By Staff
Athletic Management, 18.4, June/July 2006, http://www.momentummedia.com/articles/am/am1804/wumovingback.htm
With only 40 feet between herself and the opposing batter, high school softball pitchers don’t have a lot of time to react to a line drive. That’s why the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) experimentally moved the mound back this season to 43 feet.
“The idea is to give the pitcher a little more reaction time,” says Jamie Watkins, Softball Administrator for the FHSAA. “It will hopefully cut down on the number of injuries to pitchers.”
Roger Mathews, Head Softball Coach at Lincoln Park Academy in Fort Pierce, says the rule change has altered the game slightly. “Strength-wise, my senior pitcher needed a little longer to get into form this season, since she was used to throwing from 40 feet and now had to reach 43,” he says. “It also seemed like batters were able to time the pitches a little bit better. Pitchers weren’t able to strike out quite as many batters and more runs were scored.
“There has been a little adjusting,” he continues, “but all in all I haven’t heard any complaints.”
The NFHS allowed the FHSAA to implement the rule on an experimental basis and it is now surveying coaches, athletic directors, and officials in the state for their reactions. So far, Watkins says the feedback has been very positive. “I’ve talked to a lot of coaches and officials already,” she says. “There hasn’t been a big change in game length or an increase in scoring. No one has had anything negative to say thus far.”