2. 2. The infielder then turns and sprints with the ball towards the middle of the infield. Once our players establish the habit (requirement) of getting into motion each time the ball comes off the bat, each play, it is now much simpler to keep them moving to make a play on the Ball, move to cover a Base, or move to Back-up a Base. Corner Infielders: 12-15 from the base. In many instances the Third Baseman figures, since nothing is immediately happening at third base, there is no urgency to cover the base. 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. Coaches that train the kids to back up bases properly will see a vast improvement in team defensive play. 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. The points in the 'Rules for Defensive Movement' section aboveare applied to these examples. Get the latest insights with regular newsletters, plus periodic product information and special insider offers. The catcher calls out which base to throw the ball to. The second base defender and shortstop should be about half way between the bases and just behind the base path. The catcher's position in front of home plate. If a play needs to be made at second base or first base, the play for the Third Baseman, with their momentum going to their left, is easier than for the Shortstop or the Pitcher. Softball Defensive Coverage They learn by doing, not by memorizing. Kids understand a key is needed to open the door to their house. While moving out to a given position, the coach hollers, Ground ball to [position]!, Which ever side of the field the ball is going to, the LF/RF sprints straight towards the ball, stopping only when they come within a few feet of the coach. If an outfielder is not playing the ball, they are responsible to back up the base. --> The rule for the CF and LF is that because they are not playing the ball they are backing up a base. These relay situations, where the ball is hit past the outfielders, is addressed in the Drills section of the website. 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. After the play has ended there is no reason to risk making an overhand throw. We can establish this habit during the Scrimmage (see Practice Structure) portion of practice. The underhand toss is used a lot more often. Point out to them that quite often throws do not come straight to the base. The most common (and most recognizable) out in the game is a force out at first base. First, they are potentially interfering with the runner. Basketball player on defense guarding a player dribbling the ball up court. 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. Explain that they need to be far enough back in order to have time to react, and move to, the ball missed by the player at the base; while they need to be close enough to make an effective throw, if needed, when the base runner takes off to the next base. The teaching phrase Look for Other Runners is literal. Positioning varies based on the level of play, game situation, and the pitchers and batters strengths and tendancies (if known). They are not missing out. Playing the fence - If the ball is hit towards the fence. Former Gophers defensive backs Jordan Howden and Terell Smith were selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday. Please visit Booktopia to order your Human Kinetics print books. The kids need to be taught how to execute an underhand toss and it needs to be practiced a lot. Left fielders must be fast to track down balls and have a strong . Creating this habit in our players takes effort and energy on our part; it is worth our effort. I am going to GO GET the ball - React towards the ball. 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. (At higher levels of play the common phrase is Look for the next play. 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. In most cases the Catcher doesnt have to move far from the plate to get the ball. 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. 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. In this case the Pitcher does not field the ball so they continue running in a straight line towards third base. A big part of making youth baseball more fun for everyone involved is to keep the game moving along at a quick pace. Learning and execution is simplified when the pitcher is the cut-relay player on all plays to the plate. 1. We coaches are not going to have players this age playing the game perfectly. Are we teaching them what to do when the ball is not hit to them? . We are teaching our players to always anticipate that another play needs to be made. The ball goes to cf, the ss goes out to get the ball; the second baseman covers the base. Calls out ground ball to . Player fielding the ball does not* throw the ball. 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. Basic softball defensive strategy and tactics is a look at the fundamental defensive components of the game. 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. Most coaching books start with a discussion of the importance of creating a coaching philosophy and follow up with a section on creating goals. 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. 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. Coach stands a few feet from where the pitching rubber would be, on the home plate side. All you need is to drag and drop objects to depict another play and then save with the different name. It will take ongoing emphasis by the coaching staff to instill this habit. 16x Big 12 Champions; Over 1,100 career victories. 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. Instruct the pitcher to run BEHIND the base runner. 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'). The above situations, and movement responsibilities, are flipped when the ball is hit to the Left Fielder and Third Baseman. If you are looking to purchase online videos, online courses or to access previously purchased digital products please press continue. Playing quarterback in Canadian football definitely has its challenges. The first-base defender can then return to first base and get ready to receive the throw. 