DoIneedGlasses??

How is it technically legal? I'm confused how it's technically legal? The step is nowhere near directly to the base being thrown to and clearly associated with the motion to pitch for a right handed pitcher. The step eventually has the techical distance and eventual direction needed, but is not a direct step toward the base. It's not like a lefty the same leg lift may be necessary to throw to first or home.

I'm looking for some input on this. I've attached a video of a pick off move my brother-in-law is teaching his son. It looks like an obvious balk to me, but he says he went to a Little League Umpire training and they said it was legal. Then we asked our local district UIC and he said the same thing. I've been playing baseball for 30+ years and I'm still stealing bases at age 46, but I've never seen anything like this move or I think I would have been picked off so many times I'd never try again. Please tell me what you think. Thanks, IMG_0260.MOV

Had a kid walk with the bases loaded to end the game this evening. However, instead of walking to first he turned high five his teammates as they came rushing out of the dugout. His coach yelled at him to run down to first and the opposing coach came out yelling "He's out!" I didn't call him out and said he didn't give up his right to touch first, which he turned and did eventually. In any case, I told the coach after the game that he didn't make a proper appeal by throwin the ball to first. Someone else pointed out that his teammates helped turn him around and therefore it should have been called interference and the runner out without an appeal. Seems so simple to just walk down to first...lol, but some kids just don't think at age 12. Any comments whether I was right or did I miss something?

Thank you !!!! Woo Hoo. I knew I saw this somewhere but just couldn't track it down. I would agree that it reads like two feet need to be out and that's why it's so universally called this way. Too bad I didn't come here sooner...could have saved myself hours of scouring....lol.

mstaylor, thanks for the response, but I'm not sure we're discussing the same thing. I'm not talking about the ball that comes straight off the bat and down to the batters foot which may or may not be technically in fair terrritory. I'm more concerned about the situation where after contacting the ball, the batter takes his first step out of the box and clearly in fair territory in front of the plate. His other foot is still in the box when the ball hits his front foot. I keep reading posts that it's a fool ball by rule since he's not out of the box. I know there are some leagues (I believe FED rules are one) which give a clear example or sets it out in the rule that the batter must be out of the box or it's a foul ball, but nowhere in the LL rules is that set out. It seems like all that is necessary in LL is for the batted ball to be in fair territory when the batter touches it regardless of whether or not the batter is compeletely out of the box. I'm not trying to be nit-picky (sp), but there are clearly different rules for different leagues and often it becomes a big fuss when umpires call it the same way across leagues when the rule may actually be different. I'm just trying to find a rules based justification for not calling an out in the situation I laid out above in a LL game, that goes beyond..."Well, that's just the way we call it". And opposed to the "ball resting in the fair corner of the batter's box" which does occur rarely, kids will often be struck or step on the ball as they step out of the box on a bunt attempt or even the ever enjoyable swinging bunt. Thanks again,

No offense guys, but no one answered his question and it's been driving me crazy because I've been looking for this answere for the past three hours.... Where are the protections in the "batter's box" spelled out in the rules. As far as I've read it the rule in 605 (f) states the batter is out if a fair ball touches said batter before before touching a fielder. It makes no reference to the batter being in or out of the box. I know there are different levels of baseball which provide examples and delineate that one or both feet must be out of the box, but I could not find it set out anywhere in the LL rule book. I realize I must be missing something, but please just give me a citation ....lol. Thanks....looking forward to some sleep...lol