Pitcher Balk

[tbuck18]

Question:

The pitcher (right handed) with a runner on base in the set position steps off (right foot first) but instead of going back behind the rubber with his foot step off he steps off going forward with his foot in front of the rubber.  Please confirm this is a balk under MLB rules ; NFHS rules and NCAA Rules

thanks

[mstaylor]

Double confirmed, change your term from stepping off to disengaging. To legally disengage he has to step back. 

[noumpere]

Confirmed  (other than a quibble over using the word step off to describe what he did. Step Off by definition can only be backwards)

 

(And I am assuming you are not describing the beginning of a jab step that then continues with a throw to first etc.)

[JaxRolo]

Triple!

[Scratch Franzeo]

So, are we done here?

[mstaylor]

Looks like it. <br /><br />Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2<br /><br />

[Jimurray]

Question:

The pitcher (right handed) with a runner on base in the set position steps off (right foot first) but instead of going back behind the rubber with his foot step off he steps off going forward with his foot in front of the rubber.  Please confirm this is a balk under MLB rules ; NFHS rules and NCAA Rules

thanks

To add a wrinkle. Was the ball live?

[umpstu]

Another wrinkle, was it in Australia?

[afaber12]

I agree that you're supposed to disengage by stepping backwards off the rubber. But I can't see where the penalty for disengaging by stepping forwards with the pivot foot is a ball. For that matter I can't see any penalty for doing it this way. Maybe I'm just suffering the effects of walking around all day in the sun, with vaguely smoke-y/ash-y and mid-30s (Celsius) temperatures, but this doesn't seem to be a balk to me.

[Thunderheads]

Let's not get stupid with this kids, .... the OP is solved by definition, right?!

[noumpere]

I agree that you're supposed to disengage by stepping backwards off the rubber. But I can't see where the penalty for disengaging by stepping forwards with the pivot foot is a ball.

I don't see where anyone said it was a ball, nor where the OP asked if it was a ball.  Let me be clear, it is NOT a ball. (Well, maybe in FED with no runners.)

[mstaylor]

It is in Fed only.  If you have runners and step forward, that's a balk, improper disengagement. 

[afaber12]

I did mean "balk" not "ball". Clearly auto-correct isn't that big a fan of baseball...

[noumpere]

I did mean "balk" not "ball". Clearly auto-correct isn't that big a fan of baseball...

Well, that makes more sense.  8.01b and e make it clear that the pitcher must disengage by stepping backwards.  You are correct that theres not a specific statement that says "stepping forward with the pivot foot is a balk" but it is - so I guess it might be one of the hundreds of errors Evans has identified.  You can get there by calling it a step to a base or a motion to pitch or heck, if he goes ahead and pitches an illegal pitch.  Just call it.