Balk Interpretation
 

Is it considered a balk if, when the pitcher begins his delivery to the plate, the runner at 3rd attempts to steal home and the pitcher speeds up his delivery?

No (as long as the other pitching requirements are met).

Old Coach's (wife's) Tale!

yes......










I felt like throwing a wrench in there....

yep, it looks bad, but totally legal

I would expect the pitcher to hurry, and throw one down and in on RH batter so catcher receives the ball in good position for the tag.

Guys:

An umpire in my association just brought up the same situation at a meeting tonight, and I want to make sure of a couple of things:

1. This is legal in all major rules codes (specifically NFHS).

2. It does not matter if the pitcher is pitching from the windup or the set position.

Thanks.

I'm assuming the "same situation" is the OP: pitcher starts toward the plate, sees R3 take off, and speeds his delivery of the pitch.

Some questions to ask anyone who claims this is a balk: which part of the balk rule dictates how fast F1 must deliver the pitch? Or: which part of the balk rule states that ANY reaction by F1 to an attempted steal constitutes a balk?

Don't make up rules.