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!. I encourage leagues to consider taking this a step further and instruct their umpires to call Time, get the next batter in the box, and keep games moving along. Then they holler (loud enough to be heard in the outfield) the number of OUTS and the location of the RUNNERS. Base. Beginning with Coordinated Team Defense (Part 2), move through the rest of the section piece by piece at a pace your group can grasp the content. There is one ball that needs to be fielded, and three bases needing to be backed up. We want to establish in the minds of our players that once the runners have stopped trying to advance, we want to get the ball to the middle of the infield as fast as possible. Before the base has any useful function for a player on defense, they need to have the ball. Anytime we compact the teaching/learning environment we reduce distractions, improve communication and the players get many more repetitions during a drill. How Much Moderate-Intensity Physical Activity Is Enough. The players are so much closer together on the small diamond. Once our players establish the habit (requirement) of getting into motion each time the ball comes off the bat, each play, it is now much simpler to keep them moving to make a play on the Ball, move to cover a Base, or move to Back-up a Base. A common mistake made by youth teams is mishandling the ball while getting it back to the middle of the infield after a play has ended. After a couple of days of running the drill we want to expand the teaching of the backing up situation. Some of us played on the larger diamond and possibly have coached in that environment. This action of the coach represents a ground ball. Left Field. *Later in the season, after the players have demonstrated they clearly understand their movement responsibilities, the drill can be modified. Corner Outfielders: Midway between the Corner Base and Second Base, 60 beyond the back edge of the infield. They are not missing out. This article will discuss the standard scheme that works best for your base defense. HINT: tell the player they can Watch the Play from the Base. If they identify the need to make a throw, because they are so much closer to the center of the diamond, the distance of that throw is greatly reduced. We need for them to physically move to the correct distance beyond the base. A few inches off the plate, and not touching the plate. If you are looking to purchase online videos, online courses or to access previously purchased digital products please press continue. NOTE: This does not mean the Center Fielder is not attempting to back up on these throws. When a ball is hit to the right side of the infield, the RF goes to get the ball. Training the second baseman to cover the bag when not fielding the ball is important in youth baseball and softball. The FS looks at the offensive alignment and. Stay alert of throws in the direction of the home plate area of the field. Softball Position Roles and Responsibilities - rookieroad.com Once the ball is fielded and moved to another point on the field, the responsibilities of some players change, while most have to reposition themselves in relationship to the ball's new location on the field. The mindset of the LF/RF: when THE ball is hit on your side of the infield, YOU will be fielding the ball. Put a runner at 1st base that needs to be advanced by the batter. 1. In this case, the First Baseman progresses to the Back-up responsibilityall players follow the same progression of the Rule: 1) Ball, 2) Base, 3) Back-up. They have to move some distance to cover a base or back-up a base; they learn that Baseball/Softball requires every player in the field to move when the ball comes off the bat, they have to move some distance, and have to move fast. I have always said that if you can keep your opponents from scoring you only need 1 run to win the game. She's not going to run. The Mini Diamond is also used to teach drills and plays before running them on the regular size field. --> The rule for the CF and LF is that because they are not playing the ball they are backing up a base. 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. IMPORTANT NOTE: When delivering the ball to the first baseman or third baseman, only roll the ball about one third of the way toward the base. SECOND - The second block of topics in Coordinated Team Defense (Part 1), especially the two drills: 1) Infield Base Coverage and 2) Backing-up, establishes the core concepts for getting all the kids in the field moving and contributing to team defensive play. Any drill in which the focus of the teaching is something other than working on full on overhand throwing technique can be run on a Mini Diamond. We are teaching our players to always anticipate that another play needs to be made. Softball Defensive Signals - Softball Tutor The Centerfielder backs-up second base. All you need is to drag and drop objects to depict another play and then save with the different name. We also want to keep in mind that a player we identify has having solid physical skills for the position may not also have the vocal strength and/or personality to be so vocal. --> The rule for the CF and RF is that because they are not playing the ball they are backing up a base. Players at each outfield position, approximately 30 beyond the infield diamond (mark those spots with cones). They tend to be overly concerned with being at/on the base, so they are in the best position to record an out, even when throws are off-line. Basic Softball Defensive Strategy And Tactics In this example we have a ball hit to the shortstop: --> The rule for the other three infielders is to cover a base. An experienced and consciencious umpire should be receptive to this practice. 'She's not going to run:' Softball speedster, Division I commit defies Set-up: Mini-diamond, 20'-25' square. 