Defensive Basics: Defensive Packages and Coverage Calls Base. Feel free to add text label with the play name directly to your document. The infielder then turns and sprints with the ball towards the middle of the infield. 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 execute this rule by sprinting towards the ball (explain that we never assume the infielders are going to field/stop the ball). But its worth the effort. Georgia Tech Defensive Tackle Akelo Stone Enters Transfer Portal Our objective is for each defensive player to make a hard, aggressive step towards the ball when it is put into play. Infield Base Coverage Responsibilities - Explained. 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. They learn by doing, not by memorizing. We point out that some throws to second base are going almost directly towards the Left or Right Field positions. 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. If an outfielder is not playing the ball, they are responsible to back up the base. PDF Softball Playbook - HomeTeamsONLINE Howden is headed to New Orleans after the Saints used the 146th-overall . *Later in the season, after the players have demonstrated they clearly understand their movement responsibilities, the drill can be modified. The drill has the corner outfielders only backing up first or third. The odds of making a throw, in this situation, and recording an out, are slim. An experienced and consciencious umpire should be receptive to this practice. This is not as descriptive as the phrase we want to use with our kids.). Stop the runners - the runners stop when they determine that further advancement might put them at risk of getting out. 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. The second baseman covers first - when the first baseman in ranging to their right or coming in on a ground ball often the pitcher is also attempting to make a play on the ball, or is slow in getting off the rubber. Stop them when they pick-up the ball! 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. Simply telling them is not enough for them to Get It. When moving the ball to a teammate, the options are to hand the ball off or make a short underhand toss. Defense - Steal Coverages [ARTICLE] - Coaches Insider When the ball is near the pitching rubber, the player with the ball is an equal, and significant, threat to all base runners. If they dont have the ball they are not allowed to access (touch) the base. 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. Witherspoon was a stalwart of the Illini secondary ever since he arrived in Champaign back in 2019. Ball, Base, Back-up always applies. Set-up: Mini-diamond, 20'-25' square. That fact, coupled with limited practice time we have at the youth level, results in kids not getting the reps needed learn the nuances of each position. Near the end of each play, the base runners will recognize they have advanced as far as they can do so safely. The same is true, in most instances, when the ball is hit to the center fielder. Explain to the corner outfielders that they, in fact, have two baes 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. The 2nd baseman needs to be trained to look for the 2nd play of the runner rounding 2nd base or trying for 3rd. 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. 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. The Pitcher moves a few feet towards second base when the ball is hit beyond the second base bag to center field. By adhearing to the rule: Ball, Base, Back-up and running the kids the drills, a coach will grasp the system. Less congested . The underhand toss is used a lot more often. Defensive Game Situations - agsoftball.com In this DVD, Coach Gasso explores the aggressive defensive mindset, strategies, and drills that have helped her Oklahoma Sooners win two NCAA National Championships. The first-base defender can then return to first base and get ready to receive the throw. 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'). We mandate to our player to ignore any baiting by runners dancing back and forth a few feet from the base. Stop the ball - this begins by establishing in the minds of our players (and constantly reinforcing) that they want to go get the ball and get it as quickly as possible. I prefer Ready simply because it is more descriptive.Hey! 1. Second, and more significantly, kids tend to prioritize keeping their foot on the base over any other action that might be required of themcleanly catching an off-line throw being the most critical. And going through multiple repetitions of the drills. You may be shocked by the number of kids who don't know that toss the ball underhand is even an option. When players do this correctly, team defensive play as a whole runs much smoother. The fielder should always find the fence first and then work back towards the infield. Moving outfielders back or in based on the power of the batter. While making that initial movement, it becomes clear the third baseman is not going to get the Ball. Outfielders and Pitcher develop awareness of, and habit of, executing their responsibility of backing up bases. 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. During any of these situations, the shortstop runs toward the ball as well. After the play has ended there is no reason to risk making an overhand throw. Soon they will be making quick and sound decisions for making throws. It would be nice for the 9-11 age group to get into this part, but its not life or death. The reality is, like a lot of things in this game, mistakes will be made (multiple times). Getting our players in position to properly back up throws, requires repeated drilling to engrain it as habit. (A catchers most valuable tool is their voice.). 