What is a Balk in Baseball? The Rule Explained.
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- Опубліковано 16 чер 2024
- What is a balk in baseball? Learn all fourteen ways in this video by former pro pitcher Dan Blewett. The rules seem complicated, but they're not that hard to get right with a little coaching. ✅ Get my free baseball rules and lingo cheat sheet: danblewett.com/baseball-cheat...
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👉 Additional balk questions answered in this video: • Baseball Balk Rules FA...
✅ RELATED Video: Righty Pick Off Move Demonstration: • Pick Off Moves to Firs...
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⌚TIMESTAMPS - Jump Ahead in the Video
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0:00 Intro
🚨 What does a balk actually mean? [1:01]
Rule #1: Can't move once you've come set [1:56]
Rule #2: Can't start, then stop, your pitching delivery [2:21]
Rule #3: Can't fake a pickoff move to first base [2:43]
Rule #4: Can't pick off to an unoccupied base [3:25]
Rule #5: Must come to complete stop when coming set [4:28]
👉👉👉🎥 My video on stretch position mechanics: • How to Pitch From the ...
Rule #6: Can't quick-pitch the hitter [5:25]
Rule #7: Can't separate your hands a second time once set [6:19]
Rule #8: Can't drop the ball while on the rubber [7:27]
Rule #9: Can't pitch while facing away from the hitter [7:47]
Rule #10: Must pick off to bases with legal technique [8:28]
👉👉👉🎥 My video on 2nd Base Pickoff Moves: • Second Base Pickoff Mo...
Rule #11: Can't be on the rubber without the ball [10:06]
Rule #12: Can't delay the game [10:36]
Rule #13: Can't mimic your delivery when not on the rubber [16:29]
Rule #14: Catcher must be in the catchers box (at least one foot) [11:35]
Coaching Tips To Avoid Balking [12:20]
👉👉👉🎥 Video on mindset tips for pitchers: • The BEST Mindset for P...
Summary of key concepts [15:25]
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I believe there was a slight mistake... When dropping the ball, I was under the impression that you couldn't be standing on the rubber, but you said it is a balk when you come set, please elaborate.
This is so insanely impressive that he’s talking through this all in a single take. There’s no “ums” or anything. Great explanation and appreciate you putting this together so flawlessly.
thanks!
Great point. Rare skill.
Yes, his communication skills are impeccable.
As an Umpire I thoroughly enjoyed this presentation.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Yes - well explained
I’m the same, and a newish umpire at that. I’ve warned players when baseball umpiring for balking in the lower levels and half the time the coaches don’t know all the rules then come asking and complaining.
This video was really helpful
Yes, outstanding video. Every new umpire, pitcher, and coach should see it. Would have made my earlier umpiring days a lot more smooth.
@@eauhomme be careful being a new umpire. there are some information here that will get you in trouble.
I'm 47 years old and this is the first time I've actually ever studied all the balk rules... much more to it than I thought. Very good video, thank you.
As an Umpire, this basics approach was very good for youngsters. It’s also nice to know that a player takes time to learn rules. Great job.
This is by far the best comprehensive explanation and mitigation video on balks. We have started a high school program and this will be a gem of baseball training knowledge for our coaching staff and young players.
Glad it was helpful! I'm actually putting together a resources page on my website so schools can link to it, that will have all my fundamental videos in a big outline. I'll send it out to my email list when it's complete - you can sign up in the description if you're interested. Thanks for watching!
I was unable to watch this
I've been watching baseball my entire life and never knew how nuanced all these rules were. Thanks for the deep dive!
There go my dreams of pitching with Tourettes
Great video! Thank you so much for your clear yet thorough explanations.
Bravo. Great explanation and spot on.
A huge thanks from South Korea. THE best video on balks. This made the most complicated rule in all sports look simple as abc
Glad it helped!
1:30 - Great comment! As an umpire, I always try to explain to other umpires that balks aren't about deception. It's about FOLLOWING PROCEDURE and doing things in the way you are supposed to for consistency. It's like a false start in football. Every little flinch isn't always an advantage gained, but we call it anyway because you flinched. Same with balks. Either you did it right, or you didn't.
100% - thanks for the kind words!
I get it now your explanation and the gentlemen in this video it makes sense now thanks
Ultimately it is about deception. You just have to call anything that could lead to it.
