[QUOTE=PeteBooth]
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Originally Posted by Dave Hensley
Pro rules. This play actually happened in an American Legion game last week.
Play: R1, balk called, pitcher pitches and batter hits ground ball to F6. Aware that a balk was called, there appears to be a general lack of understanding by the players on the field that the ball is alive and in play. F6, instead of playing on either runner, throws the ball back to the pitcher while R1 trots into 2B.
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Dave Hensley
Dave, doesn't the ball now change status from delayed dead to immediately dead?
Since F6 made no play and threw the ball back to F1, I would call TIME and enforce the Balk Penalty.
I guess the real question on these or similar type plays is:
When a balk is called followed by a play, at what point does the statuts change from dealyed-dead to immediately dead. IMO, once F6 threw the ball back to F1 would constsitute a "break-in-action", hence we call TIME and enforce the penalty.
Pete Booth
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I think in this case I would wait to see if BR reached 1B, and R1 reached 2B, before considering a break in action. After all, both are running, and that is action.
If we call time when F6 releases the ball the ball might go into dead ball territory and our calling time would prevent R1 from going to 3b and BR going to 2B. R1 would stay at 2B and BR would return to the plate if we called time to enforce the balk. Bad outcome for the offense when the defense made not one, but two mistakes.
Don't call time until everybody stops moving around. That is break in action.