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. I am going to GO GET the ball - React towards the ball. 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. Instruct the pitcher to run BEHIND the base runner. "And then . Their first responsibility is to go for the ball, which means sprinting in behind the infielder attempting to field the ball. It is likely that while they are on the move, they will figure out where to throw the ball, if needed. [The movement responsibilities of the Pitcher are covered below.]. The 1st Rule for Defensive responsibilities is I am going to go get the ball. ConceptDraw PRO software extended with the Baseball solution delivers samples with diagrams of the most popular plays in baseball. Defensive Coverage For Pickoffs By: Coach McCreary Originally Published in: Coaching Softball Technical and Tactical Skills - Human Kinetics Now let's look at a few coverage options for running the pickoff at different bases. 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. First, they are potentially interfering with the runner. The center fielder should be directly behind second base and about 20 to 40 feet (6 to 12 m) from the base. This is the mindset of all nine players on the field as the ball is put into play. If the base is covered, run beyond the base to Back-up a throw to the base. We need to practice this often. It is not uncommon in the youth game to see both the Shortstop and Second Baseman covering second base together. Then they holler (loud enough to be heard in the outfield) the number of OUTS and the location of the RUNNERS. As a coach moving through this content, you are reading what appears to be quite a bit of info. One example is a ball hit to the pitcher where the shortstop, thinking they may end up fielding the ball and moving aggressively to do so, is unable to cover second base. Creating this habit in our players takes effort and energy on our part; it is worth our effort. Basketball player on defense guarding a player dribbling the ball up court. We teach our players: Cover the base with your eyes. Bunt Coverage - Are You Sure Who Goes Where? - Softball Excellence 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. 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. Kids play a variety of positions at this level; at the very least, they play positions other than pitcher. 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. Left fielders must be fast to track down balls and have a strong . For all other locations, click here to continue to the HK US website. When all bases are covered the drill repetition is over, Players return to their positions and the coach rolls the ball to a different player/position, After a few repetitions, put the players at different positions. Before the base has any useful function for a player on defense, they need to have the ball. 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. It will be reiterated constantly throughout the season in most drills and activitiesbecause baseball/softball is a game of movement. There will be times however, when another player can get to the area around the pitching rubber easier, and quicker, than the pitcher. Playing the fence - If the ball is hit towards the fence. Get the latest insights with regular newsletters, plus periodic product information and special insider offers. Teach players to stand on the same side of the base as the balls location on the field. The information presented in this section is Basic. If the throw is accurate, slide the throwing-hand foot/toe back against the side of the base. We teach them to think, I am going to GO GET the ball the moment it comes off the bat. LFLeft fielder fields the ball in the most secure way possible, preferably the same way an infielder would. Barely anything is going to happen while they are looking away from the ball. There are four players in the drill. . Defensive Coverage For Pickoffs [ARTICLE] - Coaches Insider Backing up players will not get directly in line with the direction of a possible throw. ^ remain in a Ready Position until the ball is in the air and the First Baseman gauges the path of the throw. They need to be sure to go behind the base runner when crossing the base line. Some of us played on the larger diamond and possibly have coached in that environment. Learning and execution is simplified when the pitcher is the cut-relay player on all plays to the plate. Solution: constant reminding that baseball is a printing game. Figure on it taking 4-5 practices of constant badgering until they Get it. 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. 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 center fielder is still there to back-up the throw to second base.). We coaches are not going to have players this age playing the game perfectly. In most cases they are doing this while running back to their positions. Below are two examples of the movement of the entire defense moving based on where the ball is hit. Balls hit to the 3B/SS side of the infield are the responsibility of the Left Fielder. priority #1 is to stop the ball from going past first base, so the runner has to stay at first base. 