The fluttering glove

[Richvee]

F1 stretches and comes set. Everything is stopped, except he's got that glove "fluttering". Not wildly, almost more like "vibrating" or a consistent twitching.

Does this need to completely stop before he begins his motion to pitch? ( no stop balk?) 

[maven]

10 minutes ago, Richvee said:

Does this need to completely stop before he begins his motion to pitch? ( no stop balk?) 

By rule, yes.

In practice, if it's part of him adjusting the ball, I'd allow it.

If it's a neurological thing, I'd allow it (I once umpired a game where F1 had Tourette's, and his tics made him twitch in the set — after the offense figured out that I wasn't going to call it, everyone ignored it and the game proceeded without incident).

If it's just a wiggling glove and I "can see it," I'd address it. If it doesn't stop, I'd balk it.

Obviously, this is more a game management issue than a rules issue. We all know that game management can turn on 100 variables, and I've mentioned only a few. I doubt that one size fits all here.

[Richvee]

6 minutes ago, maven said:

By rule, yes.

In practice, if it's part of him adjusting the ball, I'd allow it.

If it's a neurological thing, I'd allow it (I once umpired a game where F1 had Tourette's, and his tics made him twitch in the set — after the offense figured out that I wasn't going to call it, everyone ignored it and the game proceeded without incident).

If it's just a wiggling glove and I "can see it," I'd address it. If it doesn't stop, I'd balk it.

Obviously, this is more a game management issue than a rules issue. We all know that game management can turn on 100 variables, and I've mentioned only a few. I doubt that one size fits all here.

That was pretty much what I figured. That's another way you could describe it....adjusting the ball in the glove....but certainly more than "momentary" adjustment. I was BU and I did discreetly tell him in between batters he needed to stop the glove from moving to be set. It did the trick. 

[VolUmp]

I've seen this fluttering quite often, and I wouldn't describe it EVER as momentarily adjusting the ball (such as Jim Evans describes in his reknowned BALK video).  It's frustrating to me, but I have to say I handled it as Maven suggested, although not with the same attitude.