Pitcher steps off rubber

Once the pitcher separates his hands, he has committed himself to pitch.  Stepping off the rubber alleviates his obligation to pitch as he is now an infielder.  Which came first, the chicken or the egg?  If the pitcher clearly separates, and then decides to step off, it is a balk.  If the pitcher starts to step, but before he completes his step he separates his hands, he’s fine.  If he does it at the same time, the umpire should provide some leniency.

OBR rule 6.02 (a) comment: Umpires should bear in mind that the purpose of the balk rule is to prevent the pitcher from deliberately deceiving the base runner.  If there is doubt in the umpire’s mind, the “intent” of the pitcher should govern.

I play shortstop and I pitch for my freshman team and every time I throw a ball it’s not accurate I feel like I think too much about the throw but at the same time, I feel as if there is something wrong in my mechanics but mainly the ball goes off to the side and is rarely on target.

While learning to throw a ball harder, you cannot go wrong with consulting professionals.
I can ask your school coach for tips and corrections on how to pitch fast. They can spot what you have been doing wrong at a single glance.

Can someone explain the 10th inning balk call in the UCLA vs OSU baseball game on 5/28? Looked like the pitcher stepped off the rubber.