I'm going to chat mechanics,
And leave this as a clue...
good maneuver getting behind the ball.
But then let the ball roll out of his glove.
... with the ball on the ground he should have just picked it up with his hand.
Any stationary ball on the ground, anywhere on the field should be pitched up with throwing hand.
But I never knew that a catcher using their mask to assist in fielding a ball was a balk. Another reason for catchers to never take off their mask.
Any stationary ball on the ground, anywhere on the field should be pitched up with throwing hand.
But I never knew that a catcher using their mask to assist in fielding a ball was a balk. Another reason for catchers to never take off their mask.
The video is not coming up for me, but I'll add that a catcher picking up a ball with her/his mask can be even more complex than what @CoachJD said . . .
From NFHS Softball 8-4-3(d):
NFHS Baseball is even harsher . . . they award three bases on a hit and two bases on a throw or pitch, PLUS they award from the time of the infraction, not the time of the pitch.
MLB (OBR) provides the 3,2,1 like NFHS softball, but uses the time of infraction, like NFHS baseball.