Rule sets / NFHS
NFHS Baseball Rules
The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) governs high school baseball in the United States. Its pitching rules differ substantially from OBR — most notably in how the set and windup positions are defined — so balks that look identical on the field are often written very differently in the NFHS book.
Delivery
Balks that arise from how the pitch is started and completed.
- Quick-Pitch Balk
FIXMEA pitcher may not deliver a pitch before the batter is reasonably set in the box. Doing so is a balk.
- Start-Stop Delivery Balk
FIXMEOnce a pitcher begins his delivery to the plate he must continue without interruption.
Pickoffs
Illegal moves and throws toward a base while a runner is on.
- Free Foot Swing
FIXMEOnce the pitcher's free (stride) foot swings past the back edge of the rubber, the pitcher is committed to delivering home. The only exception is a throw to second base on a pickoff play.
- Illegal Feint Balk
FIXMEIt varies by rule set but feints to first base are generally prohibited and a feight to third base might be as well.
- No-Step Balk
FIXMEA pitcher must step toward the base he is throwing to. Failing to do so is a balk.
- Unoccupied Base Balk
FIXMEA pitcher may not throw to an unoccupied base unless the throw is part of a play to retire a runner.