Balks
 

I'm PU on a 15U game. Both teams have kids that play High school.

VT F1 in the stretch getting signal with the "gorilla" arm. Looks at 1st where B1 is leading off. As he looks he swings his right arm around. I call a balk. The VT coach politely asks why. I state "Coach your pitcher made a motion to 1st by waving his arm around when he looked". Coach yells at F1 to keeps his arm still and goes back to the dugout.

Next inning HT F1 comes set then does a "Jump Turn" toward first and feints a throw. I call a balk. The HT coach comes out as asks why the balk. I state "Coach your pitcher may not feint to 1st while in contact with the rubber". The coach states yes but he came off the rubber when he did the "jump turn". I state "Coach your pitcher started his motion while in contact with the rubber and pitching restrictions apply". The coach goes back to the dugout.:D

I was with you right up till here. You're right to call the balk, but wrong about the reason.

The correct reason is that a jump turn is not a legal disengagement or "step off." To be legal disengagement, the pivot foot is the only thing that can move.

I ruled as such because when he started his "jump turn" he was in contact with the rubber and the turn is an extension of hie contact.

Isn't that pretty much the same thing?

The free foot? On a disengagement? :confused:

Whoops. Pivot, of course. I'll fix it.

There's nothing in the rules about "extension of the contact." Rather than make up a rule about being in contact when he's obviously not, you're on more solid ground to explain it in terms of NOT being a legal disengagement.

Since it's not a legal disengagement, it's still governed by the rules concerning stepping and throwing to 1B, even though the pivot foot loses contact with the rubber.

No problem with this one as this is a balk under all 3 major rule codes.

Pete Booth

At the start of the game both coaches inform me at the plate meeting that they wanted the High School balk rules used.

The first time he waved his arm around I called time and while dusting off the plate sent F2 out to talk to him. Two pitches later he did it again and that is when the balk occurred.

Except gorilla arm is not a balk in OBR and NCAA.

I find it extremely humorous that the only person I blocked the first time I was active here for posting nothing but stupid ... 3 years ago ... is still posting, and the one time I click "View post" on one of his, it's still stupid.

The jump turn is considered to be in contact with the rubber throughout the move.

Semantics. A jump turn or jap step is a throw to 1b, if you don't throw it is a balk.

Yep, it's pretty cut and dry.