This has to be one of the more personally interesting (to WebBall) Nose 2 Nose debates we've run. Mainly because this started from our own on-field experience (and frustration) this year with inconsistent application of the rule. But then as we compiled the results and read the comments, we discovered that the inconsistency is not just among umpires but perhaps more so among the coaches, players and parents. Many people just don't seem to get the Balk Rule - what it means, why it exists, how to recognize it, and perhap, how to ignore it.

As a result of all the above, we are going to do something we seldom do - comment on the comments. So, first the charts, then what we observed from the charts, plus some expert opinions, then voter comments - together with our 'corrections'.

Do you understand the balk rule? Do umpires at your games call balks? How often is it called? What calls trouble your pitchers most? What balks aren't called but should be? <-- choose topics

• UNDERSTANDING: Let's be honest, people, none of us understands the balk rule as well as we should. There have been pro umps who have not called it because they didn't understand it. There are umps now who disagree. We only understand what we think we know. And the rest gets faked.
• FREQUENCY AND INCONSISTENCY: This is the real rub - if it's a rule, let's call it. If it's impossible to call ceratin balks in youth leagues then let's make sure youth league rules cover the exceptions. Let's not do it ad-hoc game by game.
• TROUBLING CALLS: Our personal issue is on the knee lift - if a pitcher must first step towards a base before throwing to it (that's the printed rule) then how can he step to first without the knee moving and if so then how can any knee move be called part of pitching motion when it sometimes is only part of a pick-off move.
• THE REAL PURPOSE: As someone below points out, the intent of the rule is to balance the game between offense and defense - the intent is not to turn control over to umpires. More thoughts as they are needed.
• THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY: There is also an aspect of the balk rule that got overlooked in the voting and comments. but it happened to us at WebBall. It's what has been called the 'forced balk' - when a runner takes off for the next base (often with a long walking lead) before the pitcher has thrown. In this case, from second to third. Seeing the runner, the pitcher stepped to third and threw, and the young base ump promptly called 'balk' for throwing to an unoccupied base and gave the runner third. This is wrong on many levels. First a balk is not a 'time out' call so the play should have been allowed to continue before any corrective action. Second, as the rule states - the pitcher cannot throw to an unoccupied base except for the purpose of making a play. We argued - successfully - that he was indeed throwing to third to make a play ... on the runner! So we won the battle, but lost the war: the runner was sent back to second. In reality the play should not have been stopped and the runner would definitely have been tagged out at third.

On Knee Lifts (from Brent MacLaren of AmateurUmpire.org):

Ask the umpires to demonstrate a move to first base by a right-hander without lifting the knee. Now do the same for the left-hander. There is only one legal 'no-lift' move for the right-hander, but absolutely none technically possible for the left-hander, that free knee is going to have to come up to some small extent. There is so much rumor about the 'commitment to home' that many umpires are confused. What can a left-hander do? He can lift his knee all the way to look like he is going go pitch. He can drive his knee over the plane of the rubber, and have most of his foot there as well ... He can actually start his body motion looking like it is going forward to the plate. He can still legally step-and-throw to first. If he can do it, so can the right-handed pitcher. The action that, in my mind, determines the commitment of the pitcher is the landing of the free foot. Towards first or towards home. That said, these motions have to be uninterrupted. Any break in the motion and I may have a balk. My advice ... get the 'See A Balk, Call A Balk' video and study it, particularly the left-handed demonstration. What is legal for the left-hander must also be legal when done by a right-hander. My worst nightmare from last season ... my son pitching ... the umpire starts counting "1 ... 2" every time he comes set. Any motion before the umpire said "3" constituted a balk, and that included throwing to a base. Explain where they get that rule.

On Elephants (from Al Kaplan who produced the video mentioned above which is now available from WebBall):

It is very difficult for an umpire to 'SEE a Balk and CALL a Balk' because of the complexity of the rule, but more because it takes TOTAL concentration at ALL times to be able to 'See what you have just seen' and then react to that with a call... There are very good umpires at all levels that are not good balk umpires ... even in the Major Leagues... On the other hand... At the high School level and below.... Umpires should only be calling the Elephants ... not the ticky-tac balks... They have neither the knowledge or experience or concentration at those levels to be able to call the balk rule to a tee with any consistency... But let me assure you ... the coaches and players and parents have even less ability to call them either ... here lies the underlining problem with balks... It is also used as a physiological strategy and both umpires and players get intimidated just with the arguing about it... So if it's an elephant ... you might have a case ... but HS and under... If it happened quick and was just a Knee twitch... Shut up and play the game!... We all saw it... And we all heard you point it out... Remember you're teaching the kids not the umpires.

[And WebBall replies.]

