They learn by doing, not by memorizing. The corner position will play the "flats." Player fielding the ball does not* throw the ball. Backing up distance is 25 beyond the basein line with the throw. They want to throw the ball. Below are two examples of the movement of the entire defense moving based on where the ball is hit. Bunt Defense - StealBases.com Movement is critical. If the throw is accurate, slide the throwing-hand foot/toe back against the side of the base. Players wont sprint (even though we just told them). The Pitcher moves a few feet towards second base when the ball is hit beyond the second base bag to center field. The definition for 'end of the play' is when the base runner(s) have stopped running hard and attempting to advance to another base. If the initial throw goes to second base, the ball is then thrown to first base, then to home plate. Corner Outfielders: Midway between the Corner Base and Second Base, 60 beyond the back edge of the infield. Coach rolls a ball to one of the four infielders. You can get them individually by clicking the links below, or you can get them ALL as a member of our . Ball or 2. The pitcher (and sometimes one of the infielders) backs up the corner base on the side of the infield the ball is hit. Outfielders back-up bases on every play. (watch: 0:25 - 0:42 of this video.). Cover 2 Cover 2, as we know, requires two deep defenders and five underneath defenders. Teaching Bunt Defense Many coaches make bunt defense too difcult and confusing by having ten different plays and having an intricate naming system. Less congested . They are not missing out. Some will be miles off the mark. Benefits of Research and Evidence-Based Practice in Exercise Science, Measurement and statistics in exercise science, Learn more about physical activity epidemiology, Gender and athletic administration and coaching, Carrying Out the Physically Active School Environment, Quarterback Challenges in Canadian Football, Introduction to Physical Literacy on the Move, Improve shoulder internal rotation range of motion for throwing athletes. Pitcher sprints to back up the corner base on the side of the infield the ball is hit to (after the coach/ball goes past them). When working with kids we want to structure our talk to be as literal as possible. 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 truth is that defensive signals can be just as useful regardless of the level that your team is competing at. The mindset of the LF/RF: when THE ball is hit on your side of the infield, YOU will be fielding the ball. Not until they see the ball is caught by the fielder in front of them does their responsibility change to moving to back up a throw. Gophers defensive backs Jordan Howden, Terell Smith drafted in fifth Proper positioning is in line with the direction the ball would be thrown to the base Ball------------> Base ------> Player Backing up. Basketball player on defense guarding a player dribbling the ball up court. Note that we have the younger kids positioned further from the bases. [More importantly, this baiting game wastes time and takes away from the other players (also parents and coaches) waiting for the game to continue. 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. Getting an out, any out is a big deal. 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. before cruising to a 13-3 (5 inn.) Ball or Base - If First Baseman is not playing the Ball, they quickly move to cover the Base. The catcher calls out which base to throw the ball to. We need to constantly preach, Ball First, Base Second. The Mini Diamond is also used to teach drills and plays before running them on the regular size field. I prefer Ready simply because it is more descriptive.Hey! Softball Situations packet - Newington Athletic S That's what happened with the Ohio State softball team on Sunday in the rubber match of a three-game series vs. Purdue at Buckeye Field. Infield Base Coverage Responsibilities - Explained. The left fielder plays at about the same depth as the centerfielder and should be half way between the shortstop and third base defender. National physical activity guidelines in Canada recommend 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity daily activity for teens to gain health benefits. Following that initial movement, the Pitcher adjusts their positioning to back-up a throw to second base, to set-up as the cut-relay player to home, if the situation dictates, or to break to back up third base if the outfielder indicates, through their actions, they are going to throw to third 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. Fully managed IT solutions to enjoy your direct business development | Being an expert in the critical online systems and applications management, HyperOps . Now that interpretation of glenohumeral joint ROM has been discussed, this section outlines specific techniques to increase IR ROM in the patient with shoulder dysfunction. A few inches off the plate, and not touching the plate. If the base runners stop, we want the infielder to be within 10-15 from the outfielder, who delivers the ball using the Underhand Toss tecnique. They see the base is covered, so go to their next responsibility of backing-up the base. 1 in D1Softball's top 25, Texas moves into top 5 Big 12 standings update: Oklahoma sweeps Baylor, Longhorns sweep Oklahoma State Oklahoma Sooners complete sweep of. Place a an object (ball bucket, etc.) As soon as a player has control of the ball they must immediately move the ballthrow it, or run with it towards the pitching rubber. This is why the pitching rubber is the destination for a player who is not sure of what to do with the ball. This creates two problems. That doesnt matter, the CF gets going and does their best to get into position to back up the base. This occurs over a couple of months, piece by piece. 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. Softball Strategies, Coverages, Signals & Charts - Softball Excellence We teach our players: Cover the base with your eyes. A fun statement to drive home the need for them to cover the base while acknowledging their desire to see what is going on with the ball is, Cover your base and watch the game from there. Softball defensive signals are a tool that many teams are not familiar with or that teams think are too advanced to take advantage of. Corner Infielders: 12-15 from the base. This reduction in distance greatly increases the chances of executing a successful throw and catch play. Even at the 12 year old level the outfielder are not that far from the infield. A stance we do not want to see with our fielders is hands hanging close to the ground near ankle level. 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. Playing quarterback in Canadian football definitely has its challenges. We want them 20-25' beyond the base. The left fielder is part of the outfield and responsible for catching fly balls, line drives, and fielding ground balls that make it past the infield on the left side. Players at each outfield position, approximately 30 beyond the infield diamond (mark those spots with cones). If the batted ball goes past the first-base defender while she is attempting to field it, the second-base defender will be in position to back up the first-base defender and to field the ball because she was already moving to the ball and she is slightly behind the first-base defender. Aggressive Defensive Strategies - Softball -- Championship Productions It is constructed using cones, throw down bases, ball caps, extra shirts that are laying around, a leaf, anything. Then they holler (loud enough to be heard in the outfield) the number of OUTS and the location of the RUNNERS. 