Obligatory:

Balk Rules

You can't just be up there and just doin' a balk like that.

1a. A balk is when you

1b. Okay well listen. A balk is when you balk the

1c. Let me start over

1c-a. The pitcher is not allowed to do a motion to the, uh, batter, that prohibits the batter from doing, you know, just trying to hit the ball. You can't do that.

1c-b. Once the pitcher is in the stretch, he can't be over here and say to the runner, like, "I'm gonna get ya! I'm gonna tag you out! You better watch your butt!" and then just be like he didn't even do that.

1c-b(1). Like, if you're about to pitch and then don't pitch, you have to still pitch. You cannot not pitch. Does that make any sense?

1c-b(2). You gotta be, throwing motion of the ball, and then, until you just throw it.

1c-b(2)-a. Okay, well, you can have the ball up here, like this, but then there's the balk you gotta think about.

1c-b(2)-b. Fairuza Balk hasn't been in any movies in forever. I hope she wasn't typecast as that racist lady in American History X.

1c-b(2)-b(i). Oh wait, she was in The Waterboy too! That would be even worse.

1c-b(2)-b(ii). "get in mah bellah" -- Adam Water, "The Waterboy." Haha, classic...

1c-b(3). Okay seriously though. A balk is when the pitcher makes a movement that, as determined by, when you do a move involving the baseball and field of

Do not do a balk please

Love me a nice, obvious balk

What did the Mariners pitcher at 1:20 do?Im confused

Watched this whole thing. Still not 100% what a balk is

Those were all definitely something

Alright, I'll tee someone up. What a balk?

Its been around for a while. I've had it come up several times over the last year or two

Balk Rules

You can't just be up there and just doin' a balk like that.

1a. A balk is when you

1b. Okay well listen. A balk is when you balk the

1c. Let me start over

1c-a. The pitcher is not allowed to do a motion to the, uh, batter, that prohibits the batter from doing, you know, just trying to hit the ball. You can't do that.

1c-b. Once the pitcher is in the stretch, he can't be over here and say to the runner, like, "I'm gonna get ya! I'm gonna tag you out! You better watch your butt!" and then just be like he didn't even do that.

1c-b(1). Like, if you're about to pitch and then don't pitch, you have to still pitch. You cannot not pitch. Does that make any sense?

1c-b(2). You gotta be, throwing motion of the ball, and then, until you just throw it.

1c-b(2)-a. Okay, well, you can have the ball up here, like this, but then there's the balk you gotta think about.

1c-b(2)-b. Fairuza Balk hasn't been in any movies in forever. I hope she wasn't typecast as that racist lady in American History X.

1c-b(2)-b(i). Oh wait, she was in The Waterboy too! That would be even worse.

1c-b(2)-b(ii). "get in mah bellah" -- Adam Water, "The Waterboy." Haha, classic...

1c-b(3). Okay seriously though. A balk is when the pitcher makes a movement that, as determined by, when you do a move involving the baseball and field of

Do not do a balk please

One of the few times I look at a balk clip and think "yeah that's a balk".

Omfg he’s calling for you guys? I love that so much. He was one of my favorites in his brief stint with the Royals. He’s so fun to listen to

I have no idea what a balk is but that kind of looks like a balk if I were to know what a balk was.

BALK RULES! IMPORTANT!

1. You can't just be up there and just doin' a balk like that.

1a. A balk is when you

1b. Okay well listen. A balk is when you balk the-

1c. Let me start over

1c-a. The pitcher is not allowed to do a motion to the, uh, batter, that prohibits the batter from doing, you know, just trying to hit the ball. You can't do that.

1c-b. Once the pitcher is in the stretch, he can't be over here and say to the runner, like, "I'm gonna get ya! I'm gonna tag you out! You better watch your butt!" and then just be like he didn't even do that.

1c-b(1). Like, if you're about to pitch and then don't pitch, you have to still pitch. You cannot not pitch. Does that make any sense?

1c-b(2). You gotta be, throwing motion of the ball, and then, until you just throw it.

