For a right handed pitcher, is lifting your non pivot foot a balk if you throw to first? Our pitcher picks his front foot up, doesn't cross his leg back toward the mound, rotates, puts his foot down toward first base. Since he stepped toward first, the umpire should not have called a balk correct??
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For a right handed pitcher, is lifting your non pivot foot a balk if you throw to first? Our pitcher picks his front foot up, doesn't cross his leg back toward the mound, rotates, puts his foot down toward first base. Since he stepped toward first, the umpire should not have called a balk correct??
As long he steps directly to first and does not hesitate in his throw, this is not a balk.
I will say I have seen a pitcher do this exactly once without balking and that was last Friday. It's very difficult for a RHP to do this move without moving towards home with his free foot.
I'd have to see it. But it sounds like a BALK. Right hand pitchers can do a jump turn to first which is direct movement or they can step and throw. By lifting his leg it sounds like he has made a motion towards home plate.
If he is doing this from a windup it is most definitely a BALK under 6.1.2 since the first motion in a windup commits him to home plate.
The only way to do is to step backwards and not rotate toe until it hits the ground. If you spin, then your are going toward home before first. It does not profit you unless the runner is getting a big lead but it is very hard to do. You must make a backwards step and not pivot until your left foot hits the ground. I have had others argue differently but that is the only way for your physically to step toward first without moving toward home.
Keep in mind, the step does not have to be big. If the baserunner is moving on the lift of the left heel, a simple raise of the foot 2-3" off the ground and then back 2-3" would be a step toward 1st. Imagine a pitcher in the wind up... taking a small step back before placing the pivit foot in front of the rubber... same thing just turned 90 deg to the right. Then when the left foot hits, pivot and throw. It would not be a difficult move and would keep runners close. As long as it is one continuous motion with no movement toward the plate until the left foot has touched the ground, I would have a hard time calling that a balk. I would hope that a coach would tip me off before the game that they have this move in their arsenal. But I also know that a balk does not have to be called in the split second. If you balk it immediately - ball is dead and could put the fielders at a disadvantage. If you let it play out and "replay" it quickly, if it is a balk - you can call it as the runner is advancing and the throw is on the way to first. If there is no balk, then the fielders still have that opportunity for the out.
It might be legal, but it might not. I hate calling balks. But this certainly sounds suspicious. I'd really need to see it. Balks are just like balls & strikes; they come down to umpire judgement and they cannot be argued by coaches.
I will explain them.. to a point, but when the coach wants to argue that's when "splaining time" is over and it's back to "Game Time".
