Baseball Coaching Digest - What Are the 12 Most Common Ways That Pitchers Commit a Balk in Baseball?

By Nick Dixon

A balk is any action taken by the pitcher to deliberately deceive a base runner or base runners, to gain an unfair advantage. When a balk is called by the umpire, time is called, and all base runners are awarded a one-base advance. It is a judgment rule made by one of the umpires.

Here are what I consider to be the 12 most common balk calls in baseball at all levels of play.


The pitcher delivers from the set position without coming to a stop.
The pitcher causes an unnecessarily delay the game.
The pitcher fakes a throw to first base, without stepping off the rubber, and does not throw the ball to first base. (The pitcher is allowed to fake a throw to second and third base when a runner is occupying those bases. If the pitcher steps off the rubber, he does not have to make the throw.)
The pitcher does not step toward a base when making a throw to that base. The 45 degree rule applies in this case.
The pitcher makes his normal pitching motion but does not throw the ball to the plate.
The pitcher throws to an unoccupied base when not making a play on an advancing runner. The pitcher can throw to an unoccupied base if a runner is attempting to advance to that base.
The pitcher makes an illegal pitch. This may be a quick pitch or a pitch throw before the batter is judged to be set by the umpire.
The pitcher performs his normal or natural pitching motion used to deliver a pitch without being on the pitching rubber.
The pitcher fakes a pitch without the having the baseball while on or off the rubber.
While he is on the rubber, the pitcher drops the baseball. This applies whether the baseball is accidentally or intentionally dropped.
The pitcher delivers from the set position without coming to a stop.
The pitcher turns the shoulders toward first base after coming to the set position.

I am sure that you can name a couple more ways that a pitcher can balk. These are the 12 that I see the most from my point of view. I hope that you found this article to be informative and interesting. Thanks for taking the time to read it.

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Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, a sports training company established in 1999. Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of the BatAction Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Target Trainer, the SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and the SKLZ Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Youth Baseball Digest, the Baseball Parent Guide, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, and Blog4Coaches.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Dixon

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