pickoff

Question
when a pitcher is in a set position from stretch,does he have to drop his hands first ,before he steps back off the rubber in a pickoff to second ,or any base for that matter .thanks

Answer
Andy,

The pitcher just has to stop his hands from moving for a period of time.  The time period is in the umpire's judgement, but it has to be a definite stop.  Most pitchers bring their hands to their chest, but there is no rule about where they have to stop, only that they must stop.

Hope this helps!

Brian