This video is the clearest explanation of balks available. Should be required watching for pitchers, coaches, and umpires.
That was very interesting. Thanks. I had no idea that pitching was so detailed and subtle in this way.
The best explanations of balking. Thank you very much!!!
Best video I’ve ever seen on balks. Thank you 👍
Great vid, learned a lot. Thanks Dan. Glad I stumbled onto your videos recently. Always loved baseball but understanding it from both sides definitely helps illuminate and make enjoyment of the game easier. Stumbled onto this while watching the Jackie Robinson docudrama 42 for the first time. Had to relearn what a balk was. The pitcher has a ton of work to do and is one of the backbones of a strong team, so thanks for teaching young pitchers and hopefully inspiring the next generation of flamethrowers and nasty movement legends of the future.
Great explanations here.
Personly I had trouble with the separating your hands twice rule as it was part of my routine when I was younger before they called balks and now I’m having to change my routine thanks for the explanation!!!!
The comprehensive guide 🔥
Thank you for explaining these balk examples.
Most appreciated!
Glad it was helpful!
Great video. Covers all the basics.
Glad you liked it
Thanks for all the examples. I see balks happening but even after reading the definition it was very unclear exactly what is considered a balk. This cleared it up nicely.
What an interesting and informative video! As a casual viewer from another country, I'd picked up a vague understanding of the balk rules, but this is both comprehensive and simple enough to add to my general enjoyment of the game.
As an Aussie dad who's 8yo has just started training and will begin playing soon this is a very handy video, thanks very much🙏.
🇭🇲🇺🇸
There's so much to learn and when it's broken down and explained like you've done here it really helps.
Thank you I've always wondered.
I'm not a player but I've always been curious.
Thank you, very interesting
Thanks for slowing down and mentioning youth baseball and young players because learning young about balks is essential. I umpire and balks is something a try to teach young umpires about with rules and what to watch for without making it complicated .
Great video. I never understood the subtle ways some balks get called.
As a former pitcher/coach and now Umpire this was a terrific, you do an absolutely great job explaining and perfect for coaches, pitchers as is a comprehensive review and super reminder for me as am diving in to my umping season! Going to share your page with area coaches, thank you!
Thank so much for explaining all of the possible balk situations. I have been watching BB for over 20 years and I have always wondered what all of the different ways you can get called for it. Mad at myself for no researching this earlier. Thx again!!
Glad it was helpful!
Very clear and well explained! I never really understood balks and why they were called, but this video cleared it up for me, and replies to some great questions from others were very helpful as well. Very much appreciated!
You're very welcome!
Great explanation of ALL the types of balks fella...I've been wondering about this...👏👏👏👍
thanks! be sure to check out the FAQ video if you have more questions - I answered a bunch of common ones in response to this video.
Excellent balk information... thank you!
thanks for watching!
Thanks! This video helped out a lot
you're welcome!
Great Job! Thank you.
I rarely watch baseball , so this issue of a balk was on espn. I needed to understand what it actually was. Thanks for breaking it down. The first 5 examples from other channels were annoying and left me hanging.
Im sure i will forget, but when i need a refresher to the rule. Your content is all i need from now on. Good job 👊🏿
It's probably been said but as an umpire, this is a great video. I watch it weekly during the season.
Best baseball videos. Thanks !
Wow, I didn't realize there were so many balk calls. It was really an interesting explanation by Dan.
Excellent video, great explanation, Like most, I simply wanted a 2 minute video, but your deliver capture me the entire 16 minutes.
Wow...I played every position but 1, 2 and 6 (not at high levels) ...this is THE most thorough explanation of a balk I've ever come across. Thank you! It's always frustrated me as a fan watching and trying to figure out what the hell the pitcher did wrong. Takes a LOT of discipline to keep within the parameters allowed. Fantastic video.
Great video. Very good explenation.
Glad you liked it!
My sons moving up to 11u and needs to learn the bulk rules and I knew the basics but I didn’t know there was so much more to it, great explanation of everything
Great video!
Thanks for the video! I was a curious fan of baseball and found your video....never looking at pitchers the same lol. Thanks for the insight!
Thanks for this video. 50 years ago I was called for my one and only balk in little league when I attended to throw out a runner at first and it was never explained to me why I was called for a balk or even what a balk was. Needless to say I never tried to throw out another runner. I had come set and when I started my wind up and and pitch I swung around and threw to first. All I was told was that I couldn't do that. So thanks for this clarity. That balk has bothered me for 50 yhears.
