New pitching distance introduced in softball this year

It remains to be seen whether you'll see more offense in high school softball this summer.

But there's little debate as to whether there will be more action.

Last year, the National Federation of High Schools mandated that all states abide by the 43-foot pitching distance by 2011; the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union softball advisory chose not to wait, and will implement the change this season.

Iowa had previously used a 40-foot pitching distance.

What will be the impact of 3 more feet? Depends who you ask.

“I think it's going to be a big deal. It's going to be more like the college game,” said Kevin Schuchmann, coach at West Delaware. “You're going to see more home runs. In spring ball, I've seen two balls go out in parks that I've never seen one go out.”

A pitcher with better-than-average velocity can throw 60 miles per hour. At that rate, it would take the ball 0.455 seconds to reach the plate from 40 feet away.

From 43 feet, that same pitch will take 0.489 seconds.

“A 60-mile-an-hour fastball will seem like 56,” Schuchmann said. “And anybody can hit a 56-mile-an-hour fastball.

“A power pitcher isn't going to bully her way through a lineup any more.”

Cedar Rapids Jefferson pitcher Hannah Petersen said, “As a batter, I do see the ball better now. As a pitcher, you've just got to adjust. It gives the batter more time to react, but it also gives the pitcher more of an opportunity for her ball to move.”

Translation: The added 3 feet will give the batter an extra split-second to catch up to the fireballer, but will give the offspeed ace longer for her ball to rise, drop, curve or whatever.

“I'm kind of a junk pitcher, so I think it will help me,” said Katie Naber, Petersen's teammate at Jefferson. “There'll be more time for the ball to spin.”

Mount Vernon Coach Gary Stamp saw that all winter with pitcher Emily Stoner.

“Her ball is moving more,” Stamp said. “I think this will help us more than some teams. We haven't had a dominant strikeout pitcher anyway. Teams that are used to striking out 12 to 15 kids a game, they'll have to rely more on their defense.”

Clear Creek Amana Coach Jim White said some of the game's details will change.

“Base-stealing, adding that extra split-second (from the rubber to the plate), it's going to be more difficult to throw runners out,” he said. “And I'm a little worried about the lower levels. Are they going to be strong enough to get the ball there at 43 feet?”

Again, it comes down to adjustment.

“Until we were 12-and-under, we pitched from 35 feet,” Petersen said. “We had to adjust to 40. Now we'll have to adjust to 43.”

Common sense would dictate that the games will become higher-scoring and longer.

But how much?

“From a national perspective, the Federation has said that the change will cause more offense,” said IGHSAU assistant director Joel Oswald. “The defense will be more involved. There will be fewer strikeouts and more balls put into play.

“We'll gather data over the next couple of years and see what the impact is.”

White said, “Personally, I like a 1-0 or 2-0 game. But the game is going to be just fine. If it's a 3-2 game and it's well-played, there's not going to be much difference.”