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Major League Baseball Set to Outlaw the third to first move next year
The big question is--will the NCAA follow in their footsteps, especially since the NCAA rules, which come out every 2 years, are up for reissue beginning with the 2013 season.
Major League Baseball's Rules Playing Committee, with the blessing of MLB Executives and MLB Umpires, has approved a significant rule change for the 2013 season. Vetoed by the Players Association for implementation this year, the rule change takes effect next season, barring any last minute changes. The change to be made? The step to third, fake throw, then move to first by a right-handed pitcher. Often referred to as the "third to first move" or "fake to third then first move," it's a move that occurs quite often, almost always unsuccessfully, and inevitably leads to everyone yelling, "Balk!", even though it's not a balk. Well, beginning with the 2013 season, Official Baseball Rules will be modified to require a pitcher to step off the rubber when faking a throw to a base. The wording in the change doesn't specifically refer to the third to first move; rather, the wording explains that a pitcher must step off the rubber when stepping to a base without throwing to that base. Currently, a pitcher is required to throw to a base only if he is stepping toward first base while on the rubber. He's allowed to step to second or third without throwing. This apparently will be changed beginning next year.
This change was approved for the 2012 season; however, the Players Association vetoed the change, saying that "time was needed to study it." Pursuant to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the change then automatically takes effect the following year. (Baseball is the only sport where the players must approve any rule change that is to take effect within the same year/season.)
As the first sentence in this post asks--will the NCAA follow suit with this change? My guess is it will have to, especially since NCAA pitching rules tend to be a bit tighter or stricter than OBR's pitching rules. Time will tell. We'll know more by next winter, I'm sure.
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