The object of the balk rule is to create a clear separation between 'pitching' and 'throwing' to an occupied base. This creates balance defensively and offensively. The most frustrating aspect is the teaching of, by some coaches, techniques and mechanics designed to obfuscate this clear distinction. With this age group we not only have inexperienced players but inexperienced umpires. Attempting to take advantage of this situation is sending the wrong message to the kids. We actually had a coach teaching a hidden ball play with the pitcher assuming a set position without the baseball! They had actually gotten away with it in a previous game. Fortunately, our runner saw the ball in the first baseman's glove and remained on first. Our umpire did not know that this was illegal. Other coaches are teaching less blatant attempts to deceive the runner or hitter but are teaching deceptive techniques none-the-less. I guess this should not be surprising given the attitude of many professional athletes... any edge is ok so long as you do not get caught (corked bats, scuffed balls, performance enhancing drugs, etc.) Twelve year olds should be learning the fundamentals of the game and how to play the game by the rules. Spending time teaching tricks to 'bend' the rules is a disservice to the kids and sends the wrong message. -- Ron Flowers

We absolutely agree with this. We also dealt with a coach this year who was big on stealing signs and we were amazed that he was never called on it. But in the attempt to balance things out, our point is also that the balk rule needs to be called and proper pick-offs need to be taught. See the next comment...

I believe that part of the problem with pitchers balking is that most coaches do not teach complete pitching. As long as the pitcher throws strikes leave him alone. Too many coaches do not know enough about the game and rules to teach kids proper pickoffs there for they often balk. And most local leagues have local umpires and they don't want to call it a balk because 'every one is balking so just let it go.' The other thing is I don't think most umpires at the youth level are looking for a balk. If I as a coach point out a balk move the the umpire seems to feel that if he calls it now it is because I pressured him into it. That is with a right handed move. A lefty move is a whole other creature. That never gets taught to youth pitchers. Most caoches are right handed so they just neglect the lefty as though a lefty is just supposed to know what he is doing. Try explaining to any one that a lefty has 45 degrees toward home to step. It is a miracle if somebody does not scream 'balk' when a lefty makes an average move let alone a good one. -- Craig Klukan

We like this answer for its honesty and sense or reality. It really is the way things are.

The rule is too subjective. The balk rule should be as concrete as out/safe call at first base. Some blues are too picky (calling balks with no runners on base) and some make no calls at all. What I found is that if I see the opposing pitcher commiting a balk consistantly with no call, I'll call time and talk to the plate umpire QUIETLY about what I see going on. If I still don't get the call, we go on with life and adjust our baserunning accordingly. -- Rock Baker

What's also subjective is everyone wanting the balk called consistently - except when they'd rather it wasn't called. We like this answer for its willingness to get on with life.

We have a rule in our district for the first month no balks are called. I say the first month tell the pitcher he balked what he did wrong then call them from there. -- Perry

If we understand this correctly, we agree with the second point, maybe. But per the 'balamce' comment above, not calling the balk gives the defense an early season advantage. Then again...

Bottom line for kids is that if the pitcher is obviously trying to deceive the runner or hitter, a balk should be called. If a kid makes a mistake as he is learning, but not trying to deceive anyone, the mistake should be identified with no balk called. Reality is that most umpires do not fully understand the rule anyway! -- Mark

This seems reasonable but the flaw in the argument here is a problem that many umpires have pointed out - what the heck is intent and how are umpires supposed to read minds? How can an umpire possibly know if a young player didn't really mean it. Way too much judgement required, way too subjective.

The problem I have in our league is with left handed pitchers, and the throw to first. The argument is about whether the knee, or the foot, or the entire leg has to cross the plane of the pitching plate, to constitute a necessary throw to the batter. The spirit of the rule would suggest that any part of the leg to cross the plane would mean the pitcher should throw home, but I really don't know for sure. I also have a problem with allowing the free leg to hang in the air. If the pitcher uses the same motion each time, I have no issue, but when he is using a slide step one time, then holding his knee for a second or two, that to me is deceiving the runner. I think too much emphasis is being placed in the coaching circles, in having their pitchers learn good pick-off moves. Especially in the age group I work with. I would prefer to see pitchers concentrate on the basic moves to 'look back a runner', or just make the casual throw over, and spend more time on throwing strikes to the next batter. -- Mark Giese

To clarify, it is the foot crossing the pitching plate that commits the pitcher to throw home (assuming no runner on second).

Just an anecdote. I'm an assistant coach for a 12-U competitive team. At a recent tournament, we sent a runner on third to home while the opposing pitcher went into his stretch. The pitcher immediately threw home, without going set, and the runner was called out. We complained to the umpire who insisted that the balk rule said that the pitcher only needed to go set if he was throwing to any other base than home. We won the game, but such a call really hurts a team designed to run and that knows the rules of play. At the next game that day, the umpire came over to our head coach and apologized. He had looked up the rule between games and found out that he was wrong. I thought that was a class act on the part of the umpire. -- John Graham

We agree. Class act all the way. But would you have felt so good about it if it had cost you the game?