Carl and Warren:
Warren and Carl, you are both experienced and erudite. Your comments are are thoughtful and rational.
Carl, I appreciate your providing the specifically published points in those references. I had not seen those, to my recollection. I don't know if I could sell a balk call on that issue in Fed ball here, and probably not in (usually OBR) summer ball. Let me play Devil's advocate for a moment.
For the purposes of a feint, does the definition of a throwing motion mean a movement that brings the hand of the throwing arm over the top or to the side, fully completing a simulated throw? Or can F1 after the set, step to 3rd with free foot, abruptly move his body to a "pre-throwing" position (for RH, left elbow to 3rd and right elbow to 1st, hands separating only slightly (if at all), then the pivot towards 1st and a throw from the rubber, with the appropriate step? (of course for RH F1, duh!!!)
For practical application in my games, I would probably not call a balk due to the absence of completion of a simulated throw. ALso, without specific language in the Fed book, how can one rule that way? I've seen nothing in case books or other places that addresses this specific circumstance. Further, your reference to OBR 8.05(b) is not on point because it only addresses a feint to first FROM THE RUBBER without completing a throw. It is, IMHO, not relevant to the issue involving bases to which a pitcher may feint a throw.
Lastly, again IMHO, NCAA rules are almost as strange as Fed. Really, a rule about erasing lines of the batters box???
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