1c-b(2)-a. Okay, well, you can have the ball up here, like this, but then there's the balk you gotta think about.

1c-b(2)-b. Fairuza Balk hasn't been in any movies in forever. I hope she wasn't typecast as that racist lady in American History X.

1c-b(2)-b(i). Oh wait, she was in The Waterboy too! That would be even worse.

1c-b(2)-b(ii). "get in mah bellah" -- Adam Water, "The Waterboy." Haha, classic...

1c-b(3). Okay seriously though. A balk is when the pitcher makes a movement that, as determined by, when you do a move involving the baseball and field of

2. Do not do a balk please.

This will be well worth attending!

It is a balk but as there are no runners on base, no action is taken. The batter does not go to first on a balk.

Illegal pitch. Batter is awarded a ball.

No, batter doesn't get 1st base.

Depending on what happened, the batter might be awarded a ball, but otherwise nothing happens

Think of it this way. Balks are a punishment for the defense to deceive the offense on the bases; runners.

BALK RULES! IMPORTANT!

1. You can't just be up there and just doin' a balk like that. 1a. A balk is when you 1b. Okay well listen. A balk is when you balk the 1c. Let me start over 1c-a. The pitcher is not allowed to do a motion to the, uh, batter, that prohibits the batter from doing, you know, just trying to hit the ball. You can't do that. 1c-b. Once the pitcher is in the stretch, he can't be over here and say to the runner, like, "I'm gonna get ya! I'm gonna tag you out! You better watch your butt!" and then just be like he didn't even do that. 1c-b(1). Like, if you're about to pitch and then don't pitch, you have to still pitch. You cannot not pitch. Does that make any sense? 1c-b(2). You gotta be, throwing motion of the ball, and then, until you just throw it. 1c-b(2)-a. Okay, well, you can have the ball up here, like this, but then there's the balk you gotta think about. 1c-b(2)-b. Fairuza Balk hasn't been in any movies in forever. I hope she wasn't typecast as that racist lady in American History X. 1c-b(2)-b(i). Oh wait, she was in The Waterboy too! That would be even worse. 1c-b(2)-b(ii). "get in mah bellah" -- Adam Water, "The Waterboy." Haha, classic... 1c-b(3). Okay seriously though. A balk is when the pitcher makes a movement that, as determined by, when you do a move involving the baseball and field of
2. Do not do a balk please.

Edit: Duck mobile formatting

No need to rewrite the balk rules to make them easier to understand since most people complaining about balk rules have never read the balk rules in the first place. They aren't high level calculus and each one of the 13 stipulations on balks has a legitimate reason for being there.

"When a pitcher balks, then that is automatically ruled a balk."

"Do not do a balk please."

HP Umpire: "when the pitcher twitches in a way I don't like."

Wow, he can't just be up there and just doin' a balk like that

So basically a balk is entirely dependent on whether the pitcher steps behind the rubber or not?

Basically no one really knows what a balk actually is.

But seriously, I went to a Low A Delmarva Shorebirds game and my mom splurged for box seats, normally we just went for general admission (entry was free with your little league jersey). So notable local politician Richard Colburn, a Maryland State Senator at the time, sat right in front of us and he was getting lit. He was so obnoxiously drunk every time the opposing pitcher set his hands this guy yelled Balk at the top of his lungs.

does harold reynolds seriously not realize that shields could have stepped back and to the side at the same time? Like his whole argument is based on the fact that shields' foot ends up farther right than it started, but he ignores that its also clearly behind the rubber. i really don't like that guy, he never seems to have a full grasp on reality

Exactly. Think of it this way: a balk forces a pitcher into certain mechanics to avoid deceiving the runner. If the runner initiates a play and thus can’t be deceived, why should the pitcher be put at the disadvantage of having to repeat those mechanics and slow their ability to react and attempt an out? That’s totally outside the spirit (and letter) of the rule.

"please stop", tags post as "discussion". So which is it? lol.

Ex-D1/pro pitcher. Not playing the appeal to authority card, but that I have pretty significant practice in what is and isn't a balk.

