Pitching Rules

 PITCHING

• The pitcher’s zone is two feet wide with quick access to the pitching screen. The ball must be slow-pitched, and the arc of the ball must be between six and twelve feet. The pitcher must keep at least one foot on the pitching rubber (at Melas Park it's the closer of the 2 painted pitching rubbers - which is 49' from home plate) until the ball is released. Hesitation moves are not permitted. Spinning or knuckling is permitted. 
• After a pitcher releases the ball, he is required to get positioned behind the pitching net for protection.
• The pitching screen is employed to protect the pitcher, not as an extra fielder. To ensure pitcher protection, the screen must be positioned so that at least some part of the screen's base touches the pitching rubber or is on a plane no more than 3 feet in front of the rubber.
• The pitcher must get behind the net. He is not eligible to field the ball. If he does, a base hit is awarded to the batter. There are 2 exceptions - the pitcher may field a pop-up or a ' swinging bunt'.
• For each at bat, if the batted ball hits the net; the first hit is 'a mulligan' - no play. Subsequent net hits are considered a strike.
• We use a strike zone mat that includes home plate. A legal pitch that hits any part of the strike zone mat is a strike, where the arc was between 6 and 12 feet..  
• If a pitch is illegal, the umpire will call “illegal” before the pitch crosses the plate. The batter may swing at an illegal pitch. If there is no swing, the pitch is called a ball. If the batter swings that overrules the 'illegal' call and swing results are effective.
•  Each pitcher begins facing new batters with a 0-1 count, no balls and one strike. (An exception is made for a game with three teams where the count starts 1-1.) The batter is out on any third strike. This includes a foul ball after two strikes.  
• Pitchers are encouraged to wear a face mask.