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 Changing the Rules Chronology of Changes to Major League Baseball Official Rules Table 8: Changes to Rule 8 |
| Table 8. Changes to Rule 8 (The Pitcher) | ||
| DATE | RULE CHANGE | Rule |
| 1858 | The pitcher is allowed to make a short run in his delivery. | 8.01 |
| 1863 | The pitcher is not permitted to take even a step in his delivery. Both feet must be on the ground when he releases the ball. | 8.01 |
| 1867 | Pitchers are allowed to take as many steps as they like in their delivery. | 8.01 |
| 1872 | The pitcher is allowed to snap the ball during delivery, but he's restricted to a below-the-waist motion. | 8.01 |
| 1879 | The pitcher is required to face the batter when he pitches. | 8.01 |
| 1883 | Pitching is allowed from anywhere up to shoulder height. | 8.01 |
| 1884 | Almost all restrictions on a pitcher's motion are lifted. He may throw the ball with virtually any motion he chooses, provided that his delivery is not higher than his shoulders and he is facing the batter at the moment of wind-up. He is allowed only one step before delivery. | 8.01 |
| 1887 | . A pitcher must keep one foot on the rear line of the box and may not take more than one step in delivering the ball. Before delivery he must hold the ball in front of him so that it is visible to the umpire. | 8.01 |
| 1893 | The pitcher is required to place his rear foot against the slab. | 8.01 |
| 1898 | . The first official balk rule: a pitcher is compelled to throw to a base if he makes a motion in that direction. | 8.05 |
| 1899 | The balk rule is refined: a pickoff throw may not be faked; a pitcher must complete his motion. | 8.05 |
| 1908 | Pitchers are forbidden to scuff or soil a new ball. | 8.02 |
| 1920 | The abolition of the spitball, with a "grandfather clause": each team is allowed to appoint two spitball pitchers for the 1920 season. | 8.02 |
| 1921 | Another grandfather clause in the spitball rule: eight National League and nine American League pitchers are officially designated as spitball pitchers and allowed to use the spitter for the rest of their careers. | 8.02 |
| 1925 | Pitchers are allowed to use a rosin bag. | 8.02E |
| 1939 | The pitcher is allowed to have his free foot in front of or behind the rubber, with his pivot foot in front of or on the rubber (but always in contact with it). | 8.01 |
| 1940 | The pitcher is permitted to take two steps-one forward, one backward-as long as his pivot foot remains in contact with the rubber at all times. | 8.01 |
| 1940 | It is a balk if a pitcher throws or fakes a throw to an unoccupied base. | 8.02 |
| 1955 | When a base is occupied, a pitcher must deliver the pitch within twenty seconds of receiving it from the catcher. If he fails to do so, the umpire may call a ball. | 8.04 |
| 1968 | If a pitcher "goes to his mouth" with men on base, a balk is declared. If the bases are empty, a ball is called. | 8.02 |
| 1974 | Umpires may declare illegal pitches without any physical evidence. If they think that the motion of the ball indicates that the pitcher is throwing a spitter or a defaced ball, they may issue a warning and, if it happens a second time, eject a pitcher from the game. | 8.02 |
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