LL50 70 Balk Call
 

I know the rule regarding required step, which Little League did not adopt the must throw to 3B rule. On saturday, our P did the "53" or "31" pick where he faked to 3B and threw to first. Umpire called "Balk" - said you cannot do that move anymore. I explained that I understood he is probably doing many different games with various governing bodies and that in travel ball that indeed is a balk, but that Little League and NFHS (high school) has not adopted the must throw to 3B therefore that is not a balk.

Even showed him Green book that only lists 1B as must throw. Still was not having it and this was just in a casual conversation between innings, I let his balk stand.

He played the "it all falls under the trying to deceive the runner umbrella" so its a balk. My thought was two-fold, first then you are basically adding a rule to a rulebook that is not there by forcing a throw to 3B, when clearly that is not there also I have been coaching over 25 years, the "deceive the runner" provision.

To me this was no biggie, I was trying to get on the same page so moving forward the coach on the other side etc can all get the right rule. But had it been a meaningful game, would a protest for misinterpreting the rule been upheld or does the "trying to deceive the runner" cover all when ump incorrectly calls balk in that scenario?

Assuming the other parameters were in place (timely; affects the result of the game) and that you have the rule right (I don't work LL), the protest would have been upheld.

Thanks Bob, so curious about what he called the "blanket" or "umbrella" of trying to deceive the runner - Since I have been coaching in the early 90's, this has been in the Pitcher violation/balk rules of pretty much every rule book of every governing body I have ever read, but what exactly does it mean, when has it been used? I think in this case it was not an appropriate use of that rule as to me the rule states must throw to 1st, not second or third. Period. To me almost every "lefty" pick to 1B could be called a balk as most of them are trying to "deceive" the runner that they are throwing to first base. For that matter a RH pick to 3B they are usually trying to make it appear they are going home.

Deceiving the runner is perfectly OK if done within the rules. Pickoffs go much better if you do manage to deceive the runner.

So when its that provision used to call a balk?

Should be never. You followed the rules or didn't.