The pitcher takes his position on the pitching plate in an illegal "hybrid" position.

The pitcher takes his position on the pitching plate in an illegal "hybrid" position.

• A. Provided the pitcher has made no subsequent move since he took his position on the pitching plate, he may legally step back off the pitching plate with his pivot foot to change to a legal pitching position.
• B. Once the pitcher assumed this illegal position, he is not allowed to change to a legal position.
• C. The pitcher may continue to look toward home plate and deliver to the batter.
• D. The runner on base remains at his base.

Answer: (A)

The important idea here is that a pitcher who momentarily ends up in an illegal hybrid stance can fix it before delivering a pitch. If he hasn’t made any move to pitch yet, he may step off the pitching plate with his pivot foot and reset to a legal pitching position. This keeps the mechanics and timing clean and avoids an unnecessary penalty. Since no pitch has been delivered, the ball is not in play and the runner on base remains on his base. The other options would either lock him into an illegal setup, imply he can continue to throw from that stance, or ignore the opportunity to reset before the pitch.

The important idea here is that a pitcher who momentarily ends up in an illegal hybrid stance can fix it before delivering a pitch. If he hasn’t made any move to pitch yet, he may step off the pitching plate with his pivot foot and reset to a legal pitching position. This keeps the mechanics and timing clean and avoids an unnecessary penalty. Since no pitch has been delivered, the ball is not in play and the runner on base remains on his base. The other options would either lock him into an illegal setup, imply he can continue to throw from that stance, or ignore the opportunity to reset before the pitch.