softball defensive coverage

If the initial throw goes to second base, the ball is then thrown to first base, then to home plate. The odds of making a throw that gets past the player covering the base are pretty high. Stop them when they pick-up the ball! Quickly ending each play keeps the game moving along quicker. There are four infielders, the game is played with one ball and there are three bases. Kids need to be trained constantly of this sequence of prioritization. They need to be sure to go behind the base runner when crossing the base line. Options are then limited to: Carry the ball to its destination (run with the ball), Hand it to a teammate (who they have run to), Make a short underhand toss to a teammate (after running towards them to a point they are close enough to make a short, safe toss). On a ball hit to right field, the Second Baseman runs towards the ball, into the outfield, to get in position to take the ball from the Right Fielder and run the ball back into the infield, or to serve as the lead cut-player on a ball that gets past the Right Fielder. The free safety usually dictates the defensive coverage adjustments. We mandate to our player to ignore any baiting by runners dancing back and forth a few feet from the base. GO GET implies motion. The teaching phrase Look for Other Runners is literal. These two players, positioned in the middle of the field, follow this simple rule: If the ball is hit to your Left and you arent fielding the ball, SPRINT to the base on your Left; If the ball is hit to your Right and you arent fielding the ball, SPRINT to the base on your Right. We can establish this habit during the Scrimmage (see Practice Structure) portion of practice. It would be nice for the 9-11 age group to get into this part, but its not life or death. We have the Second Baseman and Shortstop at a point nearly midway between second base and the corner base. A coach with limitd experience or understanding of modifying the positioning of players, need not worry. We teach our players: Cover the base with your eyes. 16x Big 12 Champions; Over 1,100 career victories. To be a solid fastpitch softball defensive team, your team must be well-drilled in fastpitch softball bunt coverage. My reasoning is that a softball infield is so truncated as compared to a baseball field, that 3 players should be able to cover almost any bunt. Left Field. Practice Plans, Drills, Batting Practice Plans. Ideally, they learn to run to where the carom will land. If they dont have the ball they are not allowed to access (touch) the base. This forces the player to move far away from their base making it clear to the other infielders that it is not covered. Ball tossed to a teammate after carrying/running with the ball, many kids are unaware of, or do not think about, the Underhand Toss option. The real success of defending bunts lies in the team performing the general principals of the bunt defense. We also want to establish a sense of urgency to get the ball to the middle of the infield as quickly as possible - every play. Without the key, they dont get inside to access food, warmth and shelter. Your best bunt coverage is to have your 1st and 3rd baseman crashing when they see the hands drop to bunt position, with 2nd base covering 1st and your SS covering 3 if there are any runners on base. The Catcher hollers loud, Eat it! (meaning to hold onto the ball). Another common term used is Athletic position, which is perfectly fine. Use the magnet principle for defensive coverage in softball This is an excerpt from Survival Guide for Coaching Youth Softball by Robert Benson & Tammy Benson. Stand on the field/pitching rubber side of the plate facing the ball. The infielder then turns and sprints with the ball towards the middle of the infield. These two athletes have their feet wider than their hips, knees are bent, hands and elbows are in front of the body with hands wpread a bit wider than the torso. The softball first base positioning is important and will almost always determine the success of any play around the base. In many instances the Third Baseman figures, since nothing is immediately happening at third base, there is no urgency to cover the base. ], Once the Pitcher has control of the ball, is a few feet from the pitching rubber, and the runners are not attempting to advance to the next base, we want our Pitcher to raise their arms and holler in a loud voice in the direction of an umpire, TIME Please!. If one of the infielders gets the ball before it reaches the outfield, then the right fielder will run toward first to provide backup and to cover any overthrows (which are very likely to occur). That is ok, it is part of the learning process. As Patty Gasso says and many coaches would agree, defense wins championships. The Centerfielder backs-up second base. Stop the ball - this begins by establishing in the minds of our players (and constantly reinforcing) that they want to go get the ball and get it as quickly as possible. We want the Catcher running the game. Important note:when using a throw to move the ball into position to stop the runners, point #1 comes back into play. Coach rolls a ball to one of the four infielders. If the ball goes to a corner base they, players then throw the ball around the infield, base to base; each using proper Underhand Toss technique. You can get them individually by clicking the links below, or you can get them ALL as a member of our . Once you have your players training in how to call Time, talk to the umpires before each game and alert them of what your players will be doing. You may be shocked by the number of kids who don't know that toss the ball underhand is even an option. 