Pitching questions

Question
1.  Must a pitcher BEGIN his pitching stance with one foot on the rubber or can he start with a "walk up" from behind the mound as long as he RELEASES the pitch with a push off the rubber?

2.  We encountered a pitcher with a "herky-jerky" motion where, with pitching hand and ball held in glove, he proceeded to sway his arms to and fro, then brought his pitching arm back to release the ball.  Legal or illegal?

Answer
1. A pitcher must be motionless and in contact with the rubber prior to the pitch.

2. Any forward movement towards the hitter that occurs after the hands separate can not be stopped or reversed.  I can't really visualize what you are talking about but I think you have enough information to determine if the pitch is legal.

Tom