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. Point out to players that it only takes a second to cover the base. THIRD - The Section, Managing the Ball, includes content that kids really need to understand, but is rarely taught. We breakdown the m Antonelli Softball SOFTBALL INFIELD INSTRUCTION, DRILLS, AND. An experienced and consciencious umpire should be receptive to this practice. And going through multiple repetitions of the drills. Feel free to add text label with the play name directly to your document. The outfielder that has the ball hit in front of them, either the Left Fielder or Right Fielder sprints straight towards the ball, and doesnt slow down until they see the ball cleanly fielded by an infielder. The defenses below are standard bunt defenses, nothing revolutionary. Ball or Base - If First Baseman is not playing the Ball, they quickly move to cover the Base. A few examples of the differences between the two games: The pitcher breaks for third base on balls hit to the left side of the infield - at this level we have runners on first and second a lot. Outfielders and Pitcher develop awareness of, and habit of, executing their responsibility of backing up bases. From this point forward, we are filling in the gaps of the above teaching. --> The rule for the RIGHT FIELDER, because the ball is hit to an infielder in front of them, is to go for the ball. The Mini Diamond is also used to teach drills and plays before running them on the regular size field. Once the defense (most specifically the Catcher) sees the runners are not attempting to advance, our rule is our defensive players do not make overhand throws. Then when they recognize the Catcher is getting the ball, the Pitcher keeps moving and covers home base. Some attempts to play the ball will take the Third Baseman (and their momentum) far from the base. 4. IMPORTANT NOTE: When delivering the ball to the first baseman or third baseman, only roll the ball about one third of the way toward the base. This is an effective analogy, especially for younger players. 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). Explain to them that The runner is safe a lot. to avoid collisions during games/scrimmage. If the initial throw goes to second base, the ball is then thrown to first base, then to home plate. When working on movement responsibilities this clear visual of an uncovered base helps the kids recognize where they are needed. If they identify the need to make a throw, because they are so much closer to the center of the diamond, the distance of that throw is greatly reduced. 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. 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. Over time, players will learn to recognize this situation. The pitcher could influence the decision for modifying defensive positioning if they throw significantly fast or slow. The old saying in baseball is, Billy Bob, know what you are going to do with the ball if it is hit to you. Training the second baseman to cover the bag when not fielding the ball is important in youth baseball and softball. 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). This occurs over a couple of months, piece by piece. Adjust a couple feet to their right or left so to have a clear line of sight to the batter. After repeated exposure to a given situation, a player will begin to better anticipate what will happen. Teaching Bunt Defense Many coaches make bunt defense too difcult and confusing by having ten different plays and having an intricate naming system. Before jumping into teaching the kids game, we first want to recognize that the game played on the smaller diamond is different. This is the mindset of all nine players on the field as the ball is put into play. Figure on it taking 4-5 practices of constant badgering until they Get it. --> The rule for the LEFT FIELDER, because the ball is hit to an infielder in front of them, is to go for the ball. No standing in one spot holding the ball.. We want to instruct our players to 'keep the ball moving' when handling it on defense. These runners are not that fast. During any of these situations, the shortstop runs toward the ball as well. 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. This reduction in distance greatly increases the chances of executing a successful throw and catch play. After a couple of days of running the drill we want to expand the teaching of the backing up situation. Early in the teaching process our objective is to train our players to correctly respond to where the ball is hit off the bat. By the time a team gets to the last third of ther season (and heading into the playoffs/tournament play, the coordinated actions of the players on the field will be flowing pretty smoothly. Backup 2nd base: Center field/Left field. We first want to establish in our players minds that they are going to get every ball that is put into play. Teach players to stand on the same side of the base as the balls location on the field. The information below is a reference guide. There are four players in the drill. This more compact environment enable coaches to better communicate and teach. ^ remain in a Ready Position until the ball is in the air and the First Baseman gauges the path of the throw. 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. Use the magnet principle for defensive coverage in softball, More Excerpts From Survival Guide for Coaching Youth Softball, Foundations of Kinesiology/Exercise and Sport Science, Research Methods, Measurements, and Evaluation, Survival Guide for Coaching Youth Softball. The two outfielders, the ball is not hit to, are not playing the ball, so their responsibility is to back up a base. ConceptDraw PRO software extended with the Baseball solution delivers samples with diagrams of the most popular plays in baseball. Stop them when they pick-up the ball! If the ball is hit past the outfielders, the infielder who ran out to the oufield serves as the first player in a double-realy to home: outfielder throws to the infielder, who throws to the Pitcher, who then realys the ball home. Ignore the 'key' at the top. Before an out can be recorded at a base, the defensive player must have the ball. With only 3 downs to make 10 yards, the quarterback really has to be a playmaker. We have the Second Baseman and Shortstop at a point nearly midway between second base and the corner base. 