Pitching rubber's moving back

FORT DODGE - Three more feet in two years. Or maybe next year.The National Federation of State High School Associations has mandated that all states implement a 43-foot pitching distance, effective the 2010-11 school year.Iowa is one of a few states that uses a 40-foot distance for pitchers, and three of those states are making the switch in 2010, according to Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union assistant director Joel Oswald.All college levels use a 43-foot distance, as does ASA.“We will make that change in 2011, and after the softball coaches' committee meets in September, we'll decide on whether we want to make the change next year,” Oswald said.The NFHS, Oswald said, is making the adjustment “to bring more offense to the high school level.“Our fear is that for the first few years, we'll see 12-11 games instead of 2-1 games,” he said. “We thought a reason for the change might be safety considerations, but research shows there's really no difference.”