NFHS balk rule revisted
 

Is it legal for a righthanded pitcher's pivot foot be on the pitcher's plate when he throws to 1st base, as long as his non-pivot foot steps directly towards occupied 1st base? Our NFHS instructor said the righthanded pitcher must disengage the pitcher's plate before throwing to occupied 1st base.

Your NFHS instructor is wrong. It's legal.

Do you live in Oregon? :D

Bob's right, your "NFHS instructor" is wrong, as a simple reading of the rulebook would demonstrate.

BTW, NFHS does not have "instructors."

I recall this very topic came up last year as well. Everyone answered the same. Don't remember the state but obviously some instructor has it all wrong.

PLEASE have that "instructor" get in touch with the state association, or vice versa. He shouldn't be passing out bad information.

JJ

jodibuck
 

Please have your "NFHS Instuctor" send me a PM and explain what he meant.

While Oregon disagrees with Washington on the new "obstuction ruling" we do agree (except for one umpire) on this ruling.

Regards,

You did not specify what position F1 was in. The wind-up or set.

In OBR from the wind-up F1 can pick-off a runner WITHOUT disengaging OBR 8.01(2)

In FED, F1 cannot pick-off a runner from the wind-up WITHOUT disengaging.

If your instructor was talking about F1 in the set position then he is wrong. If F1 was in the Wind-up position then he is correct.

Pete Booth

Good catch pete! One of the tricky differences between OBR and FED

Yes SIR!
 

Excellent catch Pete. I jumped to a conclusion.

Regards,

In what does Washington and and Oregon disagree on the obstruction ruling? We, too recognize that FED has included on its powerpoint clinic that a trainwreck is still possible. Are there other issues?

Once he mentioned NFHS instructor with a runner on first, we all made the assumption that the pitcher was pitching from the set position. Fifty lashes with a wet noodle for not asking that question!!! Pete gets the grand prize and we get the booby prize.

Don't be hasty with the noodle. :) He did write "right-handed pitcher," not just pitcher, so by implication a left-handed pitcher would not have to disengage to throw to first...if the "handedness" of the pitcher is important, as it appears to be, then it would be safe to conclude he was speaking about the set position. If he was not...then the "instructor" has more problems than we, or anyone, can deal with!

Tony
 

Garth alluded to Oregon's State Rules Interpretor who said to a group of 100 umpires that an NFHS pitcher could try a pick off from THE WIND UP position without first disengaging.

We see that "instructors" and "SRIs" are sometimes the one's that need teaching.

Regards,

Bear in mind I am saying this out of ignorance. One would think (?????) that a state rules interpreter would at least be a "Highest level"(certified, level 5, etc.) umpire in their state. Is this not the case in some places? I'm just looking for some feedback.

I think that's generally true. Having taught officiating classes, though, it's surprisingly easy to mis-state something, or to give the right answer to the wrong question, etc.