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. Left Field. When the Third Baseman is backing up throws to third base, rarely will they be in the ideal spot when the throw is made. Throughout each play the Catcher is at their Position in front of Home Plate instructing the defense what to do with the ball*. Adjusting infielders a few feet to their left or right based on the tendency of a batter to pull the ball or hit the ball to the opposite field. 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. The real success of defending bunts lies in the team performing the general principals of the bunt defense. 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 kids need to be taught how to execute an underhand toss and it needs to be practiced a lot. The Bastion of the Defensive wall is a military fortification.The attraction consists of the museum and a viewing platform.I enjoyed this tourist attraction.The bastion sits on top of a hill and offers you a fine vista of the surrounding area.Great opportunity for picture taking of the view and the medieval type backdrop of the Bastion.It feels . 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. If we send the pitcher back there, the backstop ends up doing most of the backing-up. If the initial throw goes to second base, the ball is then thrown to first base, then to home plate. The old saying in baseball is, Billy Bob, know what you are going to do with the ball if it is hit to you. The pitcher starts on the rubber and the catcher starts behind home plate. "I dont know, Mom, I just feel burned out." This body position is not condusive for moving quickly to another spot on the playing field. Proper positioning is a few inches in front of home plate. 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. Baseball Diagram - Basic Bunt Coverage - Runner at 2nd Quickly ending each play keeps the game moving along quicker. Explain to them that The runner is safe a lot. In many instances the Third Baseman figures, since nothing is immediately happening at third base, there is no urgency to cover the base. Question: what percentage of balls in the 12u game are hit at laser speed, ankle high to the 2-foot space where the player is positioned? . 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. 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. But in 2022, the 22-year-old from Pensacola, Florida, exploded. This puts our player in motion. The free safety usually dictates the defensive coverage adjustments. Each infielder has only two possible responsibilities: 1. This Drill should be one of first defensive drills of the year for our team. 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. The Catcher hollers loud, Eat it! (meaning to hold onto the ball). some aspects of baseball play are learned through experience. RULES: P Always moves towards the ball | Ball. We need for them to physically move to the correct distance beyond the base. 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. Double plays are rarely turned. The BAll Goes to the P or c, the ss covers the base and the 2b backs up. This reduction in distance greatly increases the chances of executing a successful throw and catch play. Human Kinetics print books are now distributed by Booktopia Publisher Services throughout Australia/NZ, delivered to you from their NSW warehouse. We want to teach our players early on that they are not required to throw the ball in order to move it around the field. 1. In such a case, the pitcher doesnt have the Ball, so they follow the fundamental rule: Ball, Base, Back-up they cover a Base (home plate - 4th Base). Positioning varies based on the level of play, game situation, and the pitchers and batters strengths and tendancies (if known). This forces the corner infielders to really move when the ball is put into play (Ball, Base, Back-up). 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. Bastion of the Vilnius Defensive Wall (Vilniaus Gynybines - Viator 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). Center Fielder: 60 beyond the second base bag. We teach this practice to the infielders because not every child can project their voice all the way to the oufield. They want to throw the ball. Early on this can be difficult to train. This creates two problems. victory in game two. 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. Now there is a better chance they will remain in motion, leading them to fulfilling their responsibility for that situation.Cover Third Base. In this example we have a ball hit to the Second Baseman. 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). For the purpose of the drill (working on a MINI DIAMOND), we want the backing up approximately 15 beyond the base. Basic softball defensive strategy and tactics is a look at the fundamental defensive components of the game. 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. Usually the shortstop is a better player than the second baseman and we want the more talented player handling the ball as much as possible. You can position the shortstop more up the middle closer to the base. In this example we have a ball hit to the shortstop: --> The rule for the other three infielders is to cover a base. In this situation the Third Baseman sprints towards the spot they are needed to Back-up a throw to the base. Primarily as observers of the pro game. What is left out of this statement is the eight other players. We've got some great eClinics that detail all types of defensive coverages. That is ok, it is part of the learning process. At the youth baseball level, this is most often a years long process. 