softball defensive coverage

Players are able to get many reps in a short period of time on the Mini Diamond. 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. 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. By adhearing to the rule: Ball, Base, Back-up and running the kids the drills, a coach will grasp the system. In this case, the second-base defender continues on to first base and covers the base (see figure 7.3). If a runner is attempting to advance to a base, the outfielder throws the ball directly to that base. It would be difficult to go into too much detail here, but over time, and through experience playing and coaching the game, those exceptions to the rule will come up. While the runner will likely be safe, we want to prevent them from advancing to second base. 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. 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. 6. This may require us to take them with us to the correct spot and say, "See how far away you are right now? This final section is probably more than what is needed for kids 9 and under. 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 LF & RF have two bases to back up. Then, if they see the ball is not coming to their area of the field, they go to their second responsibility of Backing-up a base. 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. Howden is headed to New Orleans after the Saints used the 146th-overall . Defending the offence effectively is critical to the success of your own offence. 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. Playing the fence - If the ball is hit towards the fence. We teach this practice to the infielders because not every child can project their voice all the way to the oufield. 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. In this case the Pitcher does not field the ball so they continue running in a straight line towards third base. Pitcher respsonsibilities on a ball hit to center field or to the Catcher. 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. --> The rule for the CF and LF is that because they are not playing the ball they are backing up a base. Double plays are rarely turned. 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. Regardless of level of play or the situation, each player on defense has one of three responsibilities: handle the BALL, cover a BASE, or BACK-Up a throw. If the throw is a bit to one side of the base or the other, they slide their foot near the corner of the base on the side the ball is headed, then stretch with their glove foot towards the ball. We teach them to think, I am going to GO GET the ball the moment it comes off the bat. The second base defender and shortstop should be about half way between the bases and just behind the base path. 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. 1. When the ball is delivered to the infield the Catcher leaves the spot where they receive pitches, behind home plate, and moves to their Position, which is in front of home plate. --> The rule for the Pitcher is "Always move towards the ball". The fact is, the bases are out there for the runners. Stone was expected to be a big part of the defensive line rotation this season and the defensive tackle depth has taken a hit during this transfer portal window cycle. 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. 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. The existence of these factors results in some fundamental rules of how team defense is played on the large diamond to be executed differently on the small diamond. The mindset of the LF/RF: when THE ball is hit on your side of the infield, YOU will be fielding the ball. First action is always Towards the Ball. We are teaching our players to always anticipate that another play needs to be made. Receiving Throws at Second Base and Third Base: Next to the base; only a few inches away, but not touching the base. Explain to the corner outfielders that they, in fact, have two baes to back up. to avoid collisions during games/scrimmage. Ball or Base - If First Baseman is not playing the Ball, they quickly move to cover the Base. If the base runners are not attempting to advance, we do not want to risk making a throw. 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. Barely anything is going to happen while they are looking away from the ball. While we would like to get an out every time, the reality is it is not going to happen. Practice Plans, Drills, Batting Practice Plans. All movements in the drill are a full out sprint. In this case getting to the initial backing-up position is not a concern because the Pitcher is backing up third base. Another common term used is Athletic position, which is perfectly fine. 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. To begin with, make sure your defenders know where their basic setup position should be on the field (see figure 7.2) when they're preparing for a hit. How does a player determine which base to back up? They are not missing out. 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. early in the teaching process, we want to eliminate the Wandering Third Baseman from membership on our team. They will also come to recognize that running with the ball is sometimes the smarter option. Below are two examples of the movement of the entire defense moving based on where the ball is hit. Corner Outfielders: Midway between the Corner Base and Second Base, 60 beyond the back edge of the infield. 1607 N. Market Street Champaign, IL 61820, Sign up and be the first to know about upcoming deals and new releases. The remaining players are placed along the first base line and will rotate into the drill at the catching position. My experience observing youth practices and games, is coaches hollering to their players, Back up those throws! However, getting our kids to recognize the importance of this aspect of the game and to develop urgency in their execution takes more than Telling or Reminding. The fielder should always find the fence first and then work back towards the infield. This reduction in distance greatly increases the chances of executing a successful throw and catch play. Five feet behind the baseline. If the throw is accurate, slide the throwing-hand foot/toe back against the side of the base. Cover 3B: open until the bunt is thrown then the 3B, pitcher or even the catcher in an emergency. Four infielders and catcher (the catcher is not necessary if you only have a group of four kids). Are you in Canada? To give some perspective, we can call Home Plate Fourth Base and call the Catcher the Fourth Baseman. Stop them when they pick-up the ball! The first-base defender can then return to first base and get ready to receive the throw. However, the shortstop will hit second base before getting to the ball, so she needs to stop at second and take responsibility for that base. This illustrates to the player where the ball will go if not caught at the base. No standing in one spot holding the ball.. We want to instruct our players to 'keep the ball moving' when handling it on defense. In this situation the Third Baseman sprints towards the spot they are needed to Back-up a throw to the 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. Softball Defensive Coverage This is the best body position for an athlete who needs to react and move quickly in any direction. 