Fair or foul

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by oyaisee

4.03 When the ball is put in play at the start of, or during a game, all fielders other than the catcher shall be on fair territory.

(a)The catcher shall station himself directly back of the plate. He may leave his position at any time to catch a pitch or make a play except that when the batter is being given an intentional base on balls, the catcher must stand with both feet within the lines of the catcher’s box until the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand.

PENALTY: Balk

I read this as a Balk is the penalty!!!!! for all of 4.03 that is what I will call in my games!!!

If it's not a balk then what is it? what is going to make them stop breaking the rule every rule has a consequence it has to or else it is a moot rule!!!!

Let me take a crack at this you guys!

oyaisee, this is your last chance to understand that you are wrong. Pay attention now:

The balk penalty applies only to 4.03 (a), not to (b) or (c)! That is why the penalty follows 4.03 (a).

It does not follow the body copy preceeding (a), nor does it follow (b) or (c). This means it only applies to the letter that it follows. Not the general part of the rule, and not the specific sections (b) and (c) of the rule.

If it were covering the whole rule, the penalty would have been listed following section (c), to include all three sections of the rule.

I hope this makes it clear that if you call a balk for F3 standing in foul territory for a pickoff, then you are misapplying the rule. It is a simple "Don't do that." If F3 persists in disregarding your order to stop, he is subject to ejection, which is the proscribed penalty for failure to obey the order of the umpire.