She said, 'Peyton's not going to be an athlete. 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. Once they are at the base, then they turn around and get in a Ready Position facing the ball. In this case getting to the initial backing-up position is not a concern because the Pitcher is backing up third base. Before a pitch it is ok to remind players of the situation; "One out runner on first. Theright fielder should take an angle to about 20 - 30 feet behind 1st base and near the foul line to cut off any errant throws. When giving this responsibility to the Catcher we do so with the understanding they will make some mistakes. Other than recording an out (which doesnt happen on every play), getting the ball to the middle of the infield as quickly as possible (to end the play) is our top priority. [More importantly, this baiting game wastes time and takes away from the other players (also parents and coaches) waiting for the game to continue. 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. Another common term used is Athletic position, which is perfectly fine. Bunt Defense - StealBases.com The First and Third Basemen have one base they are responsible for; the Shortstop and Second Basemen have two bases they are responsible for; one to their Left and one to their Right. This is a pressure play on the defense, but with a fair amount of practice should be able to make the play at home on a fairly routine basis. 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. 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. Movement is critical. 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. This puts our player in motion. This has been taught for many generations and is well intended .primarily for a Third Baseman being positioned to catch a rocket ground ball, hit straigh at them. Their mindset is: I am going to GO GET the ball. 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). 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. All you need is to drag and drop objects to depict another play and then save with the different name. 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. Solution: constant correcting until they get it right (effort and persistence on part of the coach, and the recognition that the concept its not as obvious to a kid as to an adult). The center fielder should be directly behind second base and about 20 to 40 feet (6 to 12 m) from the base. Players at each outfield position, approximately 30 beyond the infield diamond (mark those spots with cones). Quickly moving the ball closer to the runners helps them to determine its time to stop. This section does not address in-deph factors that might be considered in All-Stars play, or higher levels of the game (teen and above). In this case getting to the initial backing-up position is not a concern because the Pitcher is backing up third base. Objective: All bases are covered on each play. Defensive Coverage For Pickoffs [ARTICLE] - Coaches Insider Training the second baseman to cover the bag when not fielding the ball is important in youth baseball and softball. 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. Defense Responsibilities for Youth Baseball and Fastpitch Softball Defense - Steal Coverages [ARTICLE] - Coaches Insider MOORHEAD, Minn. - The Carleton College softball team kicked off the final week of the regular season with a doubleheader sweep at Concordia College-Moorhead. The positioning of kids at the lower levels is such, so they learn: The bases belong to the runners; fielders spread out between the bases because their #1 priority is to get the ball. These adjustments are more important for All-Stars play and the Playoffs at the end of the season. NOTE: This does not mean the Center Fielder is not attempting to back up on these throws. A common mistake in youth baseball and softball is an outfielder throwing the ball to the Shortstop or Second Baseman to relay the ball to home plate. 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. The remaining players are placed along the first base line and will rotate into the drill at the catching position. 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. RULES: P Always moves towards the ball | Ball. The old saying in baseball is, Billy Bob, know what you are going to do with the ball if it is hit to you. 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. Players Backing-up are likely adjusting their position to maintain a straight line from the Ball to the base to where they are standing. Teach players to stand on the same side of the base as the balls location on the field. Now players are soft slapping, drag bunting, and power slapping depending on the defense is. In most cases, there is not enough room behind home plate for the pitcher to get enough depth to properly back-up an over throw. The CF will need to cover 2nd. Softball Bunt Defense Drill - Softball Tutor The underhand toss is used a lot more often. The Catcher hollers loud, Eat it! (meaning to hold onto the ball). Center fielder: shortstop goes into the outfield towards the ball; the second baseman covers the base. NOTE: In this section we are addressing most of the situations that could come up during game play. 2. Until they arrive at the base where they are needed, it is their only focus. Infielders not fielding the ball move quickly to cover a base; turn and face the ball in a Ready Position. 1. ConceptDraw PRO software extended with the Baseball solution delivers samples with diagrams of the most popular plays in baseball. Use the magnet principle for defensive coverage in softball 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. You can position the shortstop more up the middle closer to the base. Maybe read those through twice. Back-up throws to a base or to an infielder, Play the Ball - the Cut-Relay Player, on throws to home plate. The first movement of all three outfielders is towards the ball. Corner Outfielders: Midway between the Corner Base and Second Base, 60 beyond the baseline between second base and the corner base. And going through multiple repetitions of the drills. 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. early in the teaching process, we want to eliminate the Wandering Third Baseman from membership on our team. There is no rule to determine when the second baseman takes over this responsibility. In most cases they are doing this while running back to their positions. The pitcher could influence the decision for modifying defensive positioning if they throw significantly fast or slow. In this circumstance, the corner outfielders will back up the base by playing a carom off the fence. 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.