Balk call

Dano,

little more info please.....summer ball....what rules set?........age of players....

Age 15. Using NFHS rules.

under Fed rules taking the sign from off the rubber is illegal and is administered as a balk if there are runners on base.

As an aside, I have never called this as a balk. This is a "just don't let it happen" situation. If he looks in for a sign from off the rubber just call time and tell him he must be on the rubber to take the sign. If you are at the plate then tell your catcher not to give the sign if he isn't on the rubber. Once you explain the consequences he will help you out with that.

quote:

Originally posted by DANO1421:
He then would come up to the rubber and put his right foot parrell to the rubber

I can't picture this (and I assume you mean parallel). Help me out.

Okay so let me try to explain it once more. So the kid had the ball in his glove. He approached the rubber, but his right foot in (in meaning his foot was parrell to the rubber, the stretch position) no his left foot was no where in line with his right foot, so they weren't parrell with each other. The kid then bring is left foot in to be parrell with his right foot, as he does this he takes the ball out of his glove and put it in his hand behind his back. Then he takes the sign comes to together and pitches. Hopefully that is a little better explaination.

I still need help. Is his right foot on or directly in front of the rubber? In other words, has he engaged the pitcher's plate? His left (non-pivot) foot can be anywhere in front of the front edge of the rubber. It doesn't have to be parallel with anything.

Sounds like the kid just needs a coach.

Dano, I see this all the time at ALL levels. I have nothing here as I consider this as casual action and no deception is going on.

The pitcher is simply getting into postion to recieve the sign, and as he is getting on the rubber, he takes the ball from his glove and then looks in.

Now, if he was to come set, and remove the ball from the glove, or remove his hand from the glove, then we have a balk.

But as you describe it, I have nothing.

From he description, I have to agree with go3, he is just settling on the rubber. As Dash says, it sounds like he needs a pitching coach to clean up his mechanics.

agreed...I brought this up to my association meeting last night and after considering it for a few minutes and after some comical attempts by Umpires to demonstrate it, we all agreed that this is just a casual action and would not balk him for this...

There were some dissenting opinions that once he went into the glove and brought he ball out that he had started his motion and they would balk him for this...

"It is a balk if a Pitcher after bringing his hands together on the rubber or engaging the rubber with his hands together, separates them except in making a pitch or a throw"

But from the concensus.....we would not....