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Originally Posted by dash_riprock
The rule is 6-1-1, but the penalty is set forth on the next page, at the end of 6-1-3.
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Let me see if I follow it then:
The penalty says "The ball is dead immediately when an illegal pitch occurs. If there is no runner, a ball is awarded ... If there is a runner, such illegal act is a balk."
The definition of an illegal pitch is "... an illegal act committed by the pitcher ..."
So the logic is: a pitcher taking the signs off the rubber is an illegal act, thus turning it into an illegal pitch (thanks to that vague definition above), thus making it a balk call.
Do I have that right? (Not trying to be sarcastic, I'm really trying to follow the logic, so I know what I'm debating.)
Having said all that, I don't agree one damn bit with it. I have multiple arguments against it:
1. It's just over-officiating. (That's the easy one, but depending on Official NFHS Dictate, that might not fly.)
2. The sentence right after the one about taking signals says "The pitching regulations begin when he intentionally contacts the pitchers's plate." So to me, if he's taking the signs off the rubber, he can't possibly be in violation of pitching regulations, so you can't balk him.
3. The penalty writeup is too vague, and doesn't seem to apply to that specific situation in 6-1-1. To me, anyway. And there's no other applicable penalty, so I wouldn't call anything.
From what I tried to find in the "Search" feature here a few weeks ago, I seemed to find postings that were mostly along the lines of "it's a 'don't do that' situation," and "I'm not balking that" more than any other response. Is there some official casebook notation, or newletter, or other NFHS directive that says "yes it is" or "no don't call that"?
Here's what happened to me. AAU U12 game, using FED rules. R3, XX out. Defensive coach - not HC, but one of the several in the dugout - hollers out about that. I tell him, "he's fine coach,"
"No, he's not!" (and more - I've already stopped listening.)
"He's fine. I'm not getting him."
And I turn to get ready for the next pitch. My mistake - and I admit it freely - was to not call time at this point and tell the kid "look, the rules
do say you need to be on the rubber for the signs, so do us both a favor and do that, so he'll shut up." But I didn't, and we were getting ready for the next pitch.
So my partner (PU) immediately balks the kid next pitch. The coach "gets one over," and my partner shoves it in my ear, especially coming right after the exchange between me and the coach.
I wasn't sure that's what he got him for, so I asked an inning or two later. He said that's what it was for, and when I disagreed, he said it was a FED rule, and went through the logic of a runner not knowing when he can take a lead, and the pitcher being able to hold him close. My rebuttal to him was that although the rulebook says he can't do it, there's no penalty or action to take. He apparently felt the penalty after 6-1-3 applied.
But F1 wasn't trying to gain anything against the runner or batter. If anything, the kid was taking even
longer than normal, not quick pitching. He'd take the sign, step back to the rubber, and still go through the prelim-stretch-set-pitch routine. So there was no advantage, so no reason to make a deal out of it. And this balked a run in, on top of it all.
So that's why I asked about the penalty in FED, because I didn't find anything to tell me I/we should balk the kid. And as I said, I don't feel like this penalty paragraph applies. Just my opinion.