Balk or Not
 

Teener league game....14/16 major league rules: Pitcher is intentionally walking batter, catcher steps out for pitch as pitcher releases ball......coach is calling for balk , by the third pitch he is screaming for balk. After fourth pitch he is ejected.

Please advise..........watching the majors, I have never seen any call on this and the catcher is alot farhter out than this guy was.

By rule, F2 is required to be in his "box" until the time of the pitch -- which is the first movement that commits the pitcher to pitch. At that time, F2 can move.

Coach is not wise. Don't let him argue same point for 4 pitches. One pitch, he gets explanation. Shouldn't happen again.

That is correct for FED not OBR. The commonly ignored rule states "until the ball leaves the pitcher's hand" for intentional walks only. TOP is actually used in practice in OBR when it rarely if ever is called.

Ball 1 - Ignore
Ball 2 - "He's fine. Enough."
Ball 3 - Bye bye
Ball 4 - Silence

Ahhh, Yes, another archaic OBR that has long outlived its usefulness.

OBR also at one time required the pitcher's pivot foot to be entirely within the 24" confines. But that was rarely enforced, and eventually the ruleswriters came to their senses and changed 8.01 to require only contact with the rubber. They need to do the same with 4.03(a).

balk or not
 

Well put Manny, I agree the rule is outdated because the catchers box is no where like it was years ago ( not to many). And when the Majors do it they do the same thing, stick out the glove and jump way outside BEFORE pitchers releases the ball.

But rule 4.03 does state "until the ball leaves his hand", so therein I believe my fellow ump was wrong????

Are you listening?

N O B O D Y calls that a balk.

I'd call it a balk.

But only on one of your pitchers, Rich.

And because Manny told me to do it...............


Tim.

Troublemaker........:D

I'm not sure what you're getting at. Which "fellow ump" are you talking about? You said in your OP that the defensive coach was complaining and then got ejected. What did the umpire do (or fail to do) that was wrong with what is said in 4.03?

My interp was that it was because he didn't call a balk when 4.03 says it's a balk.

From the OP: "Pitcher is intentionally walking batter, catcher steps out for pitch as pitcher releases ball......

Sounds like the umpire was properly applying 4.03 here, since he didn't call a balk and the coach was complaining. So I'm not sure why 3ump felt the umpire was wrong.

3Ump seemed to be saying it was a balk because the catcher moved out before the ball was released - which is what the rule actually says, but his partner didn't call it. His partner went with the TOP convention - what else could 3Ump be thinking his partner was wrong about?.