Quote:
Originally posted by ccbestul
Just happened last night. U18 game, FED rules. R1 at third with two out. This kid stole home earlier. Pitcher toes the rubber in stretch. He has not looked in for any signs yet. The runner takes off for home. The pitcher steps toward home and easily throws out the runner. Team wanted Balk called because he did not step off rubber. I contedned it was a pick-off play at home and pitcher properly stepped toward bag. My contention was that the pitcher never began his move to come set, therefore; perfectly legal pick-off. Coach bought that but contended he threw to an unoccupied bag. That was an easy won to debunk. I believe I called this correct. The only Ref. I could find was Casebook 6.1.1 (comment) which says when pitcher assumes a set position. I read that before and thats what I interpreted. The pitcher had made no movement to the set position. Anybody have a similar situation?
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"Set position" in FED means everything from the time the pitcher intentionally contacts the rubber (with one foot, the other in front of the rubber), until he delivers the pitch.
Note the first two sentences of 6-1-3 ("For the set position, the pitcher shall have the ball in either ... hand. His pitching hand shall be down at his side or behind his back.")
Once the pitcher contacts the rubber, any delivery of the ball toward the plate is a pitch -- it might be legal, illegal, quick, a balk, ... but it's a pitch and not a throw or a pick-off.
In your example, it was both a quick pitch (since the batter wasn't ready) -- which is a balk with a runner, and a balk for not coming to a complete stop.
(Despite committing two balks, runners advance only one base.
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