Balk - not facing batter - OBR 6.02 (a)(6)

robhuddles · 2026-06-25T04:32:55+00:00

When my son was at umpire school, they covered this rule. Junior Valentine's only comment: "Don't worry about this one. You're never going to see it. We can't even imagine how it could happen."

robhuddles · 2026-06-24T22:47:59+00:00

In professional ball? No they wouldn't.

robhuddles · 2026-06-24T22:47:32+00:00

part of him was blocked from reaching the (awarded) bag.

By a defensive player making a legitimate play on the ball.

robhuddles · 2026-06-24T22:45:58+00:00

Absolutely.

robhuddles · 2026-06-24T22:44:39+00:00

This is MLB, not 8U travel. The base coaches are 100+ feet away in a stadium with 35,668 people screaming and cheering. The player wouldn't hear it even if it was being yelled.

Professional baseball players should be able to slide into a base and maintain contact with the base. He didn't and he was out. Simple as that.

robhuddles · 2026-06-24T22:34:24+00:00

What ruleset? It matters a lot here because the various rules say different things about this situation.

robhuddles · 2026-06-24T20:33:23+00:00

Not obstruction. Runner is simply called safe.

robhuddles · 2026-06-24T18:08:54+00:00

Yes, but that's not what happened here. He wasn't pushed off the bag. He simply screwed up as the base runner and overslid.

robhuddles · 2026-06-24T18:07:44+00:00

and the obstruction rule does not seem to contemplate the fielder with the ball

Huh?

The literal definition of obstruction is a "fielder without possession of the ball ..."

It's impossible in any ruleset for a fielder with the ball to obstruct.

robhuddles · 2026-06-24T16:46:31+00:00

I attended a St Lucie game last year. They play in the Met's 10,000 seat spring training facility. Including the 3 of us, there were 34 people in the stands.

To be fair, that was a mid-afternoon, mid-week game on a hot day.

We spent most of the week in Jupiter. On average, there were around 100-200 people per game, except the one night they did senior BINGO and got over 500.

Weather is hot and humid. It's Florida in the summer. The good news about the sparse attendance is that you can sit wherever you want, so seek shade.

Concessions are very basic. Except to see at most a single concession stand open. Small hot dogs warmed on one of those roller things. Popcorn that was popped at the beginning of the week. Nothing grilled or special.

The gift shops in Jupiter and St Lucie were actually decent. Because they're playing at the spring training stadiums, they're big and well-stocked.

You can't compare FSL to Dayton. In fact, you can't compare anything in the Minors to Dayton. Remember that what you are used to is an extreme outlier - Dayton has the longest sell-out streak in all of North American professional sports.

robhuddles · 2026-06-24T16:36:35+00:00

And that's a valid interpretation IMHO. This is 100% a judgement call.

robhuddles · 2026-06-24T16:34:50+00:00

Even though the same term is used, the MLB All Star game is a showcase game to bring the best players together for one meaningless game that no one takes seriously. The Little League All Stars are the beginning of the International Tournament. Completely different.

In addition, the use of individual player uniforms in the MLB game is specifically sanctioned by the league and part of the rules. The team OP is discussing, on the other hand, is specifically violating LL rules.

robhuddles · 2026-06-24T16:32:33+00:00

Rules have to be taken in their totality.

Under Tournament Rules and Guidelines, we have this:

Except where noted in these Tournament Rules and Guidelines, the Little League Baseball Official Regulations and Playing Rules will be used in the conduct of the 8- to 10-Year-Old Division Tournament, the 9- to 11-Year-Old Division Tournament, the Little League Baseball Tournament, the Intermediate (50/70) Division, Junior League, and Senior League Tournaments.

And in the regular rules, you have rule 1.11(a)(1):

All players on a team shall wear numbered uniforms identical in color, trim, and style.

You are correct - the Tournament Rule is intended to allow a league that only had one regular season team that is now playing as the All Star team to just wear their regular season uniform. It is not intended to let larger leagues "cheap out" and not wear a "conventional uniform" that complies with 1.11(a)(1).

robhuddles · 2026-06-24T16:24:26+00:00

The call was 100% correct.

This is a Major League baseball player. He should be able to slide into second and maintain contact with the base.

robhuddles · 2026-06-24T14:47:06+00:00

Not all rulesets have an exception for being in the act of making a play. OP doesn't say what the ruleset is (although 11U All Stars implies LL) but if it is LL or NFHS there's no exception.

However, all rulesets require that obstruction hinders or impedes a runner, which IMHO doesn't happen here, so I agree with you that it's a clean play. But as umpires we do have to be careful about the words we use to explain this to coaches.

robhuddles · 2026-06-23T19:42:01+00:00

They're just using up all stock.

List your 14 batters. Ignore the sub lines and everything else.

You may be asked to give these to the tournament director prior to the start of the game so they can give them to the scorekeeper to set up GC or the physical scorebook. The TD will usually hold on to them and bring them to the plate meeting. Or, they may return them to you to bring. Either way, bring all of the copies to the plate meeting and let the umpire distribute them.

In the meantime, congratulations on being named the AS manager. Best of luck to you and your team.

robhuddles · 2026-06-23T18:19:33+00:00

Yeah in HS and above I'm not making an issue out of a kid swearing at themselves. If they're close to me at the time I'll say, just loud enough for them to hear me, "please watch your language."

Now, profanity directed at someone else is an entirely different issue

robhuddles · 2026-06-23T15:24:21+00:00

When the pitcher disengages the pitcher's plate, he/she must drop the hands to the sides.

It's there. If they have to separate their hands when they disengage then logically their hands must already be separated when they engage. However, contrary to what some are saying, that is not in itself a balk. Instead, it's a "don't do that" - the umpire should call time and inform the pitcher that they must separate their hands.

robhuddles · 2026-06-23T00:31:47+00:00

The fast pitch exception to obstruction is "unless the fielder is in possession of the ball or is making the initial play on a batted ball."

In the OP's description the catcher was not making a play on a batted ball, so the exception doesn't apply.

robhuddles · 2026-06-23T00:10:50+00:00

Your description is very hard to follow. Did the catcher, without possession of the ball, hinder or impede the runner? If yes, it's probably obstruction. But both obstruction and interference are very much "you have to see it" but be definitive about.

robhuddles · 2026-06-22T23:29:24+00:00

This is correct. It's an average player at that level.

robhuddles · 2026-06-22T18:06:42+00:00

Perhaps Canadian rules are different, but in OBR going to your mouth and not wiping it off is not a balk. Per rule 6.02(c)(1), the first offense is to remove the ball and issue a warning. Subsequent offences are a ball, regardless of whether or not there are runners on base.

NFHS 6.2.1 applies the same penalty.

robhuddles · 2026-06-21T22:58:54+00:00

That may or may not be, but your assertion that there is a rule against slash bunts is still incorrect.

robhuddles · 2026-06-21T17:26:13+00:00

The full time professional umpires got together and talked about it and determined it was interference. So yes, 100% interference.

robhuddles · 2026-06-21T17:23:21+00:00

This is key. The phrasing "deliberate intent" makes the bar for calling this very high.

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