High school coach here. My pitcher got called on a balk yesterday when he shouldn’t have! I knew that I knew the rule but did some research just to make sure I wasn’t crazy. Came across your vid.
Situation was runners on 1st and 2nd. My (right handed) pitcher was paused in his set and the runner on second started stealing. My players shouted “he’s going” so my pitcher stepped off with his back foot, then stepped towards third, and threw to the third basemen who was within 6 feet of the base when he received the throw. The runner was tagged out but the ump called a balk…
I went to argue and said my player clearly stepped off with his back foot and disengaged from the rubber. Also, the runner was clearly stealing.
The umps argument was that third was an unoccupied base and I said the runner was clearly stealing and my pitcher stepped off the rubber with his back foot… the ump kept saying you can’t throw to an unoccupied base. I lost the argument but was confident I was right.
In another unrelated play, I caught someone using an illegal bat and thought the NFHS rule was that the player is automatically out but they didn’t call the player out… they just let him switch bats. I have to check that rule. Tough game for me yesterday…
if you step off youre a regular fielder and do anything you want.
By that umps logic, pitcher can't ever try and stop a steal by throwing to the base the runner is attempting to steal. That's an umpire who needs a LOT more training.
Excellent video! Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Clear! Good job!!!
this was fantastic
Thk you so much for this video, coach. U helped me a lot.
Glad to hear that!
As an umpire, it is so refreshing to have a player clearly communicate rules accurately.
I question #12 though. Still, amazing video.
Well done!
I wish videos like this were around 30 yrs ago. My coaches knew nothing about anything when it came to pitching. I had to call timeout during a game and have the ump explain it. Wish he had the time to explain it like you did. Coulda saved my career
Thanks for a great explanation of all balks from a big MLB fan.
Glad it was helpful!
Fantastic video!
Thank you very much!
Thx you so helpful as umpire. Keep the game going, don’t looking for bulk keep the game going . When bill come you’ll know it .
Not a pitcher, just a fan that really had no clue what the hell a balk was! I just watched a balk compilation video, and while some were obvious, most I had no clue what the call was for. Thanks for the help, coach!
This is great work , I’d love to get this in the hands of every youth coach I’ve ever dealt with .
Very informative! Really useful for me as a person interested in baseball but never gotten to grasp the rules of the game intuitively from watching it, since baseball is not in favor where I live
Great stuff Dan!
Thanks Grant! Hope all is well over there!
Well done
I finally get it !! lol thank you!
Love it! So well explained… I do have a question though.
If a pitcher takes the rubber (back foot is against rubber) and runner goes can he just throw to base from that position or take of running? Does the pitcher have to step off back of rubber even when not set to go after runner?
I always wondered what a ball was. I dont play baseball or ever played. But that was good information.
Thanks this just happened yesterday with the Dodgers and the Astro I’ve never heard of this I had to ask my brothers what this was. Great explanation.
Glad I could help
Well done...would have liked to see some examples shown while pitching from a windup as well.
yesterday at training someone said i did a balk and i did not know what it was thank you for explaining and learning me now im less scared for my game today!!
That was an excellent video as I umpire baseball in Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada
thanks for watching! Appreciate you umpires - it's a thankless job.
Finally..I know understand..well let's just say, I get it! Been a baseball fan for 52 years and never truly understood the balk! Thx coach!
thanks for the kind words!
Also an umpire. Great insight and actually learned something new! Good job!
Can you explain the walk off balk in the Reds/ Rays game?
Very good info for my 9-10yr old players parents…..kind of a simplified version and perfect for them. A+ coach Blue
Glad it was helpful!
Great video. I would like to add one if I may. All fielders, with the exception of the catcher, must be in fair territory when a pitch is delivered. If not, the penalty is a balk. For example if the 1B is holding a runner with one foot in foul territory.
We got called for a balk last weekend when our pitcher’s back foot was behind the rubber and the catcher tried to signal a large lead at 1st. Since the pitcher wasn’t locked in and received a sign, that’s a balk. Tough when it’s a semi final game at 12u but was a good learning experience. This video is a great tool for all coaches and players!
you learn by doing - thats baseball, and life. Baseball is really complicated so as much as videos can help, learning through failing is still huge.
