Pitching Rules

 PITCHING

• The pitcher’s zone is two feet wide with quick access to pitching screen. The ball must be slowpitched, 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 is 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. 
• 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 base of the screen touches or is in line with the pitching rubber, not to exceed 3 feet in front of pitching rubber.
• 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. 
• 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.