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. Witherspoon was a stalwart of the Illini secondary ever since he arrived in Champaign back in 2019. 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. Those coaches will gain a decent sense for adjusting defensive positioning. Primarily as observers of the pro game. Older player (ages 10-12) often have vocal muscles developed enough for the outfield to hear them. Movement is critical. 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. All movements in the drill are a full out sprint. At the 12u level of play they are needed to cover both a corner base and second base, depending on the circumstances of a given play. When the Third Baseman is backing up throws to third base, rarely will they be in the ideal spot when the throw is made. This is a less common occurance in the game played on the small diamond. Thrown balls getting past their intended target, specifically throws to bases, happens in almost every youth baseball game. Their first responsibility is to go for the ball, which means sprinting in behind the infielder attempting to field the ball. Soon they will be making quick and sound decisions for making throws. 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. --> The rule for the LEFT FIELDER, because the ball is hit to an infielder in front of them, is to go for the ball. The left fielder is positioned in the outfield on the left side of the field, closest to third base. 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. Left fielders must be fast to track down balls and have a strong . The magnet principle is a basic concept that can be used to help young players learn defensive coverage. Before our kids are ready to learn their roll, they first must clearly understand that the foundation of their play is the need for them to move from their spot on the field when the ball is pitched to another spot on the field. We first want to establish in our players minds that they are going to get every ball that is put into play. Side of the Base the Ball is Coming From - To avoid throws crossing the path of the Base Runner. This practice leads to a better experience for everyone at the park. Cover 1st base: first baseman (unless the bunt is harder to him, forcing him to field) Backup 1st base: second base (unless nobody is covering first, then he will fill in) Cover 2nd base: shortstop. 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). Player fielding the ball does not* throw the ball. The suggestions below are Regular. In this case the second baseman then takes over the responsibility of covering second base. priority #1 is to stop the ball from going past first base, so the runner has to stay at first base. This Drill should be one of first defensive drills of the year for our team. We train our players to 'run the ball in'. The catcher calls out which base to throw the ball to. When on the field, the kids will learn to address each situation, less through our verbal instructions, and more through active participation in the drills. There are three situations (also covered in greater detail later in this section) where the shortstop and second basemans response to this rule is modified slightly; when the ball is hit to the catcher, pitcher or center fielder: Catcher or Pitcher: shortstop covers second base; the second baseman backs up second base. From this point forward, we are filling in the gaps of the above teaching. It will be reiterated constantly throughout the season in most drills and activitiesbecause baseball/softball is a game of movement. It is critical to establish a mindset in our players that their defensive responsibilities do not end until the ball has arrived to the middle of the infield. If the ball is hit to right field, the First Baseman aggressively sprints to the right-field-side of first base in case there is a possibility to receive a throw for a force out. Click here to proceed to the HK Canada website. Point out to players that it only takes a second to cover the base. There are four infielders, the game is played with one ball and there are three bases. Simple as this may seem, this is what the game is about. The Shortstop moves towards the ball, which takes them to the second base bag. This movement requirement applies toallplayers, regardless of where the ball is hit Example, third baseman on a ball hit to right field: The third baseman takes an aggressive step towards right field. In this situation the Third Baseman sprints towards the spot they are needed to Back-up a throw to the base. One player goes for the ball; the other three back up a base (4 = 1 + 3). This problem is eliminated by teaching the kids that the three players in the middle of the field, the Pitcher, Shortstop and Second Baseman always move towards the ball. It is perfectly acceptable to carry the ball. Adjust a couple feet to their right or left so to have a clear line of sight to the batter. If they dont have the ball they are not allowed to access (touch) the base. We want the Catcher running the game. 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. Folks watching that team will clearly recognize they are watching a quality of play at the 12u level that is unlike anything they have seen before. The Left Fielder and Right Fielder, in most cases, back up the corner base on their side of the field. Make sure you explain that only one person is allowed to pick up the ball; otherwise, you may have several players tackling each other to get to the ball. For the purpose of the drill (working on a MINI DIAMOND), we want the backing up approximately 15 beyond the base. There are times where the direction of the throw to second base is such that it can be a challenge for the Center Fielder to get into position to back up the throw. 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