Sometimes ...
 

I've heard guys say it looked like a balk so it must be a balk.

I say, "just because it looks like a balk does NOT mean its always a balk."

Thanks
David

There are a lot of highly technical balks, that should mostly be ignored, especially below Varsity ball.

I had a game last week (13-14 year olds), where I called two balks. One was on a pitcher who was on the rubber in the windup, when someone in the dugout hollered out for him go in the stretch. so he did, without stepping back to disengage. I would not normally call this, but there were half a dozen voices in the opposing dugout, who knew this to be a balk so I felt obligated to call it. The other was a pitcher who "double-set". With foot on rubber, and looking in at the catcher, he brought his hands together at waist level, stopped for several seconds and then he brought his hands up to his chest and moved his left foot back a foot (right handed pitcher). I balked him, no one said a word, and I had to explain to the coach what he did. Oh well.

There are numerous hand and leg movements that would be called a balk in the show, but should be ignored below Varsity level.