Picking off a runner

[Guest John roberts]

Right handed pitcher in the wind up.  Runner at 1st.  Pitcher simple takes left foot (free foot) steps toward first base in an attempt to pick off runner at first (right foot (pivot foot) still engaged with rubber). What's the call?

[grayhawk]

3 minutes ago, Guest John roberts said:

Right handed pitcher in the wind up.  Runner at 1st.  Pitcher simple takes left foot (free foot) steps toward first base in an attempt to pick off runner at first (right foot (pivot foot) still engaged with rubber). What's the call?

OBR and NCAA:  Legal play as long as he throws.

NFHS:  Balk.  R1 to second.

[pnewton]

Depends on what rules were being used. Legal in obr (the pro rules but also the basis for most major youth programs), a balk in Fed (high school rules, used by some youth programs). I don't know about NCAA rules but I doubt you were using those.

[Senor Azul]

From the 2016 BRD (section 421, p. 281):

FED:  The pitcher may not attempt to pickoff from the windup position. (6-1-2) PENALTY:  balk.

NCAA:  From the windup position the pitcher may attempt a pickoff (9-1a-1b) if he steps directly with his non-pivot foot toward the base before throwing (9-1a-6), gains ground with the step (9-1c), and has not begun any “natural pitching motion” before the step. (9-1a-3)

OBR:  Same as NCAA. (5.07a-1 Comment B)

[Jimurray]

15 hours ago, grayhawk said:

OBR and NCAA:  Legal play as long as he throws.

NFHS:  Balk.  R1 to second.

@grayhawk, Great to hear you're on the road to recovery. I lost my WUM. I believe you still have one. Am I recalling correctly that Wendelstedt had another restriction for a windup pitcher picking off?  Some thing about he couldn't do it if he was bringing his arms together to a stop.

[Jimurray]

On 8/14/2018 at 10:58 AM, Jimurray said:

@grayhawk, Great to hear you're on the road to recovery. I lost my WUM. I believe you still have one. Am I recalling correctly that Wendelstedt had another restriction for a windup pitcher picking off?  Some thing about he couldn't do it if he was bringing his arms together to a stop.

Found it. It was an NCAA Thurston interp from 1992 in the BRD. If your pitcher winds up by bringing his hands together to a stop he can not pick off while his hands are moving. It existed in my 2011 BRD. I would think it does not exist in @Senor Azul's 2016 BRD. BTW I have another BRD question for @Senor Azul in a CCS thread.