Little League Balk
 

Hello,
I'm looking at LL RB 7.07 in which during a squeeze attempt and the catcher moves in front of or on the plate or contacts the batter or bat. The umpire is supposed to rule a balk on the pitcher and award first to the batter on the interference. Why not just call interference and give home and first due to that? Why the balk call - is that simply to justify the award of home?

What if there's a runner on second (with no runner on first) who isn't advancing on the squeeze play?

victory,

It's adopted from the OBR (aka MLB) rules, on which LL rules are based. It's a "double penalty" because the OBR rule makers wanted to REALLY discourage this particular infraction.

Since, during a true "squeeze play", the R3 is attempting to advance "on the pitch", he would score on the catcher's interference whether a balk was part of the penalty or not.

The only time the 7.07 balk provision makes any difference at all is when there is a squeeze play with an R3 & R2 only, AND the R2 is not attempting to advance on the play. Otherwise, the catcher's interference penalty will produce the same result.

JM

Thanks. But is this pitcher (really catcher interference) balk in any other rule book or just little league? I don't think anyone would argue awarding bases on catcher interference but I can just hear the screaming when you call a balk on the pitcher in this case.

I was watching one of those Jim Evans You Make The Call videos and there was this exact case described and the multiple choice videos had balk or interference. The answer was interference.

The rule makes no mention of a R2 only a R3. Why would the rule maker want to award R2 a base since you are really just trying to plug via rule any easy way for the defense to block a squeeze.

LL 7.07: If, with a runner on third base and trying to score by means of a squeeze play or steal, the catcher or any other fielder steps on, or in front of home base without possession of the ball, or touches the batter or the bat, the pitcher shall be charged with a balk, the batter shall be awarded first on the interference and the ball is dead.

OBR 7.07: If, with a runner on third base and trying to score by means of a squeeze play or a steal, the catcher or any other fielder steps on, or in front of home base without possession of the ball, or touches the batter or his bat, the pitcher shall be charged with a balk, the batter shall be awarded first base on the interference and the ball is dead.

NCAA 8-3-p: If, on an attempted squeeze play or steal of home plate, the catcher steps on or in front of home plate without possession of the ball or touches the batter or the bat, the pitcher shall be charged with a balk and the catcher with interference.
PENALTY—The ball becomes dead, the batter shall be awarded first base on the interference, the run scores and all other runners advance one base.

Thanks Rich that about sums it up I guess.

This served as a great refresher course for me as it came in handy in my game yesterday. With 1 out and a 3/2 count, R3 tried to steal home as the pitcher went into his windup. the pitcher was alerted to the theft, sped up his delivery slightly, delivered strike 3 called as the catcher came out of his crouch, caught the pitch, and then easily tagged out a standing R3 for the 3rd out.

The defense wanted to argue interference, to which I stated, "No, he didn't step on or in front of home plate without the ball, or touch the batter, so no interference." End of argument, end of inning.

I'm glad I had this fresh in my mind and made me sound like I knew what I was talking about!:cool:

It's always nice to sound like we know what we are talking about!! That is really what this forum is about, to keep things on the top of the bubbling cesspool of thoughts that is my brain!!

Squeeze play in LL? Really? I don't do LL however, I'm under the impression that in LL, the runner can not leave the base until the ball is passed the batter. Therefore, how can you have a squeeze play?

The fact that runner's can't lead off doesn't change the fact that you can still have a squeeze. The runner leaves when the ball crosses the plate, or when the batter contacts the ball. Runners still steal bases and all that stuff in LL, too.

Little League Balk
 

Little League refers to Little League's Major League, usually 11 and 12 year olds. Played on 60' tight bases. Minors which is usually 9 and 10 year olds is also played on 60' tight bases and continous batting order.

The Junior, Senior, and Big League divisions of Little League is played on 90' loose bases and is more like HS ball but with some different rules. A lot of times the LL rules are more confusing that FED rules.

Whats the distinction between 'tight' and 'loose' bases?

I was wondering that as well and then it dawned on me that "tight" refers to no lead offs and "loose" refers to lead offs allowed.

The only rules in the world more confusing than FED rules are the NCAA ones.

Little League Rules
 

Some prime examples:
Based loaded, infield hit or bunt, any runner leaves early, R3 put in dugout, no out or run?
Special pinch runner

Can't do a suicide squeeze, but you could still run a squeeze play.

Yes, it's called a "safety squeeze."

The LL book says 7.07 only applies to the Junior, Senior, and Big Leagues.

Correct. It's the "evaporation" rule. I have never seen it. Some friends of mine have.

LL asks that on such a play, umps must adjudicate what is the "clean hit" by B1. If the rock doesn't leave the infield and no outs are recorded, R3 "vanishes."

LL umpires around here call it the "poof" rule, as it "poof....he disappeared."

What started out as a pitching motion ended up as a throw to the plate... Balk! They'll call a balk if the catcher leaves the box before the ball leaves the pitcher's hand.

As long as the pitcher continued to a make legal pitching delivery, it is still a pitch and not a throw.

A pitcher may disengage and throw to home.

What started out as a pitching motion ended up as a throw to the plate... Balk!

Nope. It's still a pitch.

They'll call a balk if the catcher leaves the box before the ball leaves the pitcher's hand

The interpretation in use is that the catcher cannot move from the box until the time of the pitch - which is when the motion commits the pitcher to pitch.

That's the rule (on an IBB), but I've never seen it called and I hope I never do.

I'm just wondering how a catcher would know a safety squeeze is on if R3 does not leave the base until the ball reaches the plate (Normal LL), or, why he would see a need to step in front of the plate.

I called a walk off balk in Fall ball, with R2 and R3 and 1 out, when the catcher stepped out of the box by at least 6 feet, before the pitcher even started his motion, but he started as soon as catcher was in place out of the box. At every plate meeting the coaches talked about balks (I did not bring it up), they wanted us to call balks so the kids can learn during Fall ball, no warnings.

DG....no balk here. It can only be called if it's an IBB. Without the IBB, I would not let the pitcher pitch until the catcher set up correctly. I have never had this happen, but this is how I would handle it.

Given the game situation I'd bet a lot that it was an IBB.

Opps....After reading it again, I wouldn't take that bet. :o

When coaches say that, usually they are looking for reinforcement of what they've been warning their pitchers about. I doubt "the lesson" you taught them was on their radar.

I am pretty sure that one was not on their radar. I overhead the manager telling the league commissioner after the game that a game should not end that way, and I agree, properly instructed catcher will not do that, and if a pitcher saw him step out he should have stepped off and called for a meeting instead of starting his motion. I doubt there was any player or coach in the league who did not hear about it, so I don't expect it will happen in the Spring.

That's because most who coach at that level don't know the rule's well at all. Believing that a balk is caused from illegal action by the pitcher only.

On an IBB it IS an illegal action by the pitcher - at least in OBR.

8.05 If there is a runner, or runners, it is a balk when—

(l) The pitcher, while giving an intentional base on balls, pitches when the catcher is not in the catcher’s box;

The catcher created a situation where the pitcher could balk, but it is the pitcher that continued with the IBB and actually balked.

There IS one action by the catcher that is beyond the pitcher's control and results in a balk call - see 7.07.

Yes, the pitcher gets dinged for both not knowing the rule and having a catcher and quite possibly a coach that also doesn't know the rule and teaches this. I'll try in the future to make myself clearer for those anal retentative in the forum.