Do the official major league rules define how long of a stop a pitcher must make at the "set position" with runners on before it is a balk? This last weekend we were in a tournament where our pitcher knowing that runners were on came set normally coming to a stop in the set position. He paused only for a brief 1/2 second though and went into his windup. Two different times he was called for a balk because the umpire said he never came set. The clarification was that he didn't pause long enough or something to that effect. The question i have is this-

If the set position just requires the pitchers hands to come to a stop together with hand in glove, should it not matter for how long? Is 1/2 a second not long enough?

There isn't any specific amount of time called for in the rule (8.01(b)) which requires the pitcher to stop in the set position. Language in the OBR reads...

The pitcher, following his stretch, must (a) hold the ball in both hands in front of his body and (b)come to a complete stop. This must be enforced. Umpires should watch this closely. Pitchers are constantly attempting to "beat the rule" in their efforts to hold runners on bases and in cases where the pitcher fails to make a complete "stop" called for in the rules, the umpire should immediately call a balk.

That's the language of it from the rule book. There isn't any time allotment for the "stop". It's simply judgement of the umpire whether the pitcher satisfied the rule to stop before delivering the pitch.

For me, I need to see some type of noticible pause between the pitcher's stop and his start when he begins his delivery. If it looks to be all one motion I have a balk. If it looks like two separate motions, no balk. Can't say I have ever quantified it in terms of time (1/2 sec or 1 sec) but the two need to be clearly separate in my eyes.

MLB rule:

the pitcher fails to make a complete “stop” called for in the rules, the umpire should immediately call a “Balk.”

I think some of these calls are in the eye of the beholder. I once had an ump tell me that the pitcher had to come to a stop because his hands changed direction, since they went down then right back up, he had to stop at the bottom of the movement.

By definition (and, not surprisingly, contrary to physical law), a change in direction is not considered a stop. The stop must be discernible. If I can see a stop, no matter how brief, it's a stop. Close enough for government work.

I agree with pilsner,a noticible pause is all that is required for most umps. Its hard to put a count on how long the pitcher stopped.

Son is a lefty and had a coach just flipping out at first, stopped the game, said to the ump, he was balking because he was moving the ball around in his glove when "he came set".

When people first begin to read the Official Rules of Baseball, they are usually taken back by the amount of "umpire judgment" in the rules..........

This is 100% up to the calling umpire.....

I know it when I see it...a change in direction is not to be considered a stop......

We see many pitchers that stop the hands but at the same time are lifting the non pivot foot as they start the delivery. This is a balk. The pitcher needs to come set -- a complete stop.

quote:

Originally posted by mrumpiresir:
We see many pitchers that stop the hands but at the same time are lifting the non pivot foot as they start the delivery. This is a balk. The pitcher needs to come set -- a complete stop.

Exactly. Many coaches and pitchers are only concerned with the stopping of the hands in coming set. Often, F1 is already moving his leg as his hands come set. The entire body must come to a complete and decernible stop.

quote:

Son is a lefty and had a coach just flipping out at first, stopped the game, said to the ump, he was balking because he was moving the ball around in his glove when "he came set".

As long as his arms don't move, fiddling with the ball is legal. If he takes his hand out of the glove, then it's a balk.

The change of direction is an old rule that NCAAused to use. It hasn't been used for at least 8/10 yrs.

The fact that a change of direction is not considered an acceptable stop is referred to in the Fed book under Rule 6-1-3.