The balk was the pitcher not receiving the sigh from the catcher with his pivot foot on the rubber. I know that some fans here may not understand the situation.
wow. I didn't realize there was a lot of different rules just for the form of the pitching. Baseball is a beautiful game.
Cool video
Awesome video! As an Umpire this is a great video
Your awesome dude and awesome video be safe out there
Thank you
Honestly not a pitcher or coach just a fan that has never truly understood this completely subjective rule. And this video well explained everything!!!
its not really that subjective
As a professional hitting instructor and college ump this is fantastic! SO MANY players, coaches AND umps don't know some of these. Possible clarification on MUST FACE BATTER - for example. pitcher cant lift leg turn back to batter than deliver a behind the back pitch to catcher..?? Only thing I could think of, kinda a rule against a "trick pitch" type thing. Thanks for the great video Brutha!
Thank you! I did some coaching overseas in Turkey and it brought into perspective just how complex baseball rules can be for true beginners, so this one was meant to help those starting out. Glad you thought it measured up 👊🏻
Thanks for the video. What about when the pitcher uses the traditional “set position” as a windup?
1. Lefty pitcher- No runners on, takes sign with left foot against rubber and right foot parallel to rubber, comes set (again both feet parallel to rubber), then takes “rocker step” toward third lifts leg and delivers home
2. What if does the same move with runners on?
Great Video...
We get on Umps after blown calls despite blown calls being fairly rare.
Watching this vid, *I now have even more respect for the Umpires,* simpiy considering just how many nuanced variables they have to be aware of & *on every single pitch....* And holy moly, here it was in respect to just one set of variables, namely those comprised within balks.
*Just WOW!*
Relatively rare? Angel Hernandez? Joe West?
Robo ump for strikes and balls. No excuses, these days, for 80% zone consistency.
Thank you 🙏🏻
The omelette I made for breakfast this morning turned out really well. Thank you for the information in the video.
I enjoyed this video
Terrific job explaining all of nuisances of the balk rules
Dan, Love this video! @ the 3:49 mark, you explain picking off to 2nd base by turning to your left..?! please explain how a legal pickoff as ar righty, to 2nd base can be done turning to your left without stepping off..? I should know this but now I'm slightly confused...Thanks for your time. T
search my channel for my pick off videos.
Apollo, his exact move the way he did it is legal. All you have to do is a legal step to the base you're throwing to without hesitation, which is what he did. Does not matter which way you turn. What did you think was illegal about it?
From an umpire's perspective, this is a great teaching tool. I work college baseball and teach high school umpires. I've used this video the past 2 years and it's been very well received. If you'd like I can forward you my breakdown of your video for high school umpires. Nice job! Bob
thanks! Appreciate the kind words
I'm a first year umpire for little league, and I've gone back to this video several times to get the concepts locked in my head. Great resource.
My basball coach had a problem with our pitchers balking ridiculously. So at practice he drew a square in the dirt around the mound and explained the dos and don't. 😀
I’m new to pitching, got called on balks about 4x my last start. Thanks a ton for your advice.
Good luck!
@@DanBlewett your mostly right on all the balks. Except the facing the batter thing. But this is to be expected from a coach/player/fan, who "thinks" they know the rules. You say "suppose" a couple times, and also, you mention asking other coaches etc. Did you ask a collegiate umpire etc? That way you get the correct information. Not supposing or guessing. Almost all players, coaches, think they know the rules, or an idea etc. And almost always, they are off.
This rule, (not in the college rules btw), means either in one of two positions, wind-up or set, facing. If you deliver the pitch, legally, you can be looking anywhere. There is no rule to support, exactly, what your saying. That at some point, you have to "look back" No verbiage in the rule book on this either. If your legal on wind-up or set, you can look wherever you want.
