Dead ball balk?
 

Situation: OBR Rules. Runner on 3rd, no outs. Ball is dead via timeout or foul ball. Pitcher is given new ball by HP. While ball is still dead, infielder conference near, but not on the mound. F1 slips the ball to F5 unnoticed by anyone. As fielders return to position F5 has ball concealed in his glove. F1 takes place on rubber. Umpire calls "play". R3 takes lead and is then tagged by F5.

The correct call/action would be:

a) Since F1 did not have posession of the ball on the rubber, ball is still dead so umpire rules "no play".

b) Balk since F1 was standing on the rubber without the ball.

c) Do-over since umpire should never have called play to start with.

d) Other please explain.

A or C. Take your pick.

This. I don't see how they're different.

Yep,
 

Under all "real" rule codes it is impossible to successfully utilize the hidden ball trick after a dead ball situation.

T

A few years ago, I had a 12 yr old travel league game when the situation (after a foul ball) above occurred. The pitcher, evidently, had be told by his coach that he could not get on the Pitchering Plate without the ball; his reluctance to get on the PP led my partner and I to belive that he did not have the ball. I kept motioning the pitcher to get on the PP and he wouldn't, this went on for about 30 sec, and he was about to burst into tears. I then called Time and brought his coach out because I thought his pitcher was injured, :D. That enabled him to discretely get the ball into the pitcher's hands and away we went.

MTD, Sr.

Yep

A is the first letter of the alphabet and C is the third.

Actually the correct answer is a & c. However, in c you will probably also have to toss the defensive coach because you weren't paying attention.

I knew A & C were basically the same. The reason I listed them separately was to gauge whether keeping my eye on the ball during a dead ball is something I should be more diligent in doing. I have to admit that during a dead ball I spend more time making sure the runners return to their respective bases and verifying that my clicker is current than watching the defensive players.

Why? Time was already in effect.

Rich:

You and I and every other sports official in the world knows that "time" was already in effect. That said, I think that you would agree that "those" on the dark side are not that smart and announcing "Time!" lets everybody know that something other than the resumption of play is about to begin. I suppose that I could of and should have just called for the DC to conference with me and come to think of it I am going to try that the next time something of this nature happens again.

MTD, Sr.

Clicker??

I'm sorry. For those of you in Rio Linda, my 4-function umpire indicator.

Try "Hey pitch, hustle up. You need to get on the rubber with the ball so I can make it live".