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. The information presented in this section is Basic. 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. Softball Bunt Defense Explained Antonelli Softball is the #1 online resource for softball instruction. 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). 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. Outies - shooting 3!" Your directions will obviously differ depending on the age and development of your players. If the throw is accurate, slide the throwing-hand foot/toe back against the side of the 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. The LF & RF need to be aware of this possibility. Each step closer to the middle of the diamond, the player with the ball becomes a greater threat to the base runners. 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). When the ball is near the pitching rubber, the player with the ball is an equal, and significant, threat to all base runners. All movements in the drill are a full out sprint. Roster. 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. Objective: All bases are covered on each play. We need to practice this often. (for the purpose of the drill, it is assumed that each base is covered and the Pitcher does not field the ball). The Catcher, squatting behind Home Plate, is not in their position. We all have a vague understanding of burnout, but should we advise our kids to drop out, take a break, make some changes, or suck it up? Their first responsibility is to go for the ball, which means sprinting in behind the infielder attempting to field the ball. This section of the website illustrates how to teach the small diamond game to kids using a logical step-by-step, building-block approach. Corner Infielders: 15 from the base, and a step behind, or a step in front of the baseline. Coaching youth Baseball and Softball. However, much of the content covered boils down to the players following one simple rule: Ball, Base, Back-up (see Three Individual Responsibilities - Ball, Base, Back-up, the third point below under Foundations). A coach with limitd experience or understanding of modifying the positioning of players, need not worry. This is an excerpt form Survival Guide for Coaching Youth Softball. The Centerfielder backs-up second base. Occasionally the ball will get loose and the Catcher fills the role of Backing-up. When the Third Baseman is backing up throws to third base, rarely will they be in the ideal spot when the throw is made. Defensive Situations No one on Runner at 1 Runners at 1st & 2nd Bases loaded Runner at 2nd Runner at 3rd Bunt coverage 1st & 3rd Pick offs Rundowns Baserunning Situations Running from 1st (less than 2 outs) pop up ground ball to left side ground ball right side line drive deep fly ball Running from 2nd (no one on 1st, less than 2 outs) pop up When giving this responsibility to the Catcher we do so with the understanding they will make some mistakes. Then, to lessen your frustrations during a game, walk through various situations and discuss how defenders should move to provide coverage for a hit. Howden is headed to New Orleans after the Saints used the 146th-overall . 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. Observing play during the weeks of the regular season provide a good education for even beginning and novice coaches. Before a pitch it is ok to remind players of the situation; "One out runner on first. 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. With each step, the base runners are less and less likely to attempt to advance. More kids get to batt and there is more action in the early part of the season when many games get called early because of darkness. Corner Outfielders: Midway between the Corner Base and Second Base, 60 beyond the baseline between second base and the corner base. Defending the offence effectively is critical to the success of your own offence. 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. 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. You may be shocked by the number of kids who don't know that toss the ball underhand is even an option. We mandate to our player to ignore any baiting by runners dancing back and forth a few feet from the base. As a parent, what would you do if you heard this? Quickly moving the ball closer to the runners helps them to determine its time to stop. Attention Span: Constant diligence is a better phrase. Players are able to get many reps in a short period of time on the Mini Diamond. Let's look at how things like your Attention Span and your Courage, and how each can greatly impact your defensive coverage. For the purpose of the drill (working on a MINI DIAMOND), we want the backing up approximately 15 beyond the base. Adjust a couple feet to their right or left so to have a clear line of sight to the batter. 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. The players are so much closer together on the small diamond. 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. Point out that the fence line on most fields is only 10-15 behind first and third base. They will also come to recognize that running with the ball is sometimes the smarter option. Center Fielder: 60 beyond the second base bag. A team of 11-12 year olds, who master this content, will cut 2-3 runs off the scoreboard, in most games, compared to a team that is not trained in this system. Softball defensive signals are a tool that many teams are not familiar with or that teams think are too advanced to take advantage of.
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