Balks with younger kids

[umpire_scott]

So I did a 10U USSSA Illinois State Tournament DH this morning.  The rules were that each pitcher got one warning on balks and then after that it was to be called.  And the local rule was to kill the balks as in FED.  So the first game I'm on the bases, and my partner behind the plate is the son of the TD.  I get a balk warning on a kid for failure to pause.  Then I balk him later on failing to pause.  Then I bang a kid for the other team for the same thing.  First time it's a warning, second time I enforce it.  My partner did not call nor mirror any of my balks,  My gut is that he would have ignored all of them because they were 10 year olds.  I then balked a kid later (it was a warning thankfully) for stepping on top of the rubber when he stepped back rather than stepping behind it.  I then had another for a kid switching from the windup to the set without ever stepping off.  On this one since I knew it was a warning I actually waited for my partner (who was on the bases now) to call it.  The pitch is thrown and I issues the warning afterwards.  Then finally the last pitcher in the second game was swinging his glove arm.  Not dangling it but literally swinging from in front of this body to behind his body and then back.  I did not balk him because i was not 100% sure.  The coached on the other team did not complain.  I went out in between innings and asked what my partner thought.  His response was at 10U he'd prefer to let it go unless the other team has an issue with it.

 

This attitude has always bothered me because I think umpires look really bad if they wait for the other team to point out rules violations.

 

So my questions are how much leeway do you give 10 year olds, and what is your overall opinion on how you would have handled it.  It almost seems catch-22 to me.  If I call it I'm an OOO.  If I ignore it and the other coach points it out then I don't know the rules.

 

And I want to say all these balks were obvious no-brainers at higher levels.  The coach of one of the teams, and they each had an equal number of balks called, told me I did a great job on the balk calls.

[bam]

Balks with 10U? 

 

I had an AAU DH once, solo, where the coaches wanted me to call balks.  I asked them if they were sure, they said yes.

 

I called about half a dozen in the first inning.  They weren't very happy.  Be careful what you wish for.

 

I didn't have to call another one the rest of the DH.

[grayhawk]

I'd get the elephant balks and leave the little stuff alone.  No stop balk must be obvious.  Moving from windup to set without properly disengaging?  Depends on the situation.  Feint to first (or third) - definitely.  I wouldn't go looking for balks, which leaves me with calling the big ones when they happen.

[JaxRolo]

i'm working AAU Nationals Right Now at ESPN Wide World of Sports as part of the Florida Advanced Umpired Clinic. Lots of the games are 9 and 10U . They said we better not call balks unless we really had a monster balk.

[blue23ll]

These are 8 and 9 year old kids that are leading off base? 

[JaxRolo]

These are 8 and 9 year old kids that are leading off base?

yes. The reason we are working them is because they want to see us handle all the crazy things that happen at these age groups.

[BigUmpire]

Pitching is rhythm and repetition.

 

By not calling balks NOW they will groove bad habits and they could be ruined in the upper age groups when they get called.

 

Call them now.

[JaxRolo]

Pitching is rhythm and repetition. By not calling balks NOW they will groove bad habits and they could be ruined in the upper age groups when they get called. Call them now.

Dang coaches need to teach them not to balk whether we call them or not!

[CS-Blue]

I luckily haven't had many 9- or 10-year old games, but the few I have had have a set number of reasons to call a balk. If it isn't on the list, you don't call it. It covers most all the usual stuff:

 

 

(K) A violation of any of the following six pitching rules should be the only reason to call a balk in the 8- 12 year old age divisions.

(1) The pitcher, while touching his plate, makes any motion naturally associated with his pitch and fails to make such delivery(2) When a pitcher steps on the rubber before the set position, one hand must be at his/her side with the other hand free. The ball can be either in the bare hand or in the glove. (3) While in the set position, before going to the plate pitchers must hold the ball in both hands in front of his her body and come to a complete and discernible stop with both feet on the ground. A complete stop shall not be construed as occurring because of a change in direction of the hands and arms. However, the pitcher may throw to any base before or after the stop. The stop is necessary only before throwing to home plate. (4) While in the set position, a pitcher must step, with the foot that is not directly in contact with the rubber, directly to the base that he/she is throwing to. (5) While in the windup position, the pitcher must step back off the rubber with the foot in contact with the rubber, not free foot, before attempting to pick a runner off base. (6) While on the rubber, the pitcher fakes a throw to first base and does not complete the throw.

[BigUmpire]

95% of coaches could not pitch OR teach it AT ALL!

Leagues should retain a pro to work with young pitchers.

 

BUT that cost money and lots of leagues want to cut back on everthing BUT $200 bats, $150 gloves, $120 shoes soo nevermind.

[johnnyg08]

Coaches know that umpires in general, don't like to call balks.

In fact, some will teach their players to balk until they call it.

I don't work a lot of young youth baseball, I suppose at that level, they truly might not know what they're doing is illegal. At the youth level you can really play advantage/disadvantage when you're calling the balks.

I called four balks yesterday. I'm easily over 20 for the year. And these 20 balks are super obvious balks.

I had a motto this year that I was done w/ warnings just b/c it's too big of a slippery slope. I try to get them early though, if it's a relief pitcher tough...if I'm going to get a balk, I try to nab one early so they know we're going to be calling them.

[johnnyg08]

BUT that cost money and lots of leagues want to cut back on everthing BUT $200 bats, $150 gloves, $120 shoes soo nevermind.

Amen

[Stan W.]

many years ago, the Chief Umpire of the first league I ever worked with told us this axiom for calling balks with little kids................

 

Call 100% of all the balks everyone sees........

Call 50% of all the balks only us baseball folks see......

Call none of the balks only you see...................

 

He was quite a character..........old SAL league umpire, crotchedty old sob.........he would prowl the complex looking for violations of his pet mechanic......failure to point to the plate to denote a run scored.....lol......

 

"how the f!%$ is the press box to know when to count the run?".....................uh chief, but there isnt a press box on my field..........shut up smartass college boy..........its my fields and you'll umpire my way........i gave you that shirt, ill take it away.....smartass college boy..........