Thread: 39 ways to balk
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Old Mon Jun 30, 2003, 10:34am
jicecone jicecone is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2001
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WOW, are we up to 39? These may or may not, be applicable to Colt League rules, depending upon your League.

In "THE UMPIRE'S ANSWER BOOK" by Carl Childress, April 1990 and edited by Tom Hammill, there are listed 30 ways that high school pitchers could balk. Some are also balks in Pro and College rules.

As quoted on pages 13 & 14:

"1.Takes his sign while not on the rubber.
2.Assumes the windup position when his non-pivot foot
is not on or behind a line extending through the
frontedge of the rubber.
3.Rotates his arms more than twice before delivery.
4.Attempts a pickoff move from the windup position.
5.Pitches a defaced ball.
6.Delivers without facing the batter.
7.Throws to first or third after his non-pivot foot has
broken the plane of the back edge of the rubber.
8.Pitches when the catcher does not have both feet in the
catcher’s box.
9.Pumps more than twice before delivery.
10.Assumes the set position without keeping his pitching
hand at his side or behind his back.
11.Comes to his stop with the ball above his chin.
12.Brings his pitching hand to his mouth and then delivers
without wiping off that hand.
13.Interrupts his pitching motion, once begun
14.Pitches from the windup position without maintaining
contact with the rubber.
15.Pitches from the set position with his pivot foot
outside the end of the rubber.
16.Makes a quick return pitch.
17.Steps forward off the rubber from the set position.
18.Pitches from the set without coming to a complete stop.
19.Stretches twice.
20.Drops the ball while on the rubber when the ball does
not cross the foul line.
21.Feints toward home.
22.Feints toward first.
23.Fails to step first with the non-pivot foot toward any
base before making a throw.
24.Feints or throws to an unoccupied base except when
making a play.
25.Fails to pitch after making any motion habitually
connected with his delivery.
26.Removes his hand from the ball in the set position
except to pitch or throw.
27.Stands on or astride or within five feet of the rubber
without the ball (NCAA and pro: the five-foot
restriction is not part of the rule).
28.After coming to a stop in the set position. Feints with
any part of the upper body, except the head.
29.Steps toward occupied third and then turns to throw to
first without first disengaging the rubber.
30.Commits any act which, in the umpire’s judgment, is an
illegal attempt to deceive the runners."

In #29, the HS pitcher is allowed to make this move with or without disengaging the rubber.

Good Luck

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