Balk question

".but he would raise/lower his front foot slightly 3 times before pausing "

That is the key... you can continue to move until you pause.    A move is either legal or illegal ... you cannot make an illegal move legal... just because you do it every time.

Had to see it ... but if the foot never came to a pause ... then he could move it 5 - 6 - 10 times... no balk.

Now if the entire body was paused (no motion) then he lifted front foot and replaced it - that is a balk.

The foot is just like the hands... I think it was Louis Tiant that used to "pump" his hands up and down as he came to a set.   Because there was no discernable stop.. there was no balk.  A change of direction does not create a pause.

Now the pitcher is required to pause the foot, before he delivers the pitch.  He would not be allowed to go directly from a pumping the foot to a pitch without a pause.  That would be a balk.

Right, I agree that the original was legal.....but I was under the impression that you couldn't vary the movement before coming set.   I don't think you could come set normally (with the foot coming down once), then do it three times, then four, then two.   I was under the assumption that varying that like that is creating deception.   Again, in this case, I think he did it once the entire game, so I can see it not being an issue.   But I can't imagine my above scenario would be legal 

He can do things differently every single time as long as he does not do anything illegal. Just being deceptive is not a balk. Doing something illegal, such as not coming to a discernible stop, is a balk.

Buckeye 2015 posted:

Right, I agree that the original was legal.....but I was under the impression that you couldn't vary the movement before coming set.   I don't think you could come set normally (with the foot coming down once), then do it three times, then four, then two.   I was under the assumption that varying that like that is creating deception.   Again, in this case, I think he did it once the entire game, so I can see it not being an issue.   But I can't imagine my above scenario would be legal 

There's absolutely no rule like this. It only matters whether he follows the balk rule or not. As long as something is still in motion, he's not set yet. As long as he pauses after all that, he's good. I guess I also needed to check where your kid is playing because my kid pitched last night in his summer collegiate league game and what you described is exactly how my kid pitches.

It seems that the stop and step and step is being taught more now.  This year in college and travel ball I see it a lot more than ever before.  I also believe that many of them are balking because they stop, then step, then step.  But because they do it every time they are not being called.

PitchingFan posted:

It seems that the stop and step and step is being taught more now.  This year in college and travel ball I see it a lot more than ever before.  I also believe that many of them are balking because they stop, then step, then step.  But because they do it every time they are not being called.

 

I see it a lot, and I have yet to see a complete stop during the steps.

I know you are an ump Matt13 but I also have seen a turn in not calling balks for not stepping off before throwing to first and not spinning.  Over the past several weeks at big tournaments for 17U, I have seen numerous RHP just spin their pivot foot and throw to first without moving it at all.  It seems that the umpires have gotten lax in making righties follow the rule to the T in making their moves to first.

Fan,

The rule is not different ... I think the umpires are now applying the rule more now as it is written.  The rule for righties and lefties is the same.

The rule allows for the RHP to pivot on his right foot and throw to first provided he steps with the non pivot foot toward first.  Now the step can be a stride (2-3 feet) or as snall as 1 inch ... as long as he gains ground to the base.

6-1-3

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 nonpivot foot toward a base while throwing or feinting as outlined in 6-2-4 and 2-28-5,

6-2-4

ART. 4 . . . Balk. If there is a runner or runners, any of the following acts by a pitcher while he is touching the pitcher’s plate is a balk:

1. failing to step with the non-pivot foot directly toward a base (occupied or unoccupied) when throwing or feinting there in an attempt to put out, or drive back a runner; or throwing or feinting to any unoccupied base when it is not an attempt to put out or drive back a runner;

PitchingFan posted:

 I have seen numerous RHP just spin their pivot foot and throw to first without moving it at all. 

That's a perfectly legal move.  And, it used to be the prevalent move. 

In fact, the jab step and the jump turn are the "illegal" moves that were not being called and which became legal by interpretation under OBR (although the wording making them legal is in the NCAA and FED rule books, I think).