The pitcher takes his position on the pitching plate with the toe of his pivot foot in front of a line extending through the front edge of the pitching plate and the heel of his pivot foot behind the back edge. His non-pivot foot is in front of the line extending through the front edge of the pitching plate.

• A. This is a legal set position.
• B. This is a legal windup position.
• C. This is an illegal pitching position.
• D. If no member of the opposing team complains, the umpire is to ignore the infraction.

Answer: (C)

The situation tests proper starting position on the pitching plate. A legal windup or set starts with the pitcher placing the pivot foot on the pitching plate so that the foot is properly on the rubber, and the other foot positioned within the designated area behind the front edge line. In this case, the pivot foot has its toe in front of the line through the front edge and its heel behind the back edge, while the non-pivot foot is in front of the front-edge line. This means the feet are not aligned within the legal boundaries of the rubber and the pivot foot isn’t correctly anchored on the plate. That combination violates where the feet must be placed at the start of the pitch, making the pitching position illegal.