Right handed pitcher comes up from stretch pauses quick turns and throws pick off move to firstno true attempt to go to plate. when if at all is this a balk. i have seen it called three times this year alone. why is it being called? i get conflicting answers. One of the answers i get is that the foot never left the rubber but i disticly teach to come off the rubber


[Edited by willy868 on Jun 3rd, 2002 at 08:07 PM]

1) Does he disengage the rubber properly
(step off with pivot foot off back of rubber)?
If so, it can't be a balk no matter what he
does after that.

2) If he doesn't disengage, does he step directly
toward 1B with his free foot, gaining direction and
distance, before he throws? If not, it is a
balk. Also, if he does this move to any base,
he is not required to pause in his motion first
(come to a discernable stop).

Whichever thing happens, it does not mean that
the umpire will call it correctly.

It's also possible, Coach, that the ump(s) thought your pitcher made some motion with his hands . . . as if to pitch . . . before stepping properly off the back of the rubber or before stepping directly to the base to which he's feinting or throwing. I saw that a lot this year; the pitcher's in set and starts bringing his arms up at about the same time he's stepping off. Takes a little discipline to get the motion right, so as not to balk.

Since it's been called more than once on you, I suspect there's something wrong with what sequence was taught to your players.