About

About howtobalk.com

The balk is one of baseball's most misunderstood rules — partly because it isn't one rule at all, but a family of them, worded differently in every rule book. This site exists to document each one clearly.

What this site does

Every balk is cataloged by its common shorthand (its "slug"), then cross-referenced across the three major rule sets: the professional Official Baseball Rules (OBR), the NCAA college rules, and the NFHS high school rules. Each page explains the balk in plain English, quotes the exact rule text and number for the rule set you're viewing, and — where available — shows video examples.

Why the rule set matters

A move that's legal under one rule book can be a balk under another. Rather than flatten those differences, this site keeps them side by side so players, coaches, and umpires can see exactly how their level of play treats each situation.

A note on accuracy

Rule text is quoted for reference and education. Rule books are periodically revised, so always confirm against the current official publication for your league before making a ruling.

Get in touch

Spot an error, or know of a balk that isn't documented yet?