[Dave Hensley]

Both OBR and FED rules prohibit the pitcher from making a "quick return" pitch. OBR goes a bit further in that it defines a quick return pitch as one that is made before the batter is reasonably set in the batter's box. FED simply says a pitcher may not make a quick return pitch "in an attempt to catch a batter off balance."

The "one hand up" or "stop sign" signal is considered a call of time in both FED and OBR. In both codes, the ball is either dead or alive. It's never "live except for the 'don't pitch' sign."