[ozzy6900]

OBR 8.01 (a) exerpt

..... From such Set Position he may deliver the ball to the batter, throw to a base or step backward off the pitcher's plate with his pivot foot ......

The pitcher is bound by the pitching rules the moment he is in contact with the rubber. So if your pitcher is contact with the rubber (hands set or not), he has to step backward with his pivot foot to disengage the rubber. Stepping forward would be a balk.

This is not the case with the 3rd to 1st fake in which the pitcher may step to 3rd for the fake and then must disengage the rubber to throw to 1st.

From what I remember, this rule goes back to when pitchers could actually take several steps toward home plate to deliver the ball. That ended somewhere in the late 1800's and this rule is part of the fix for that.

By the way, a runner can take off the moment the pitcher engages the rubber. He doesn't have to wait for the pitcher to come to set.

[Edited by ozzy6900 on Jun 6th, 2002 at 07:13 AM]