Crow Hop
A crow hop is an illegal pitching motion in which the pitcher replants the pivot foot after the initial push-off, effectively relaunching and gaining an unfair advantage in distance or momentum.
Legal fast-pitch lets the pivot foot drag along the ground, and current USA Softball (2022) and NFHS rules also permit leaping. This means an airborne pivot foot. This means as long as the foot does not replant and push again. A crow hop replants the foot. This creates an extra launch point closer to the plate. It is frequently called when pitchers try to generate additional velocity and is penalized as an illegal pitch. Understanding it matters for pitchers learning proper drag mechanics — the legal equivalent of generating drive while keeping the foot in contact.
Practice dragging a chalk line with your pivot foot during dry mechanics drills. As a result, you can feel and see the legal contact path on every repetition.
Study slow-motion film of your own delivery in particular at the moment of push-off to confirm your foot maintains ground contact through the drag. This means small mechanics errors compound under game stress.
Example
The pitcher lifts and replants her pivot foot before release; the umpire calls an illegal pitch, awarding a ball to the batter.
How it shows up on video
From a side-angle video you will see the pivot foot lift clearly off the ground and land forward of its original position before the arm reaches the release point. This means a telltale second push rather than a continuous drag. The pitcher's hip will shift noticeably closer to the plate between the initial push and the second plant. Umpires watch for this by tracking the gap between the foot and the ground during the delivery.
Common mistakes
- Lifting the heel rather than dragging it, creating a micro-hop that umpires still call as illegal
- Confusing aggressive legal drive-and-drag with an illegal crow hop and becoming overly cautious, losing velocity
- Not practicing the legal drag motion in particular, defaulting to a jump as the body seeks more momentum
- Coaches missing the crow hop on slow-motion review because the foot barely leaves the ground
In SwingVantage Motion Lab
Motion Lab uses ground contact analysis on the pivot foot frame-by-frame to distinguish a legal drag from an illegal replant. This helps pitchers stay fast without the penalty.
Frequently asked questions
What is the penalty for a crow hop?
It is called an illegal pitch. This means under current rules a ball is awarded to the batter. The automatic one-base runner advance no longer applies in most rule sets.
Can a pitcher still generate high velocity with a legal drag?
Yes — a powerful legal push-off with continuous drag generates comparable velocity to a crow hop while remaining within the rules.
Related terms
- Push-Off – PitchingThe push-off is the initial drive of the pivot foot against the pitching rubber, converting leg power into forward body momentum at the start of the windmill delivery.
- WindmillThe windmill is the underhand fast-pitch delivery in which the arm makes a full 360° circle before release, generating the velocity and movement-pitch deception that define the game.
- Arm CircleThe arm circle is the full 360° rotation of the pitching arm around the shoulder joint that defines the fast-pitch windmill delivery and stores elastic energy for release.
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