The next section, again, nothing in the book about your "right foot has to be the one that moves first" , Again, nothing in any of the rule sets (mlb, collegiate, HS), that supports this. The only thing on this, its referred to as a "step balk" or a buckle. A righthander, is making a pick to first, cant buckle his non pivot first, THEN spin and pick. As that initial buckle, is a movement considered as starting the motion to pitch. In any rule set, pitcher, in trying to pick, cant make any movement associated with his delivery, in this case, a knee buckle, then pause, and then spin to first. As the initial movement of the knee, on the non pivot, indicates starting a pitching motion. It all has to be in one movement. This is very difficult for umpires to get, at any level. But there is nothing about the right foot (or left foot for a lefty, having to move first)
and, nothing in the rule books about the 45 degrees etc. Book says throw directly to the base. So, the "interpretation", as an umpire, a guide, is to use the halfway point of the baseline, yes the 45. But this isnt in the book. This is especially used for a lefty. As they can get away with more, as far as the step. Since its difficult for the umpire to judge, where his non pivot lands in that throw to first. So usually, the lefty has to really blow past that point, to get called for that type of balk
Seek out a high level umpire in your area, and get the proper meanings, and verbiage
@@chuckfan1 Jesus Christ settle down all he did is say "suppose"
@@loganstevens2688 Dude... Im settled...
And, this is social media... comments are part of the deal.. dont like it? move on
And yeah, all he did was say "suppose" , but all this leads to mis-information getting out there, and leads to players/coaches/announcers/fans not knowing the rules, or thinking they know the rules, or only knowing part of a rule.
I umpire here in So Cal, college.. so I take this stuff seriously. Im buried in the rule book all the time, and know how this stuff goes. So if you want to say Im worked up, or not settled, ok.. but not the case
Im passionate about this, and what I do..
And if I can pass on intel, that is actually correct, and someone learns something, it can only help, with interaction betwixt umpires and those involved in the game
Especially when it comes to rules, and the interpretations thereof..
I have watched this a few times as an umpire to improve my ability to call balks. Thank you so much for these. Balks are one hard thing for umpires to master. And they seem to be hard for some young players to master not doing.
glad it's helped and thanks for the comment
I once had a pitcher get angry at me because I called a balk on him three times in the first inning for not doing a discernible stop in the set position prior to pitching. His control was all over the place, and he walked the first two batters and balked them around the bases. His coach was too busy screaming at me to fix the pitcher's mechanics.
Finally, the coach and the pitcher decided to mock me. The pitcher did an exaggerated set position with an hard 2-3 second stop. In doing so, he established a rhythm and was much sharper the rest of the game.
I love it when an exaggerated movement backfires, because you're just like... yeah. That. That's what you're supposed to do. Do that. Boy do they get steamed.
You're so cool
That is entirely up to the judgment of the umpire. Pitchers and coaches need to adjust. The problem is neither the pitcher, nor the coach understand the rules.
@@standyer7482 any rules that requires judgement or is open to interpretation should not be a rule.
@@11rbriskie So no ball/strike calls or safe/out calls?
All calls are up to the judgment of an umpire.
The strike zone is open to interpretation. So is the infield fly rule (What is "ordinary effort?")
Building on what is not a balk, How would you coach a 13u lefty pitcher to develop the most effective, most difficult to read, yet still just legal, move to first base to pick runners off and to keep them close? Lots to learn on the subject for a right handed dad. Thanks for all your videos they are very instructional.
check out this article, which has a number of videos: danblewett.com/left-handed-pick-off-moves/
As a second year umpire doing higher grades now this is super helpful thank you
I think the only one you forgot was the balk when youre on the rubber and you switch the Ball to your glove or the other way around before coming set. I really liked the video!
theres no separate rule for that - that's just starting and stopping again. falls under the same umbrella. I did go through the rulebook to make sure I had everything covered, before making the video.
Honestly never had a great handle on this rule, so I enjoyed seeing a proper video demonstration. Got a easy double play once courtesy of this rule though. Didn't usually pitch, but they put me in for an inning as a bit of a joke. So being a teenage kid, and nervous as hell because I just walked the first batter I faced, I take forever digging my back foot in at the rubber. Probably either disrupted my motion or was just taking too long, so they call it. Next guy hits a liner, runner doesn't expect our shortstop to snag it and basically runs right into the tag. Next batter grounds out and I put up a scoreless inning that I had no business pitching 😜 .
Hi, your comment about following thru the pickoff throw while standing on the rubber. Does that go for 2nd and 3rd also?
In high school, my windup was a balk. I started with my front foot on the rubber and my back foot off, which wasn't an issue until we got to our conference tournament, where as I'm warming up, homeplate ump tells me I can't do my windup because of my back foot not being on the rubber. Threw me off so bad let me tell you. We did end up winning the game, (and the tournament) but it did teach me one important lesson: if you can't do your windup, just go from the stretch
Excellent!!!+
Thank you! Cheers!