# MLB Rules: Can the Pitcher Fake A Throw? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 7, 2016, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-rules-can-the-pitcher-fake-a-throw/767891 "2016-10-07T22:41:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2016, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-rules-can-the-pitcher-fake-a-throw/767891/1 "2016-10-07T22:41:33Z")
When throwing to 1st base to mess with a leading runner, can the pitcher fake a throw to 1st base? It doesn’t look like they do to me. I know they’ll turn to 1st, and the runner will get back on base. They may even raise the throwing arm, but… Does a pitcher ever totally fake a complete throw (neither stopping the arm motion nor launching the ball either) to 1st base? …Or, have I just been oblivious? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2016, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-rules-can-the-pitcher-fake-a-throw/767891/2 "2016-10-07T22:44:11Z")
It a balk, not allowed. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2016, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-rules-can-the-pitcher-fake-a-throw/767891/3 "2016-10-07T22:49:16Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > It a balk, not allowed. I don’t think a fake throw to first is a balk. A fake to third, and throw to first is now a balk, under a [2013 rule change](http://www.nytimes.com/ref/sports/baseball/baseball-rule-change-eliminates-a-fake-pickoff-by-pitcher.html). ---
**Author:** ![Tread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Tread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tread)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2016, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-rules-can-the-pitcher-fake-a-throw/767891/4 "2016-10-07T22:53:21Z")
He can fake a throw to 2nd base, but not 1st or 3rd. INAU but… Well maybe he can… I think rules say if he throws without stepping towards base before throw, that’s a balk, or if he steps and doesn’t throw that is a balk… but if he fakes a throw without stepping, that may not meet the requirements of a balk. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2016, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-rules-can-the-pitcher-fake-a-throw/767891/5 "2016-10-07T22:54:00Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I don’t think a fake throw to first is a balk. > > A fake to third, and throw to first is now a balk, under a [2013 rule change](http://www.nytimes.com/ref/sports/baseball/baseball-rule-change-eliminates-a-fake-pickoff-by-pitcher.html). If his foot is on the rubber, it’s a balk. [Page 71.](http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/downloads/y2016/official_baseball_rules.pdf) (PDF) ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2016, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-rules-can-the-pitcher-fake-a-throw/767891/6 "2016-10-07T23:17:20Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > If his foot is on the rubber, it’s a balk. [Page 71.](http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/downloads/y2016/official_baseball_rules.pdf) (PDF) “Foot on the rubber” being the key part. He can step off the rubber and then fake a throw. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2016, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-rules-can-the-pitcher-fake-a-throw/767891/7 "2016-10-08T02:11:47Z")
If he steps off the back of the rubber first, he can fake a throw. And I just want to say that I hate the new rule that they can’t fake the throw to 3rd base from the rubber. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2016, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-rules-can-the-pitcher-fake-a-throw/767891/8 "2016-10-08T18:13:03Z")
Why don’t dogs have this rule? They HATE the fake throw! ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-rules-can-the-pitcher-fake-a-throw/767891/9 "2016-11-08T16:19:57Z")
How the heck do umpires see where the pitcher’s foot is when the rubber is flush with the ground? …and the mound is above playing level! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-rules-can-the-pitcher-fake-a-throw/767891/10 "2016-11-08T16:22:41Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > How the heck do umpires see where the pitcher’s foot is when the rubber is flush with the ground? …and the mound is above playing level! 1st and 3rd base umpires. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-rules-can-the-pitcher-fake-a-throw/767891/11 "2016-11-08T17:08:49Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > How the heck do umpires see where the pitcher’s foot is when the rubber is flush with the ground? …and the mound is above playing level! It’s not above eye level. It’s pretty easy to see where the rubber is in relation to the pitcher’s back foot. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-rules-can-the-pitcher-fake-a-throw/767891/12 "2016-11-08T18:04:23Z")
You also can’t throw a potato to trick a runner into thinking you don’t have the ball. [That’s been tried before.](http://www.baseballreliquary.org/about/collections/dave-bresnahan-potato/) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-rules-can-the-pitcher-fake-a-throw/767891/13 "2016-11-08T20:14:04Z")
It sounds like other folks are assuming that the purpose is to trick runners-- What about tricking the batter? He’s watching you too, and if he thinks you don’t have the ball, you might be able to get off a quick pitch when he’s not expecting it.