A balk will be declared when the pitcher delivers a ball:

• A. All the above.
• B. That is detected to have a foreign substance he applied to the ball.
• C. While wearing a bandage on the index finger of his pitching hand.
• D. While using a glove that included the color white.

Answer: (A)

A balk happens when the pitcher commits an illegal action during the delivery that could deceive runners or give an unfair advantage. Each of these scenarios is considered an illegal or improper part of the pitch: applying a foreign substance to the ball is prohibited because it alters the ball’s grip and flight; delivering while the index finger is bandaged could conceal or affect the grip in an illegal way; using a glove with a color like white can be used to mislead or distract, which is not allowed during a pitch. Because any of these during the delivery constitutes an illegal act, they can all trigger a balk. That’s why “All of the above” is the best answer. In real play, the pitch is dead and penalties apply per the rule book.