Foot feint balk?

[Paul L]

R1, left-handed pitcher in set position. As F1 raises his free (right) foot, and without making any movement towards home, his free foot is drifting towards first base, but not beyond the 45 degee line. As he starts his kick, F1 moves his free foot toward first as if he is starting a step and throw to first (past the 45 degree line, more towards first than home), but without moving his throwing arm or upper body toward first. Then as he gets to the top of the kick, and in one continuous motion, he steps toward home and delivers the pitch, landing his free foot more towards home than first. FWIW, F1 does not do this without a runner at first.

OBR 8.05(b) says it's a balk if the pitcher "feints a throw to first base and fails to complete the throw".

So, does this kick towards first constitute an illegal feint?

[mbyron]

You have to judge whether it's just a kick or whether it's part of a step. If the former, legal; if the latter, balk.

A LHP will often move his leg toward 1B as part of a normal movement of lifting the free foot, unless he slides the free foot straight toward the plate. So merely moving the leg toward 1B cannot constitute a feint. I would judge more by what the rest of him does than by what the lower leg does.

The fact that he does it only with runners on is irrelevant.

[TussAgee11]

Pitchers are taught to pitch this way. Unless he's doing something funky like an extra kick or giving an arm fake with it, its not a balk the way you described it.

[jicecone]

As long as he doesn't hang that foot out there, consider it a good move.

Some have suggested, (I remember reading it somewere) that if you see the sole of his foot, it could be considered as hanging the foot out. HTBT however I remember doing the finals of a semi-pro league and being on first. After seeing this pitcher all year long pick off people with a great move like you have suggested, he attempted a hanging leg to first and I called the balk.

Lets just say, good lefty's pitchers can really make you earn your pay.

[ManInBlue]

jicecone - I had a coach argue for a balk because he saw the sole of the pitcher's foot. There was no hesitation, nothing illegal. He then went into the "plane of the rubber" and I knew real quick he didn't know what he was talking about.

On the OP - what 45 degree line? There is a reference point given described as such to assist in determining distance and direction. It has nothing to do with where his foot is in the air (I've had coaches argue that one too). The 45 degree line is not written in the rule book either. Not a good reference to determine what is illegal before he sets his foot on the ground.

Sounds like you have a good move - unless he hesitated somewhere as noted above.

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by jicecone

As long as he doesn't hang that foot out there, consider it a good move.

Some have suggested, (I remember reading it somewere) that if you see the sole of his foot, it could be considered as hanging the foot out. HTBT however I remember doing the finals of a semi-pro league and being on first. After seeing this pitcher all year long pick off people with a great move like you have suggested, he attempted a hanging leg to first and I called the balk.

Lets just say, good lefty's pitchers can really make you earn your pay.

I think "the sole of the foot" you are referring to is what we learned years ago in clinics which is "If the plate umpire sees the sole of F1's foot, he better be coming to the plate or it's a balk.....". It doesn't matter if the coach sees F1's sole nor would I even entertain an argument like that. But I will say that as the PU, that old information about the sole is right on.