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. 0. Positioning varies based on the level of play, game situation, and the pitchers and batters strengths and tendancies (if known). HINT: tell the player they can Watch the Play from the Base. Players wont sprint (even though we just told them). Primarily as observers of the pro game. There will be the odd instances when the roles of the two players will be reversed. This forces the corner infielders to really move when the ball is put into play (Ball, Base, Back-up). If a runner is attempting to score, the outfielder throws the ball to the Pitcher, who is the Cut-Relay player on plays to home plate. We coaches are not going to have players this age playing the game perfectly. Proper movement, positioning and communication need to be understood and mastered to some extent before be add the throwing aspect to cement the execution of the activity. Also, in most drills, when we are working on other skills and game situations, by simply adding an extra player, we can incorporate the development of this important habit without eating up additional practice time. You may be shocked by the number of kids who don't know that toss the ball underhand is even an option. I prefer Ready simply because it is more descriptive.Hey! (for the purpose of the drill, it is assumed that each base is covered and the Pitcher does not field the ball). First action is always Towards the Ball. As the season progresses we want to teach our players that their our positioning on the field in relationship to the bases and the ball changes each time the ball moves. Soon they will be making quick and sound decisions for making throws. The good news is, we can give the kids the reps they need in as little as 5-10 minutes every second or third practice. The coach puts the bunt down into the mapped areas and the appropriate defender takes the bunt and throws it to first base. This section of the website illustrates how to teach the small diamond game to kids using a logical step-by-step, building-block approach. For most it will quickly be obvious that they aren't playing the ball, so they move to their next responsibility: cover a base or back up a base/throw. Fastpitch Softball Bunt Coverage When the defense limits the runners attempts to advance, they reduce the number of throws they have to make, and therefore reduce the number of chances to make a mistake at this level, the players are good at making mistakes :). We need for them to physically move to the correct distance beyond the base. The Left Fielder and Right Fielder, in most cases, back up the corner base on their side of the field. Softball Strategies, Coverages, Signals & Charts - Softball Excellence Explain to the corner outfielders that they, in fact, have two baes to back up. The drill has the corner outfielders only backing up first or third. Ten to Fifteen feet behind the baseline. In this case getting to the initial backing-up position is not a concern because the Pitcher is backing up third 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. These runners are not that fast. If we instill a sense of urgency in our players to fulfill their defensive responsibilities, in this situation the Third Baseman will often get to the ball quickly enough that the Base Runner does not attempt to advance to home plate. If you are not playing the Ball,cover a Base (home plate). 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. 16x Big 12 Champions; Over 1,100 career victories. One player goes for the ball; the other three back up a base (4 = 1 + 3). In this cicumstance, another player (Shortstop or Pitcher) will cover third base. Players are able to get many reps in a short period of time on the Mini Diamond. The reality is, like a lot of things in this game, mistakes will be made (multiple times). 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 first point to teach, in training our players on defense, is they react to the ball coming off the bat byMoving towards the ball. This is why the pitching rubber is the destination for a player who is not sure of what to do with the ball. They need to be sure to go behind the base runner when crossing the base line. NOTE: in the instance of a ball being hit to the catcher or pitcher, the shortstop and second baseman are still moving towards the ball which has been hit in the space between the two positions. The same goes for the coach. (The center fielder is still there to back-up the throw to second base.). It is not info for a coach to memorize. *when running the drill on the first base side of the field. When players take the learning and habits established on the Mini Diamond to the regular sized field, their work can focus primarily on throwing, catching and timing. Fully managed IT solutions to enjoy your direct business development | Being an expert in the critical online systems and applications management, HyperOps . Feet squred to the ball in a Ready Position. Usually its the corner base; sometimes they are needed to back up throws to second base. 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. On the infield side of the base (away from the path of the runner), Heel of throwing hand foot, next to center of the base (a few inches away, but not touching), Squared up and facing the ball, in a Ready Position (not a stretch^ position). The infielders then echo this information to the outfielders (if needed). Attention Span: Constant diligence is a better phrase. Quickly ending each play keeps the game moving along quicker. Let's look at how things like your Attention Span and your Courage, and how each can greatly impact your defensive coverage. As long as the bases are covered by a teammate, it is ok for a position player to carry the ball to the middle of the infield until the pitcher arrives and can be handed the ball. The catcher calls out which base to throw the ball to. Keep in mind that for most activities the throwing and catching aspect is the last skill that needs to be mastered (and we take care of that during 'Playing Catch Practice'). Eyes In!. 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. FIRST - Take a day or two to consume and digest: Foundations, The Base, and the first block of topics in Coordinated Team Defense (Part 1). However, they are now inmotion. 