend to throw harder than their major league counterparts. That said, most major league pitchers throw with their arm fully extended behind them, which means that they are throwing over the top of the ball. In fact, many consider it advantageous for certain types of pitchers to throw with their side in order to get more movement on their pitch. In the big leagues, numerous sidearm pitchers and a few of submarine (underhand) throwers have had varied degrees of success. Zach, brace yourself: there is no regulation requiring a baseball pitcher to deliver the ball overhand. ![]()
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