Legal pitch?

[dan]

Is it legal for a right-handed pitcher to stand with his left foot on the right end of the pitcher's plate, extend his right foot as far to the right as possible, and pitch with his arm almost in a sidearm position, so that the ball is coming more from the shortstop's position rather than directly from the center of the pitcher's plate?

Fastpitch rules say the pitcher's wrist can be no farther from his body than his elbow, but slowpitch rules do not spell out the details of a legal pitch. The word "underhand" is used, but no definition of underhand is given. When does underhand become sidearm?

 

[hitless45]

Of course it is. Now I believe I've read in utrip there is some sort of rule about angle of arm/elbow at release or something like that. I would always stand on different parts of pitchers plate, most of the time with my left foot on right edge and leaning out as much as possible but I didn't necessarily throw side armed. In asa/usa

 

[eddieq]

Speaking USA softball, the lack of detail is your friend. If it's not listed as prohibited then it's permitted.

In Rule 6C (Pitching Regulations Slow Pitch), Section 3 (Legal Delivery) you have all of the "thou shalt" types of things. Paragraph E says,

The pivot foot shall remain in contact with the pitcher’s plate until the pitched ball
leaves the hand. If a step is taken, it may be forward, backward, or to the side,
provided the pivot foot remains in contact with the pitcher’s plate and the step is
simultaneous with the release of the ball.

So that's what is the limitations put on the step. Stay in contact with the pitching plate, step (or not) but any step needs to be simultaneous with the ball release.

Utrip is way more permissible with the dancing organ grinder monkey motions you're allowed to do. USA just says (and I'm paraphrasing the rest of 6C.3 here) to pitch the ball toward home plate on the first forward motion of the arm and from the pitching hand side in a continuous motion without stopping or reversing the motion and if you step, do it at the same time the ball is released.

 

[EAJuggalo]

It's umpires judgement whether the ball was pitched in an "underhand motion" (USA) or a "definite underhand motion" (USSSA). The guideline given to us from the top in USSSA is that hand can't be outside the elbow when the pitch is released. I generally don't call it that way, my line is usually an "I know it when I see it." I'll allow outside the elbow but that hand better be quite a bit lower than the elbow when the ball is released. I called it illegal in a USA Super last weekend and I've called it on Mooch in Conference USSSA.
Positioning wise, as long as you're in contact with the pitcher's plate with one foot, it doesn't matter where the other one is. Many right handed pitchers set up on the 3B side of the plate, hang way out there and try to catch the front corner of the plate while landing the ball in the left handed batter's box. If they clip that corner, it's a strike. Also means you can have a pitch that lands directly behind the plate that is a ball because it went around the plate.