That's a balk! (back leg break)

[Thunderheads]

http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=30066463&query=balk

[Mudder]

Please explain this one

[Welpe]

You can see it at 0:42. He pauses very briefly and then starts rocking his legs.

 

I don't think I like that one at any level I'm working. He seems to be settling into his set still.

[Richvee]

Tough one. Looks like U3 made the call. And Hawk's partner seemed to have a clue on the ruling! 

[hbk314]

Tough one. Looks like U3 made the call. And Hawk's partner seemed to have a clue on the ruling! 

 

Looks like the third base coach was all over it too.

[zoops]

Pretty obvious balk in slow-mo, but you'd definitely have to be alert to catch that one.

[spiritump]

You can see it at 0:42. He pauses very briefly and then starts rocking his legs.

 

I don't think I like that one at any level I'm working. He seems to be settling into his set still.

 

 not calling it at the level your working ??  why ?  how are the players to learn that they did  something wrong.  Is it not a balk?? 

[Mudder]

You can see it at 0:42. He pauses very briefly and then starts rocking his legs.

 

I don't think I like that one at any level I'm working. He seems to be settling into his set still.

 

 not calling it at the level your working ??  why ?  how are the players to learn that they did  something wrong.  Is it not a balk??

Even in slow mo I still don't see both legs come still and then move again, I see movement in one leg or the other the whole time. As you say I just see him slowly settling into his set still.

[JHSump]

I gather the balk occurs before all that "settling into his set" movement.

 

Watching the clip from the beginning: He starts out completely still, hands apart, taking the signs.  Then he starts to go into his set by breaking his back leg/knee.  But he pauses momentarily, then continues by raising his hands, etc.

 

It's that break of the back leg (as the OP title says) with the pause, which appears to be the balk.

[Replacematt]

I think the only one this can get that with any confidence is U3. U2 and PU each have a hard angle seeing both legs, and U1 can't see the hands. I'm not balking this as U1, even though I can see the pause, because I can't see if he actually did totally stop.

[Mudder]

But he pauses momentarily, then continues by raising his hands, etc.

Yes now I see it, the very brief pause, at the .40 mark