Balk or legal?

[Yankees447]

Runner on 1st, pitcher in stretch mode. If pitcher disengages his foot from the rubber, can he fake the throw to 1st or does he have to complete the throw? Once he steps off the rubber he's another infielder, correct?

[grayhawk]

Runner on 1st, pitcher in stretch mode. If pitcher disengages his foot from the rubber, can he fake the throw to 1st or does he have to complete the throw? Once he steps off the rubber he's another infielder, correct?

 

Correct.  No balk if he does not complete the throw after legally disengaging.  Legally disengaging means stepping backward with the pivot foot behind the rubber.

[UmpJM]

^What grayhawk said.

 

JM

[noumpere]

While I agree with both of the above, be sure that the pitcher has disengaged (stepped back off the rubber) and not just started the jab step move.  Some people think that's "disengaging" but it isn't and the pitcher must throw.

 

Also, by rule the pivot foot must land before the hands are separated.  Its not often called quite that strictly but maybe you ran into an umpire who saw it differently or was more strict than others.

[maven]

While I agree with both of the above, be sure that the pitcher has disengaged (stepped back off the rubber) and not just started the jab step move.  Some people think that's "disengaging" but it isn't and the pitcher must throw.

 

Also, by rule the pivot foot must land before the hands are separated.  Its not often called quite that strictly but maybe you ran into an umpire who saw it differently or was more strict than others.

 

I saw a HS crew pass on this balk last weekend. F1 did a jump step, with the pivot landing behind the rubber and the free foot moving toward 1B, and didn't throw. That's a feint to 1B and a balk in every code.

[LMSANS]

My partner and I missed this our first weekend out this year in a Varsity scrimmage. ..jab step and no throw. AC on first asked if the rule had changed.

My question. ..we got caught sleeping, AC calls it, should we then call it even though it will look like we are calling because the coach called it?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

[sdix00]

I would have no issue enforcing an elephant balk if I missed it and the coach called me on it. 

[UmpJM]

Concur with dix.

 

If you do decide to "retroactively" call an obvious balk that you "missed", it might be a good idea to let the OTHER coach know before you announce it to everybody. As a courtesy. "Tom, We just kicked that one and we're going to fix it. I apologize for the poor mechanics on that one."

 

JM