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. ^ remain in a Ready Position until the ball is in the air and the First Baseman gauges the path of the throw. Before a pitch it is ok to remind players of the situation; "One out runner on first. This is important because the kids are standing close together. Adjust a couple feet to their right or left so to have a clear line of sight to the batter. These relay situations, where the ball is hit past the outfielders, is addressed in the Drills section of the website. 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. 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. 1607 N. Market Street Champaign, IL 61820, Sign up and be the first to know about upcoming deals and new releases. Throughout each play the Catcher is at their Position in front of Home Plate instructing the defense what to do with the ball*. Solution: constant reminding that baseball is a printing game. A coach that is factoring in some of the variables above, instructs their kids to adjust from their Regular positioning. The first and third base defenders should be approximately 3 feet (9 m) in front of their base and 3 feet from the foul line. 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 Defensive Responsibilities section of the website lays out a step-by-step system for teaching kids how to fulfill their roll as a member of a nine player unit, regardless of the situation or where the ball is hit on the field. In order for you to ensure you're always in the best defensive coverage for the particular situation, you've got to constantly be watching everything! The catcher calls out which base to throw the ball to. In most cases the Catcher doesnt have to move far from the plate to get the ball. They are not missing out. Human Kinetics print books and eBooks are now distributed by Mare Nostrum, throughout the UK, Europe, Africa and Middle East, delivered to you from their warehouse. What is left out of this statement is the eight other players. This defender should continue moving to the ball unless the first-base defender yells that she has it (meaning that the first-base defender will field the ball). They learn by doing, not by memorizing. Softball defensive signals are a tool that many teams are not familiar with or that teams think are too advanced to take advantage of. The kids need to be taught how to execute an underhand toss and it needs to be practiced a lot. 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. Training the second baseman to cover the bag when not fielding the ball is important in youth baseball and softball. 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. All four players sprint until they are in position to fulfill their responsibility. Softball Bunt Defense Explained Antonelli Softball is the #1 online resource for softball instruction. The Catcher hollers, Defense! Barely anything is going to happen while they are looking away from the ball. The truth is that defensive signals can be just as useful regardless of the level that your team is competing at. However, the Right 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 first base. I am going to GO GET the ball - React towards the ball. Point out that the fence line on most fields is only 10-15 behind first and third base. 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. 2. Feet squred to the ball in a Ready Position. We coaches are not going to have players this age playing the game perfectly. 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. In this case getting to the initial backing-up position is not a concern because the Pitcher is backing up third base. In this circumstance, the corner outfielders will back up the base by playing a carom off the fence. Some of us played on the larger diamond and possibly have coached in that environment. The ball goes to cf, the ss goes out to get the ball; the second baseman covers the base. The players need to understand that the player with the ball needs to remain conscious of the runners. When the Third Baseman is backing up throws to third base, rarely will they be in the ideal spot when the throw is made. The three players in the middle of the field: pitcher, shortstop, second baseman -Always Move Towards the Ball". 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. This is the mindset of all nine players on the field as the ball is put into play. 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. They believe that the ball is only moved by making a throw. 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. Witherspoon was a stalwart of the Illini secondary ever since he arrived in Champaign back in 2019. She's not going to play soccer or gymnastics, but with some surgeries, she should be able to walk.'. 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. Before the base has any useful function for a player on defense, they need to have the ball. It is constructed using cones, throw down bases, ball caps, extra shirts that are laying around, a leaf, anything. The CF will need to cover 2nd. 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. Positioning varies based on the level of play, game situation, and the pitchers and batters strengths and tendancies (if known). 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. The Catcher hollers loud, Eat it! (meaning to hold onto the ball). Players wont sprint (even though we just told them). The remaining players are placed along the first base line and will rotate into the drill at the catching position. Be Ready to Move! Thrown balls getting past their intended target, specifically throws to bases, happens in almost every youth baseball game. 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. 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). When working with kids we want to structure our talk to be as literal as possible. The rule for the players in the middle of the field is to Move Towards the Ball. In many instances the Third Baseman figures, since nothing is immediately happening at third base, there is no urgency to cover the base. We want TWO players in position to catch every throw; the player at the base who we hope makes the catch, and a second player beyond the base to catch the ball, if it gets past the base. Middle Infielders: 25-30 from second base, and a couple steps behind the baseline. Maybe read those through twice. The catcher's position in front of home plate. RULE: I am going to Go Get the ball, The pitcher sprints towards, and past, the corner base* on the side of the infield the coach/ground ball is going. Less congested . Get the ball to the middle of the infield. Teaching Bunt Defense Many coaches make bunt defense too difcult and confusing by having ten different plays and having an intricate naming system. If the base runners are not attempting to advance, we do not want to risk making a throw. Center Fielder: 30 beyond the second base bag. Pickoff attempts require a specific defender to cover the base to try to catch the runner off base. Stand on the field/pitching rubber side of the plate facing the ball. 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. The 1st Rule for Defensive responsibilities is I am going to go get the ball. 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. 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. 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. After repeated exposure to a given situation, a player will begin to better anticipate what will happen. Primarily as observers of the pro game. Early on this can be difficult to train. 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. --> The rule for the RIGHT FIELDER, because the ball is hit to an infielder in front of them, is to go for the ball. One of the most valuable tools a coach can use is the Mini Diamond. (Note in the diagrams where the backing up players end up.). 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. This final section is probably more than what is needed for kids 9 and under. Put a runner at 1st base that needs to be advanced by the batter. We are teaching our players to always anticipate that another play needs to be made. 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. The other way to stop a runner is to get the ball to the base ahead of the runner. (This will be covered in detail later in this section.). 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'). Quickly moving the ball closer to the runners helps them to determine its time to stop. 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. This is why the pitching rubber is the destination for a player who is not sure of what to do with the ball. Double plays are rarely turned. You can position the shortstop more up the middle closer to the base. Former Gophers defensive backs Jordan Howden and Terell Smith were selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday. 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. Kids understand a key is needed to open the door to their house. Place a an object (ball bucket, etc.) Coaching youth Baseball and Softball. Miles . Most kids just dont grasp this concept. 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. 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. This Drill should be one of first defensive drills of the year for our team. 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. An experienced and consciencious umpire should be receptive to this practice. 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. The odds of making a throw that gets past the player covering the base are pretty high. That doesnt matter, the CF gets going and does their best to get into position to back up the base. Set-up: Mini-diamond, 20'-25' square. If you are not playing the Ball,cover a Base (home plate). Usually its the corner base; sometimes they are needed to back up throws to second base. Each infielder has only two possible responsibilities: 1. The magnet principle is a basic concept that can be used to help young players learn defensive coverage. The same is true, in most instances, when the ball is hit to the center fielder. This may require us to take them with us to the correct spot and say, "See how far away you are right now? 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. For example, you may want to go over what the defensive players should do if the ball is hit between the defenders at first and second. If the throw is off target, quickly move laterally, from the Ready Position, as fars as required to catch/stop the ball. The pitcher is the cut-relay to home on All balls hit to the outfield - reasons: Often the pitcher is the best athlete on the field; we want them handling the ball as much as possible. 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. It's also acceptable to drop to one knee if the outfield is rough. On a Tag Play, the fielder catches the ball and immediately moves their glove to the ground, in front of the side of the base the runner is headed. . NOTE: This does not mean the Center Fielder is not attempting to back up on these throws. 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 case getting to the initial backing-up position is not a concern because the Pitcher is backing up third base.