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. In this circumstance, the corner outfielders will back up the base by playing a carom off the fence. If you are not playing the Ball,cover a Base (home plate). That is ok, it is part of the learning process. That is where a catcher catches pitches. 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. What Do Sport Performance Professionals Do? And going through multiple repetitions of the drills. She said, 'Peyton's not going to be an athlete. 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. 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. This drill provides many repetitions of players fielding a bunt and throwing to a specific base. Players are able to get many reps in a short period of time on the Mini Diamond. All four players sprint until they are in position to fulfill their responsibility. --> The rule for the RIGHT FIELDER, because the ball is hit to an infielder in front of them, is to go for the ball. We want to train our players that the moment TIME has been called, and/or the pitcher steps on the rubber, they immediately move their eyes from the ball to the Catcher (see below). Outfielders and Pitcher develop awareness of, and habit of, executing their responsibility of backing up bases. The magnet principle is a basic concept that can be used to help young players learn defensive coverage. Coach stands a few feet from where the pitching rubber would be, on the home plate side. In this cicumstance, another player (Shortstop or Pitcher) will cover third base. In this case getting to the initial backing-up position is not a concern because the Pitcher is backing up third base. The right fielder plays at a similar depth and should be between the second base and first base defenders. Then point out to them that they are NOW in line with the direction of the throw to the base. Over throws are a big part of the game at this level. 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. In the mean time we are developing in them the recognition that getting the ball closer to the middle of the infield the more control they and the defense has over the base runners. The most common (and most recognizable) out in the game is a force out at first base. It will be reiterated constantly throughout the season in most drills and activitiesbecause baseball/softball is a game of movement. (Note in the diagrams where the backing up players end up.). --> The rule for the CF and LF is that because they are not playing the ball they are backing up a base. Simple as this may seem, this is what the game is about. The Pitcher moves towards the ball, out near the baseline between the firt and second base bags, to prepare to back-up a throw or to serve as the cut-relay player on a play at home plate. Physical Literacy on the Move was written to help educators of children and youths from grades K through 12 teach high-quality and fun games and activities that support the unique needs of their learners as they develop physical literacy. (NOTE: at the 12u level we do not teach players to straddle the base. 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. Four infielders and catcher (the catcher is not necessary if you only have a group of four kids). At other times, you may see several defenders standing around the ball in what appears to be a board meeting to decide who will pick up the ball. 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? When the Third Baseman is backing up throws to third base, rarely will they be in the ideal spot when the throw is made. 0. Ohio State softball beats Purdue behind Allison Smith no-hitter LFLeft fielder fields the ball in the most secure way possible, preferably the same way an infielder would. To give some perspective, we can call Home Plate Fourth Base and call the Catcher the Fourth Baseman. Roster. Then, to lessen your frustrations during a game, walk through various situations and discuss how defenders should move to provide coverage for a hit. 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. ], 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!. In most cases they are doing this while running back to their positions. Backup 2nd base: Center field/Left field. It is important that our players understand that their base coverage and backing-up responsibilities continue throughout the play (regardless of their perception that nothing of importance is going on in their area of the field) and do not end until the ball is in the Pitchers hands and the Pitcher is standing next to the pitching rubber. As a parent, what would you do if you heard this? 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. 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. The traditional way to cover second base on a steal is to have your shortstop take the throw at second from the catcher. Baseball Diagram - Basic Bunt Coverage - Runner at 2nd This is important because the kids are standing close together. Softball First Base Positioning - Softball Tutor However, they need to recognize that some throws to second base are on an angle to the base that would send an overthrow right to a corner outfielder. When those times come up that a player is not sure what to do with the ball, we teaching them to run (sprint) with the ball straight for the pitching rubber. --> The rule for the CF and RF is that because they are not playing the ball they are backing up a base. However, they are now inmotion. In many instances the Third Baseman figures, since nothing is immediately happening at third base, there is no urgency to cover the base. --> The rule for the Pitcher is "Always move towards the ball". A ball hit to the left side is the LFs ball. Written by Cindy Bristow with over 35 years of softball coaching experience, Softball Strategies, Coverages, Signals & Charts gives you all the factors you should consider when deciding on your offensive strategy, from a hit and run to a squeeze play, it's all here in detail. Playing the fence - If the ball is hit towards the fence. 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. Once out kids learn and follow the teaching in this section we eliminate many of the unforced errors that are common in the game played on the small diamond. The same is true, in most instances, when the ball is hit to the center fielder. If we send the pitcher back there, the backstop ends up doing most of the backing-up. Softball Bunt Coverage - No Runners on Base With no runners on base, 1st, Pitcher, Catcher, and 3rd aregoing to crash the ball. It would be nice for the 9-11 age group to get into this part, but its not life or death. 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 . 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. This article will discuss the standard scheme that works best for your base defense. The Centerfielder backs-up second base. 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. There are four players in the drill. 16x Big 12 Champions; Over 1,100 career victories. Basic Softball Defensive Strategy And Tactics In this case the Pitcher does not field the ball so they continue running in a straight line towards first base. It will take ongoing emphasis by the coaching staff to instill this habit. 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). We establish the mindset, Im going to GO GET the ball. The other way to stop a runner is to get the ball to the base ahead of the runner.
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