Balk question

[khumbert45]

I had a question come up from a baseball coach I work with today. Pitcher is pitching from the set with a runner on first base. He comes set, lifts his leg up and without moving towards home, turns to first base and throws to first. He never disengaged the rubber or did a jump-step.

I looked at 6.1.3 which states "During these preliminary motions and during the set position until a delivery motion occurs, the pitcher may turn on his pivot foot or lift it in a jump turn to step with the non-pivot foot toward a base while throwing or feinting as outlined in 6-2-4 and 2-28-5, or he may lift his pivot foot in a step backward off the pitcher's plate which must be in or partially within the 24" length of the pitcher's plate."

From what I am reading, the move that occurred is a legal pickoff attempt. What is putting doubt in my mind is the verbiage "until a delivery motion occurs". I would say until he breaks his hands and moves towards home, then he is able to turn and throw to any base that is occupied to put out a runner. The coaches I work with said lifting the front leg is the delivery motion.

Looking for opinions. A balk was called in this coach's game and I am of the opinion that it was the wrong call. I don't want to make the same mistake in one of my games.

Thanks

[bob jenkins]

If he lifted his leg at all toward the balance point, it's a balk.

if he just steppedandthrewallinonemotion then it's legal

[khumbert45]

Do you happen to know where in the rules or casebook it references this? I just want to have some backup to this when I talk to the coaches that I work with. I know that you are able to come to balance, then wheel around to 2nd base to attempt a pickoff there.

[jicecone]

Disengaging is the difference between a one base award or a two base award. So it is not a requirement to throw over to first. However, Bob is correct about the balance point with the leg.

Disengaging the plate is also NOT required in HS for the feint to 3B throw to 1B move either. See Case Book. 6.2.4 Comment A

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by khumbert45

Do you happen to know where in the rules or casebook it references this? I just want to have some backup to this when I talk to the coaches that I work with. I know that you are able to come to balance, then wheel around to 2nd base to attempt a pickoff there.

NCAA covers it best, but I don't know that this will help you convince a coach:

(1) The pitcher, while touching the pitcher's rubber, must step toward the base, preceding or simultaneous with any move toward that base. The pitcher is committed, upon raising the lead leg, to throw to the base being faced, to second base or to the plate. When throwing or feinting a throw to a base not being faced, the pitcher must step immediately, directly and gain ground toward that base.

[khumbert45]

Thanks for the NCAA reference. I am going to dig through the NFHS case book tonight to see if there is something similar there. That all sounds like it makes a lot of sense though.