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In baseball, a balk is an illegal motion by the pitcher when there are runners on base. This infraction can occur in several ways: if the pitcher doesn't have their pivot foot in contact with the pitching plate while delivering the ball, if they fail to hold the ball in front of their chest before starting their delivery, or if they begin a throw to first base with a runner present but don't complete it. When a balk is called by the umpire, all runners on base are allowed to advance one base. The purpose of this rule is to prevent pitchers from deceiving runners on base.1

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