Umpire Interference

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

When did Little League majors have balks? It must have been before 1968 when I played, because they sure didn't call balks then. I have been umpiring since 1986 and know of no such balk rules, only illegal pitches. What was considered a balk, since no lead-offs have ever been allowed at that level? I mean, just who is the pitcher trying to illegally deceive?

When I was playing Little League in the early 90's there were balks called and when I started umpiring in '97 (at the tender age of 13), balks were in the rule book. I remember one game where my partner and I called a combined 4 balks against one pitcher over the span of a couple of innings. If I remember, it was for the pitcher failing to pause while pitching from the set with runners on base. That was a crappy game and I learned a couple of good lessons there.

I remember a few years later when they changed the rules (I want to say that was '99 or 2000) because it was a big deal during our pre-season umpire meetings.

That said, you're right, there is no point in having the balk rule at Majors or below and I'm glad they did away with it.