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. FOURTH - Once the above content has been taught to your kids, though there is more to learn, the team can function pretty well together in the field. [The movement responsibilities of the Pitcher are covered below.]. The buildings, which evolved between the 10th and 18th centuries, were one of Lithuania's major defensive . Stop the runners - the runners stop when they determine that further advancement might put them at risk of getting out. When kids cover a base, more often than not they put a foot on the base. On the side of the base the ball is coming from, NOT On the front side of the base (side the base runner is running towards), Squared up and facing the ball, in a Ready Position, Keep their eyes on the ball and not the runner (once a teammate has fielded the ball). 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. 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. Backing up distance is 25 beyond the basein line with the throw. It is constructed using cones, throw down bases, ball caps, extra shirts that are laying around, a leaf, anything. If you are looking to purchase online videos, online courses or to access previously purchased digital products please press continue. Examples of drills that can be run using a Mini Diamond include relays, backing-up and base coverage responsibilities, and first and third defense. This practice leads to a better experience for everyone at the park. The pitcher starts on the rubber and the catcher starts behind home plate. Note that we have the younger kids positioned further from the bases. The truth is that defensive signals can be just as useful regardless of the level that your team is competing at. Base, Back up (it is assumed for the purpose of the drill, that the corner base is covered). The same is true, in most instances, when the ball is hit to the center fielder. The outfielder (LF or RF) that has the ball hit on their side of the field, initially, does not have a Backing-up respsonsibility. Aftertraining our kids inthese rules they will get to a point where most react more quickly andinstinctivelyto where they are needed on the field in any given situation. When players do this correctly, team defensive play as a whole runs much smoother. 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. They see the base is covered, so go to their next responsibility of backing-up the base. As the players develop the Ball, Base, Back-up concept, the First Baseman can be confident that another player will cover first base. Whenever the ball is hit to one of these three players (catcher, pitcher, center fielder) the shortstop is the player in position to potentially handle 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. There are four infielders, the game is played with one ball and there are three bases. Getting our players in position to properly back up throws, requires repeated drilling to engrain it as habit. ], 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!. 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. In this example we have a ball hit to the shortstop: --> The rule for the other three infielders is to cover a 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. That is where a catcher catches pitches. Coach stands a few feet from where the pitching rubber would be, on the home plate side. Ball or Base - If the Third Baseman is not playing the Ball, their responsibility is to cover the Base. Human Kinetics print books are now distributed by Booktopia Publisher Services throughout Australia/NZ, delivered to you from their NSW warehouse. 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. Quickly moving the ball closer to the runners helps them to determine its time to stop. 10 from first base; this represents the base runner going to first base. Plant their foot on the base and stretch forward with the other foot. 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. 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 :). 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. They learn by doing, not by memorizing. 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. However, they are now inmotion. Even at the 12 year old level the outfielder are not that far from the infield. 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. Before the base has any useful function for a player on defense, they need to have the ball. If you are new to this level, you will soon find out how important it is to have every throw to a base to have player backing-up. Balls hit to the 2B/1B side of the infield are the responsibility of the Right Fielder. CF and the corner outfielder opposite the side of the field the ball is hit to, after first making an aggressive in the direction of the ball (coach), sprint to back up second base and the opposite corner base. This is how far back you need to be in order to back up the base.". They see the base is covered, so go to their next responsibility of backing-up the base. 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. Each infielder has only two possible responsibilities: 1. Holler loudly to the defense, where to throw the ballor to Eat it and run the ball in to the Pitcher (if there is no play). That's because Allison Smith not only pitched a gem but did . A big part of making youth baseball more fun for everyone involved is to keep the game moving along at a quick pace. There will be the odd instances when the roles of the two players will be reversed. 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. The players are not as strong, they do not move as fast, and there is the obvious fact that the bases and players are not spread out as much.

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