Quote:
Originally posted by DG
Quote:
Originally posted by Carl Childress
I don't know about that -- everyone looks for the start of the pitch as being the step back with the free foot. Matter of fact (Tee, don't read this), I know that bringing both arms up together and pausing doesn't get balked in this neck of the woods.
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Why?
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Because it would be considered a "highly technical balk", no runners move when the hands move together, and no one complains that it is not called. Everybody in my Fed association would balk stepping off from the windup with the wrong foot, but about half the association would not know this was a balk and the other half does not call it. [/B][/QUOTE]If I were a coach in "your neck of the woods," you would call it - or lose every protest when you didn't.
It's not a technical balk. It's a real balk because there are consequences when the runners are coached well. Stepping off slowly with the wrong foot (with hands remaining motionless) is technical. Everybody knows what the pitcher is doing - and why.
Moving both hands is, BY RULE, the start of a pitch. I would send my runner, and the guys in "your neck of the woods" wouldn't balk him, and I would laugh all the way to the bank.
You guys had better get you heads (and necks) into the rule book. [/B][/QUOTE]The runners are not coached on this subject, and nobody complains and there are no protests when not called. If someone would complain it would get called. However, everybody knows that stepping off with the wrong foot is a balk and everybody will complain. And players will be coached to move when the non pivot foot moves back. So how do we decide what is a real balk vs. a technical balk? So far it sounds like a technical balk is one where everybody knows what he is doing and nobody is concerned. So why does this not apply to this situation?
And what does my neck have to do with this subject? [/B][/QUOTE]Childress writes:
I've written often about the technical balk of stepping off with the wrong foot. (Of course, you know that is not listed as a balk in the OBR. Right? You knew that?) At any rate, I won't comment further on that.
Another poster said that moving both hands and then pausing is a balk that isn't called in "my neck of the woods." I asked: "Why?" And you replied.
So I assumed you were from the same neck of the woods. I was just having a little fun. I'm sorry it didn't come across that way.