It would be a balk if the pitcher after his non-pivot foot fully crosses behind the perpendicular plane of the back edge of the plate and then attempts to pick off a runner. What is the ruling?

It would be a balk if the pitcher after his non-pivot foot fully crosses behind the perpendicular plane of the back edge of the plate and then attempts to pick off a runner. What is the ruling?

• A. Balk
• B. Ball
• C. Strike
• D. No effect

Answer: (A)

Crossing the plane behind the back edge of the plate with the non-pivot foot before attempting a pickoff is an illegal motion designed to deceive runners. That specific action, followed by a pickoff attempt, is a balk. When a balk is called, the ball is dead and all runners advance one base; the batter’s count remains unchanged. A ball or strike wouldn’t apply here because no legal pitch to the batter occurred, and no-effect would ignore the illegal motion.

Crossing the plane behind the back edge of the plate with the non-pivot foot before attempting a pickoff is an illegal motion designed to deceive runners. That specific action, followed by a pickoff attempt, is a balk. When a balk is called, the ball is dead and all runners advance one base; the batter’s count remains unchanged. A ball or strike wouldn’t apply here because no legal pitch to the batter occurred, and no-effect would ignore the illegal motion.