Balk Call

[UmpJM]

Michael,

Originally Posted by mbyron

You can see this, but it's relatively rare. You quoted the rule: F1's entire foot must go behind the back edge of the rubber for him to be committed to pitch to the batter. That's a lot of foot going a long way back.

The way I was trained to see this balk: look for the sole of his shoe. If you can see the entire sole, the foot likely went behind the rubber (try it for yourself). Otherwise, legal for a pickoff.

In FED (and NCAA) it's the "entire foot" (or "any part of the stride leg" in NCAA). OBR, it's "any part" of the free foot.

The rest I concur with.

Hadn't heard the "sole of the foot" guideline before. I'll definitely give it a try.

JM

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by UmpJM (nee CoachJM)

Hadn't heard the "sole of the foot" guideline before. I'll definitely give it a try.

Sole of the shoe will be an easier guideline.

Taught to me at an endangered institution of higher umpiring.