Balk, Balk Yells the Coach!!!

[Carl Childress]

Originally posted by Gre144
I hope you guys gave me the right information because I used it to not call a balk in the following two situations.

1) R1 on first. F1 while on the mound throws the ball to F3 who is standing in his normal F3 position not near the bag and catches the ball in that exact same position without moving towards the bag.

2) R2 on second. F1 throws the ball to F6 who is standing in his normal F6 position not near the bag and catches the ball in that exact same position without moving towards the bag.

Greg:

Both the coach and you are missing the point of whether the move was a balk or not. The main idea here, at least as you describe the action, is that F3 must [step toward the base] "before throwing to the base." [my emphasis]

In short, this is the old argument about what happens when the fielder is playing off the bag.

Tim gave you the proper ruling for OBR games: Balk at first; nothing at second. (PBUC 6.4a)

It's also nothing at second in FED and NCAA. But at those lower levels it is not a balk when the pitcher throws off the base at first if it appears the first baseman MIGHT make a play. That is, the rules do not require that F3 be breaking for the base.

Explanation?

At first base the defense gains a great advantage if the pitcher does not need to hit a moving target on a timed pick-off play. That rationale, at the heart of the OBR rule, was rejected by FED and NCAA.

At second or third, when he steps the pitcher is not required to throw at all; so if he does throw, it doesn't matter WHERE -- as long as the base in the general vicinity is occupied (or he is making a play, i.e., driving back a runner). Happily, all three codes agree here.