quote:

ORIGINAL: Lordandmaster

It's WAY more complicated than that.  Essentially, a balk is called if the pitcher violates any one of a number of rules that are designed to prevent him deliberately deceiving a baserunner.  Here, the balk is described in Rule 8.05, and you'll see how lengthy the verbiage is:

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/official_info/official_rules/pitcher_8.jsp

Anyway, here's a fun one I thought of the other night.  There are a few rules written into the NFL rule book with the purpose of preventing a team from benefiting from a penalty--for example, the principle that a half cannot end on a defensive penalty: you can't just wait for time to expire and then deck all the receivers.  If the half ends on a defensive penalty, the offensive is awarded a final untimed snap after the penalty is enforced.

Now--

Can you think of similar devices?  Again, something in the rule book that prevents a team from benefiting from a penalty.

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ORIGINAL: SissySean

A balk is called if the pitcher does not come to a complete stop before delivering the ball.

quote:

ORIGINAL: SissySean

As for your other question, and a good one, the only thing I can think of and may not fall under the same  pretenses but I am thinking the infield fly rule?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lordandmaster

I was thinking of the NFL (and specifically of rules relating to penalties), but the infield fly rule is a nice example, yes.

quote:

ORIGINAL: SissySean

As for your other question, and a good one, the only thing I can think of and may not fall under the same  pretenses but I am thinking the infield fly rule?