We have LF cover. F4 has a very quick release. No team has successfully taken 3rd on a bunt against us. A couple have tried, but it's turned into a double play. Pitcher or F5 can back up the throw in foul territory. With throw coming from 1B an overthrow shouldn't be landing in left field, it should end up by the 3rd base dugout, so F5 or pitcher should be able to get there. As the girls get older, if opposing teams see LF coming to cover, not as many try to take 3rd on the bunt.
Who do you have cover 3b in this situation?
- Thread starter mad hornet
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I believe in teaching the game as I expect the girls to play, when they get in MS and HS. At 10U, the pitcher is less then, 30 feet from the plate when she releases the ball. She can easily run to the front of the plate and receive a ball from the catcher. She should not be reversing direction and trying to run whatever the distance would be to get on the 3rd base side of the bag and receive a throw for a force out.
The purpose of young girls playing ball, should be to learn the game. Wins should be secondary. You will not find older pitchers covering 3rd base.
The purpose of young girls playing ball, should be to learn the game. Wins should be secondary. You will not find older pitchers covering 3rd base.
Interesting. Dunnellon HS (one of the top-ranked HS softball teams in the nation) won the Florida state championship a couple years ago and the key play in the game was a bunt that was turned into a 5-4-1 double play. The pitcher covering 3rd base was Kasey Fagan, who was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year and went on to play at the University of Florida.
Kaizen I have been around high school and travel balls for years and all I see around here it is the pitcher. Why not left field? Because on a bunt and run, by dd can beat most LF's to third base base on the distance they have to cover, because when the bunt is on the ground she is already at 2b turning. This is a two base sac to many kids that have speed.
Our SS covers 1 base ahead of the runner. Nobody on, she covers second, runner on 1st she covers third and center comes in to cover 2nd, that way the bunter doesnt round 1st and automatically go to 2nd. I have run it that way since 10u and have never had an issue with an uncovered base. The reason I dont mind conceding 2nd to the runner already on first is because how many times have you seen a bunt fielded and the runner thrown out at 2nd, its a very tough play.
I dont have our pitcher cover third but not because its dangerous, if you think that way then who do you have cover home on a past ball?
I dont have our pitcher cover third but not because its dangerous, if you think that way then who do you have cover home on a past ball?
- Jul 28, 2008
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Mike,
What do you do with a hard bunt back to 3rd or pitcher with time to take the leadoff runner? It sounds like you give that up by sending F6 to 3rd?
As I said earlier, in my defensive setup F1 covers 3rd only if F5 fields the ball. It's not a high percentage injury type of play and a pither can handle it. There are more than 1 defensive setups where F1 needs to cover a bag/plate. They do not need to treated with kid gloves. I have yet to have to pull a pitcher from a game due to injury.
What do you do with a hard bunt back to 3rd or pitcher with time to take the leadoff runner? It sounds like you give that up by sending F6 to 3rd?
As I said earlier, in my defensive setup F1 covers 3rd only if F5 fields the ball. It's not a high percentage injury type of play and a pither can handle it. There are more than 1 defensive setups where F1 needs to cover a bag/plate. They do not need to treated with kid gloves. I have yet to have to pull a pitcher from a game due to injury.
I am not worried about the pitcher getting injured shockcoach I agree with you there, I just feel I have a better player for the job.
I know it does happen but IMO its rare, with a sac bunt / bunt and run, the runner on 1st has a pretty decent jump and thats a pretty elite move to get that lead out successfully. If a team wants to give me an out just to move 60 feet I'll take it. I also like keeping things simple, the less complexity the more consistant we are. I dont mind a catcher follwing a runner to 1st with nobody on, or a pitcher covering home on a passed ball or backing up on throws from the outfield but thats about it.
I havent watched as much softball as some but I rarely see a bunt turn into getting a lead out at 2nd. If you can do that successfully on a consistant basis than I tip my hat. So yes, right, wrong or otherwise I give up the force at 2nd.
I know it does happen but IMO its rare, with a sac bunt / bunt and run, the runner on 1st has a pretty decent jump and thats a pretty elite move to get that lead out successfully. If a team wants to give me an out just to move 60 feet I'll take it. I also like keeping things simple, the less complexity the more consistant we are. I dont mind a catcher follwing a runner to 1st with nobody on, or a pitcher covering home on a passed ball or backing up on throws from the outfield but thats about it.
I havent watched as much softball as some but I rarely see a bunt turn into getting a lead out at 2nd. If you can do that successfully on a consistant basis than I tip my hat. So yes, right, wrong or otherwise I give up the force at 2nd.
What do you do if the runner rounds the bag too far at 2nd? Do you throw to the center fielder at 2nd and risk an over throw that scores the run easily? And just so you know, in 14U throwing the lead runner out at 2nd does happen. It actually happened to our HS team just tonite. Our TB team did it several times this past year. Also picked off a couple rounding 2nd too far by throwing to the SS at 2nd with CF backing up the throw. I don't think the level of SB is any different here than anywhere else, so you may want to consider running this play a little different than you did at 10U.
Interesting point.
Thats probably not true, especially if your high school team is playing games in the fall.
I believe what you say but those bang bang plays just dont happen all that often in the softball I have watched. I have however watched alot of teams who relegate there f6 to second and f5 or f1 to 3rd depending on who fields the bunt, and watched 3rd not get covered in time or not at all. I know, I know coaching and practice. I hadnt actually thought of the runner over running 2nd base a bit, I'll have to give that some thought.
I would like to see some actual stats on runners forced out at 2nd on a bunt if available. I just dont see it happen very often, but this is our first year playing 14u and not just watching so our view might be a little different
Thats probably not true, especially if your high school team is playing games in the fall.
I believe what you say but those bang bang plays just dont happen all that often in the softball I have watched. I have however watched alot of teams who relegate there f6 to second and f5 or f1 to 3rd depending on who fields the bunt, and watched 3rd not get covered in time or not at all. I know, I know coaching and practice. I hadnt actually thought of the runner over running 2nd base a bit, I'll have to give that some thought.
I would like to see some actual stats on runners forced out at 2nd on a bunt if available. I just dont see it happen very often, but this is our first year playing 14u and not just watching so our view might be a little different
- Oct 1, 2011
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My team is mostly new so I honestly had no idea going into fall ball who was going to end up playing where, so I taught them the easiest way I know. If 3 fields the bunt P covers 3. If P fields the bunt 3 gets back to the bag. Short covers 2, 2 covers 1.
Things are shaking out on the field and our lineup is falling into place. We will work on it during the winter and our bunt coverage will be solid when spring gets here.
Things are shaking out on the field and our lineup is falling into place. We will work on it during the winter and our bunt coverage will be solid when spring gets here.