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. Simple as this may seem, this is what the game is about. These diagrams are provided less as a suggestion to run a drill with all nine players and more as a visual that a coach can use as a learning tool in preparation for teaching their players. This puts our player in motion. As a coach moving through this content, you are reading what appears to be quite a bit of info. The primary point to take from these two diagrams is that on ground balls on a given side of the infield the outfielder on that side of the field DOES NOT immediately take off to back up a base. That's because Allison Smith not only pitched a gem but did . Cassie Cunniff (Sr./Mt. This is not as descriptive as the phrase we want to use with our kids.). Point out to players that it only takes a second to cover the base. Less congested . We establish the mindset, Im going to GO GET the ball. But to define a coaching philosophy and set goals, you must first understand and express why you coach and what principles will guide how you coach. Pitcher, in the middle of the diamond, where the pitching rubber would be (marked by a cone) facing towards home plate and the coach, The coach runs/jogs out to one of the four infield positions. After a couple of days of running the drill we want to expand the teaching of the backing up situation. The Buckeyes got the victory by a dominating 9-0 margin, and despite having a lot of offense, it was the pitching that was the story of the game. RULES: P Always moves towards the ball | Ball. Center Fielder: 30 beyond the second base bag. More importantly, we want them to understand that by prioritizing the ball they prevent the runner from advancing to the next base. This habit keeps them busy between batters, reducing the opportunities for a player in the field to get distracted. Base. Three Individual Responsibilities - Ball, Base, Back-up Positioning Ready Position The Base Base is for the Runner, Ball is for the Defense Positioning at a Base to Receive a Throw Ball First, Base Second The Ball is the Key to the Base Cover the Base With Your Eyes Look for Other Runners Coordinated Team Defense - The System (Part 1) victory in game two. Four infielders and catcher (the catcher is not necessary if you only have a group of four kids). Also, there are many more base runners, setting up a lot of force outs. In this example we have a ball hit to the shortstop: --> The rule for the other three infielders is to cover a base. How does a player determine which base to back up? If the throw is off target, quickly move laterally, from the Ready Position, as fars as required to catch/stop the ball. Important note:when using a throw to move the ball into position to stop the runners, point #1 comes back into play. We train our players to 'run the ball in'. 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). If the throw is accurate, slide the throwing-hand foot/toe back against the side of the base. Vilnius Castle Complex - Wikipedia Solution: constant reminding that baseball is a printing game. The corner position will play the "flats." Stand on the field/pitching rubber side of the plate facing the ball. Person covering base needs to communicate to cut-off as the ball is in the air about halfway from person throwing and the cut-off. Another common term used is Athletic position, which is perfectly fine. The same is true, in most instances, when the ball is hit to the center fielder. Then, to lessen your frustrations during a game, walk through various situations and discuss how defenders should move to provide coverage for a hit. This defender should continue moving to the ball unless the first-base defender yells that she has it (meaning that the first-base defender will field the ball). 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 odds of making a throw that gets past the player covering the base are pretty high. We also train our pitchers that, when they field a ball that takes them to the third base side of the rubber to feed the third baseman for a 1-5 put out. Our first goal is to pound in the idea of keeping the ball moving. They execute this rule by sprinting towards the ball (explain that we never assume the infielders are going to field/stop the ball). Infield Base Coverage Responsibilities - Explained. 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). Given this common occurrence, which significantly impacts the number of runs a team gives up, why dont we invest time to drill and train our players to back-up throws to bases? The pitcher (and sometimes one of the infielders) backs up the corner base on the side of the infield the ball is hit. Until this time, players covering a Base remain at the base. That doesnt matter, the CF gets going and does their best to get into position to back up the base. What percentage of balls are hit everywhere else, at lesser speed and/or bouncing knee high or higher? Making a wide turn and/or dancing around baiting a throw are not examples of attempting to advance. Teach players to stand on the same side of the base as the balls location on the field. The BAll Goes to the P or c, the ss covers the base and the 2b backs up. Some of us played on the larger diamond and possibly have coached in that environment. It may be more dramatic as running 30'-40' to reestablish the straight line relationship from the ball to the base to them in their backing up of a base. Mishandling the ball while getting it back to the middle of the infield and in the the pitchers hands not only costs the defense by allowing runners to advance further than they had planned to; it also delays the game and extends the length of the game. First action is always Towards the Ball. Instruct the pitcher to run BEHIND the base runner. NOTE: In this section we are addressing most of the situations that could come up during game play. Many of us coaching kids baseball have been primarily exposed to the game played on the big diamond (90 base paths). Teach them that in order to catch off-line throws, they are going to have to move away from the base (Move Feet to Catch). Call out number of OUTS and location of RUNNERS before each new batter, After the ball is put into play: holler, in a loud voice, where to make the play (Infielders Echo the call on, Communication on Cut-Relay Plays to Home Plate. She said, 'Peyton's not going to be an athlete. We teach them to think, I am going to GO GET the ball the moment it comes off the bat. She begins with bunt and slap defense, moves on to . Douse was tied for second on the team in sacks with 3.5 and you could see him get better in each game, especially his performance against Virginia Tech, where he had 2.5 sacks and earned a high . Softball Playbook Single to Left Field (No One on Base) Goal: The goal in this situation is to keep the runner from reaching 2nd base. Those coaches will gain a decent sense for adjusting defensive positioning. If the Catcher does have to move a greater distance to get a loose ball, it becomes the responsibility of the pitcher to cover home plate. There will be times however, when another player can get to the area around the pitching rubber easier, and quicker, than the pitcher. Stay alert of throws in the direction of the home plate area of the field. We mandate to our player to ignore any baiting by runners dancing back and forth a few feet from the base. Grasping that info, and doing so from the perspective of a kid who will be learning it, is important before getting into the meat of this section. Once they are in motion it is easier for them to continue moving to the spot on the field where they are fulfilling their defensive responsibility. Pickoff attempts require a specific defender to cover the base to try to catch the runner off base. We want them to turn their gaze away from the ball, put their eyes on the base and get to the base as fast as possible. Training the second baseman to cover the bag when not fielding the ball is important in youth baseball and softball.
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