Balk or not

[justanotherblue]

Originally Posted by Matt

How do you figure?

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Yes. What is illegal about a jump turn as long as it gains ground toward the base?

Matt, as Steve said here, as long as he gains distance toward first, it's legal. Obviously, with a jump turn, F1 has the directional part of the rule covered. What you will see is the non-pivot foot often lands behind the pivot foot, away from the base, hence, not gaining distance nor direction, therefore a balk.

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Coach JM (correctly) says "The INITIAL move does not commit him to pitch." By "initial move" he means the leg raise. You are now talking about lowering the leg. Since that lowering is not toward second, I agree that this prohibits him from throwing (or feinting) to second.

I agree Bob, it's not the raising of the leg, it's his downward motion that commits him to the pitch, again, it wasn't a direct step toward 2B. Sorry, J.M., if I mis-understood your post, I agree, it's not the initial movement.