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. Use the magnet principle for defensive coverage in softball Anytime we compact the teaching/learning environment we reduce distractions, improve communication and the players get many more repetitions during a drill. 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. While the runner will likely be safe, we want to prevent them from advancing to second base. The catcher calls out which base to throw the ball to. They can't move to the correct coverage position if they don't start in the correct place. (Note in the diagrams where the backing up players end up.). Often it requires a player backing up the throw in order to ultimately stop the ball (we'll address backing up soon). They will also come to recognize that running with the ball is sometimes the smarter option. Pitcher respsonsibilities on a ball hit to center field or to the Catcher. Maybe read those through twice. 16x Big 12 Champions; Over 1,100 career victories. A big part of making youth baseball more fun for everyone involved is to keep the game moving along at a quick pace. Outfielders back-up bases on every play. You can get them individually by clicking the links below, or you can get them ALL as a member of our . Eyes In!. 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. Point out that the fence line on most fields is only 10-15 behind first and third base. Players wont sprint (even though we just told them). The Shortstop moves towards the ball, which takes them to the second base bag. We need to make clear (and it will require repeating this instruction multiple times for a number of days/weeks: When you are not playing the ball, IMMEDIATELY cover the base. The two outfielders, the ball is not hit to, are not playing the ball, so their responsibility is to back up a base. 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. They see the base is covered, so go to their next responsibility of backing-up the base. 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 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. (At higher levels of play the common phrase is Look for the next play. Training our pitcher to break for third, and practicing feeds from the third baseman and shortstop to third base will result in a lot of 5-1 outs, a few 6-1 plays over the course of the season. Softball Bunt Coverage - No Runners on Base With no runners on base, 1st, Pitcher, Catcher, and 3rd aregoing to crash the ball. Use of the Mini Diamond is referenced throughout the Coaching Guide. The player primarily responsible for recognizing the runners have stopped attempting to advance is the Catcher, who is the lead communicator for the defense, since that is the one position that can see the entire field at all times. I am going to GO GET the ball - React towards the ball. If one of the infielders gets the ball before it reaches the outfield, then the right fielder will run toward first to provide backup and to cover any overthrows (which are very likely to occur). Back-up - Instruct the Third Baseman to aggressively go after balls hit between them and the Shortstop or between them and the Pitcher. 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. 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. In this cicumstance, another player (Shortstop or Pitcher) will cover third base. Defensive positioning against a slapper | Discuss Fastpitch Softball This habit keeps them busy between batters, reducing the opportunities for a player in the field to get distracted. Get the ball to the middle of the infield. As the players develop the Ball, Base, Back-up concept, the First Baseman can be confident that another player will cover first base. Ignore the 'key' at the top. The first movement of all three outfielders is towards the ball. When it is recognized that another player will field the Ball. While that player is heading toward the pitching rubber, they are assessing the the situation on the field. The same goes for the 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. In most cases the Catcher doesnt have to move far from the plate to get the ball. If a defender comes to a base before she gets to the ball, then her responsibility is to be on the base. 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 section does not address in-deph factors that might be considered in All-Stars play, or higher levels of the game (teen and above). We train our players to 'run the ball in'. 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. Given these two points, each game has many situations where a throw of 20' or less is in order. Ohio State softball beats Purdue behind Allison Smith no-hitter 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. Gophers defensive backs Jordan Howden, Terell Smith drafted in fifth This drill provides many repetitions of players fielding a bunt and throwing to a specific base. It is constructed using cones, throw down bases, ball caps, extra shirts that are laying around, a leaf, anything. National physical activity guidelines in Canada recommend 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity daily activity for teens to gain health benefits. ], 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!.
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softball defensive coverage