Balk Rule

[umpire_scott]

Was doing a 10U select tourney over the weekend. Had a kid do something peculiar on the mound (what a shock). In attempting a pick off to first base he slid his pivot foot slightly forward and slightly towards third base then turned his body and stepped towards first base to throw. As it was 10U we did not balk it.  My partner and I talked about it afterwards. I was not sure it was a balk.  He indicated it was because his first move was with his pivot foot and it wasn't backwards off the pitching plate.

(A) Is this accurate?

(B) what rule verbiage supports this?

I looked in 2018 OBR handbook and could not find verbiage to support this.  I thought it looked clunky and sloppy, but wasn't sure that it was a balk.

[Gfoley4]

sounds like a jab step to me. It's considered a move on the rubber, so he has to complete the throw. I suppose if it's clearly two distinct motions, you could grab the balk for not properly disengaging. Not sure if there's an exact rule cite on this

 

Kyle Hendricks is a master of this, although you can argue that some of these are the "balk move" by moving the free foot first. https://www.cubsinsider.com/2017/09/04/watch-kyle-hendricks-pickoff-montage-updated/

[noumpere]

The vast majority of RH pitchers make this "jab step" move when throwing to first.  It shouldn't be peculiar at all (except, I suppose, to the rawest umpires who stillbelive the literal reading of the rule book -- and, I get that it's unclear in this case).

And, the strong minority of RH pitchers use the "jump turn" when making a move toward first.  In fact, making a move without moving the pivot foot is so rare, that some now think THIS move is a balk.

[umpire_scott]

I think what made it peculiar looking was the sloppiness and methodical nature of the move.  The kid was very slow in going from moving his pivot foot to then stepping towards first.  It just looked funky.

[Rich Ives]

33 minutes ago, umpire_scott said:

I think what made it peculiar looking was the sloppiness and methodical nature of the move.  The kid was very slow in going from moving his pivot foot to then stepping towards first.  It just looked funky.

The kid is 10. Don't expect him to have perfected the move.

 

[umpire_scott]

42 minutes ago, Rich Ives said:

The kid is 10. Don't expect him to have perfected the move.

 

Agreed.  I didn't think it was a balk.