Balk?

[MT73]

Pitcher in set position and in one motion steps back from the rubber and throws to first.

Did not step to first.

Does the step off relieve him of the need to gain distance and direction?

Balk?

[dmills]

Did his pivot foot hit the ground before his hands started to separate? If yes then he legally disengaged. If no, then it's a balk.

[Jimurray]

2 hours ago, dmills said:

Did his pivot foot hit the ground before his hands started to separate? If yes then he legally disengaged. If no, then it's a balk.

That would be technically correct in FED and NCAA. But in real time most of us would not perceive when the foot landed as the hands separated. But how did he throw to first without stepping somewhere after doing all that?

[MT73]

I have seen this in the younger divisions.

They step back and throw to first---not hard to do in a 50/70 game.

Is it legal?

[maven]

I have seen this in the younger divisions.
They step back and throw to first---not hard to do in a 50/70 game.
Is it legal?

As dmills pointed out, this is a judgment call. If you judge it to be a legal disengagement, then it's legal. Otherwise, it would be a no step balk.

[noumpere]

11 hours ago, MT73 said:

Pitcher in set position and in one motion steps back from the rubber and throws to first.

Did not step to first.

Does the step off relieve him of the need to gain distance and direction?

Balk?

The confusion might come from what you call "step back" (and, not that the rules matter, but telling us RH or LH might help us (or at least me) picture this)

 

EDIT:  I think you answered some of this in another thread -- so -- by rule, the pivot foot must land before the hands separate.  In practice, if it's all one move and the pivot foot moves before the hands separate, it's almost universally judged as legal.

[MT73]

Right handed pitcher in the set.

In one motion he steps backwards off the rubber and, in the same motion--and without any foot motion towards 1B-- he throws to first base for a pickoff.

[noumpere]

15 minutes ago, MT73 said:

Right handed pitcher in the set.

In one motion he steps backwards off the rubber and, in the same motion--and without any foot motion towards 1B-- he throws to first base for a pickoff.

If by "backwards" you mean "behind the rubber in a line from home to 2B" then my previous answer applies.

If by "backwards" you mean "toward first" (backwards relative to F1), then it's illegal.

(I'm having trouble envisioning a pitcher do this to a base "behind" him, but I'll take your word for it.)

[MT73]

11 hours ago, noumpere said:

If by "backwards" you mean "behind the rubber in a line from home to 2B" then my previous answer applies.

If by "backwards" you mean "toward first" (backwards relative to F1), then it's illegal.

(I'm having trouble envisioning a pitcher do this to a base "behind" him, but I'll take your word for it.)

Yes-- your first answer applies.

[Tborze]

To answer your question, yes, if he stepped off legally. 

I am invisioning a lefty who does this, hands separate as his foot is coming off the rubber and is throwing as his foot touches the ground, balk.