[Warren Willson]

..under OBR. It is explained in the NAPBL Umpire Manual Section 6.7 Balk Mechanic p62ff.

The move by the pitcher to pick off at 1st is not a balk until the precise moment the pitcher fails to deliver the throw. In other words, the failure to throw IS the balk.

If the pitcher throws wild to any base before the umpire can call "Time" and kill the play, then his throw has immediately followed the balk, and under OBR 8.05 Penalty AR1 the ball remains alive and the runner may continue to advance beyond the base to which he would be entitled as the result of the balk at the risk of being put out.

The pitcher's throw puts "a play" in progress. If the umpire has NOT called "Time" killing play before the pitcher throws, to 2nd base in this case, then he can't call "Time" afterward until "all play has ceased (runners have stopped trying to advance and a fielder is in possession of the ball in the infield)". [NAPBL 6.7 Mechanic 8, OBR 5.10(h)]

Bottom line: Don't call "Time" until all play has ceased OR until you are certain there will be no play at all, except in the specific circumstances provide under the NAPBL interpretations.

Cheers,

[Edited by Warren Willson on Feb 28th, 2001 at 05:59 PM]