2. Immediately after making a play at a base or tagging a runner, we want our player to turn towards the middle of the infield, in a Power Position, while Moving Their Feet, so they are prepared to make a throw. This puts our player in motion. The last thing you want to do is run a 90's style slapping defense with your third and short in, 2nd next to the pitcher, and your outfield in on the skin and then have a kid powerslap over your left fielders head. Point out that the fence line on most fields is only 10-15 behind first and third base. That command is followed by, Run it in! (meaning, NO overhand throws; get the ball to the middle of the infield asap and in the hands of the Pitcher). After the play has ended there is no reason to risk making an overhand throw. Softball Defensive Ready Position Antonelli Softball 14.3K subscribers Subscribe 23K views 2 years ago SOFTBALL INFIELD INSTRUCTION, DRILLS, AND ADVICE Softball Defensive Ready Position. Procedure: Use the bat to draw the lines in front of the catcher to designate the areas of responsibility for the corners and the catcher for a bunt. NOTE: The rule of thumb, when the ball is hit to the center fielder, Pitcher or catcher, is the shortstop is positioned to handle the ball. However, the Left Fielder does visually follow the ball and prepares for the possibility that the ball may be moved around the infield and they may be needed, later in the play, to back up a throw to second or third base. The LF & RF have two bases to back up. The assumption of the outfielder, each time the ball is put into play in the infield, is that it will not be fielded and the outfielder will be getting the ball. She begins with bunt and slap defense, moves on to . Prior to the pitch being throws or when preparng to receive a throw, we want our kids to be Ready to move quickly, be it laterally, forward or back. Then point out to them that they are NOW in line with the direction of the throw to the base. For the purpose of the drill (working on a MINI DIAMOND), we want the backing up approximately 15 beyond the base. Teach players to stand on the same side of the base as the balls location on the field. Outfielders back-up bases on every play. Note, however, that this positioning leaves the defense vulnerable to a right-handed pull hitter or a left-handed hitter who hits to the opposite field. If an outfielder is not playing the ball, they are responsible to back up the base. The two outfielders, the ball is not hit to, are not playing the ball, so their responsibility is to back up a base. In this strategy, the players pretend that the ball is a gigantic magnet and that they are all pieces of metal that are attracted to it. balls requiring the fielder to move quickly from their starting spot. * The Catcher is the only player that can see all the action on the field. Solution: at the conclusion of the drill (players have gotten to where they think they are supposed to be), for each player who is not lined up with the direction of a throw to a base, roll a ball firmly towards, and past the base. The defenses below are standard bunt defenses, nothing revolutionary. This Drill should be one of first defensive drills of the year for our team. (The center fielder is still there to back-up the throw to second base.). 6. We are teaching our players to always anticipate that another play needs to be made. The first-base defender can then return to first base and get ready to receive the throw. Former Gophers defensive backs Jordan Howden and Terell Smith were selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday. Creating this habit in our players takes effort and energy on our part; it is worth our effort. The most common (and most recognizable) out in the game is a force out at first base. We want them 20-25' beyond the base. We point out that some throws to second base are going almost directly towards the Left or Right Field positions. We want to educate our players on these facts during our first practices, The base is for the runners, the ball is for the defense. Barely anything is going to happen while they are looking away from the ball. In this case the Pitcher does not field the ball so they continue running in a straight line towards third base. Before the base has any useful function for a player on defense, they need to have the ball. Ignore the 'key' at the top. When working with kids we want to structure our talk to be as literal as possible. Then, to lessen your frustrations during a game, walk through various situations and discuss how defenders should move to provide coverage for a hit. Human Kinetics print books and eBooks are now distributed by Mare Nostrum, throughout the UK, Europe, Africa and Middle East, delivered to you from their warehouse. The kids need to be taught how to execute an underhand toss and it needs to be practiced a lot. Releasing this responsibility to the Catcher is simple to do if we subscribe to the Philosophy that Its the Players team, not My team. Looking at the runner delays the application of the tag, AND may cause the fielder to take their eyes off the ball and miss the throw.
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