Let me first say that I don't think Hart's move SHOULD be a balk, because I don't think it truly deceives anyone, so I'm not upset that it wasn't called. Arias shouldn't have been rewarded for being a braindead, jackass baserunner. However, it was technically a balk.

Go to 6:37 of the highlight video here (and slow down to 0.25x): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EgD-GK7avU. Hart does not step-off the rubber. He goes up on his heel, then spins and throws. That is a balk. As a righty, if I had ever attempted to jump spin a pick-off throw to first like this, I'd have been called for a balk. You have to disengage the rubber first, which he didn't.

In short, you can't jump off the rubber.

I'm listening to Hammy. Was Rick complaining it was a balk?

I see and respect your facts, however my bias makes me ignore you and instead call you names because you have a different and logical opinion.

/s

Do not do a balk please.

#Balk Rules

1. You can’t just be up there and just doin’ a balk like that.

1a. A balk is when you

1b. Okay well listen. A balk is when you balk the

1c. Let me start over

1c-a. The pitcher is not allowed to do a motion to the, uh, batter, that prohibits the batter from doing, you know, just trying to hit the ball. You can’t do that.

1c-b. Once the pitcher is in the stretch, he can’t be over here and say to the runner, like, “I’m gonna get ya! I’m gonna tag you out! You better watch your butt!” and then just be like he didn’t even do that.

1c-b(1). Like, if you’re about to pitch and then don’t pitch, you have to still pitch. You cannot not pitch. Does that make any sense?

1c-b(2). You gotta be, throwing motion of the ball, and then, until you just throw it.

1c-b(2)-a. Okay, well, you can have the ball up here, like this, but then there’s the balk you gotta think about.

1c-b(2)-b. Fairuza Balk hasn’t been in any movies in forever. I hope she wasn’t typecast as that racist lady in American History X.

1c-b(2)-b(i). Oh wait, she was in The Waterboy too! That would be even worse.

1c-b(2)-b(ii). “get in mah bellah” — Adam Water, “The Waterboy.” Haha, classic...

1c-b(3). Okay seriously though. A balk is when the pitcher makes a movement that, as determined by, when you do a move involving the baseball and field of

2. Do not do a balk please.

Well for one thing it's kinda like holding in football. If you do it every play it's fine

You can wiggle all you want until you come 'set'. One you're set for a spit second your next movement must be a pitch home or a legal step off / pick off. It's all about not deceiving the runner. Very much procedural but it's better than weird behind the shoulder pickoff allyoops and circus plays that might develop from pitcher to the basemen.

Complete text, for those of you who might not be entirely familiar with the full MLB rule:

Balk Rules

You can't just be up there and just doin' a balk like that.

1a. A balk is when you

1b. Okay well listen. A balk is when you balk the

1c. Let me start over

1c-a. The pitcher is not allowed to do a motion to the, uh, batter, that prohibits the batter from doing, you know, just trying to hit the ball. You can't do that.

1c-b. Once the pitcher is in the stretch, he can't be over here and say to the runner, like, "I'm gonna get ya! I'm gonna tag you out! You better watch your butt!" and then just be like he didn't even do that.

1c-b(1). Like, if you're about to pitch and then don't pitch, you have to still pitch. You cannot not pitch. Does that make any sense?

1c-b(2). You gotta be, throwing motion of the ball, and then, until you just throw it.

1c-b(2)-a. Okay, well, you can have the ball up here, like this, but then there's the balk you gotta think about.

1c-b(2)-b. Fairuza Balk hasn't been in any movies in forever. I hope she wasn't typecast as that racist lady in American History X.

1c-b(2)-b(i). Oh wait, she was in The Waterboy too! That would be even worse.

1c-b(2)-b(ii). "get in mah bellah" -- Adam Water, "The Waterboy." Haha, classic...

1c-b(3). Okay seriously though. A balk is when the pitcher makes a movement that, as determined by, when you do a move involving the baseball and field of

Do not do a balk please

No