Typically, I want whoever is charging inward to have precedence over whoever is backing up. But regardless, she had better be calling for the ball loudly!
Fielding question
- Thread starter doublenickel
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- Mar 31, 2014
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To be clear, I think everything the players did was correct. My DD who was playing third clearly and properly called the ball and made the catch and the SS sprinting up to make the play called the ball but saw my DD was in the position to make the play and backed off. I have a real issue with a coach publicly berating any player (given it was my daughter) for properly calling and making the play. To the question about how loud she discussed this with my daughter, I was at least 70 feet away and heard every word very clearly over the noise of the everything else that was going on at the field.
- Mar 31, 2014
- 144
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Had the SS been two more steps back she would have had to dive to make the play as it was not very high at all.
Yes the SS can call off 3B
Coach is an idiot for berating your DD
That's one where the coach should take DD aside and quietly tell her who has priority. Something like, nice catch but net time if the SS is calling move off an let her take it.
Just like in the OP, whether the player to the rear should call off the other fielder on a particular play is a different topic than whether fielders should yield.
Generally, the player in front is more likely to hear someone calling them off than vice versa because the other fielder is facing them and there isn't as much noise coming from that direction. The fielder behind the play may not hear the player in front of them call the ball.
If the first fielder doesn't yield and the ball isn't caught, the blame goes on them - period. If the fielder yields and the ball isn't caught, it's on the fielder that called them off. If a fielder is overly aggressive calling balls - and this often happens from being coached to call whatever they can reach - the only way they'll change is getting burned by it. Regardless, the coach needs to handle it better than what happened in the OP.
- Mar 31, 2014
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My patience has been growing thin with this coach because she likes to pull defensive players in the middle of the inning for making a defensive error and she isn't consistent in doing this and she tends to try and bully the girls. She has the girls terrified to make a play because they may make an error. Luckily my DD hasn't been one of the ones pulled in the middle of the inning. My DD has played enough ball to where she has a pretty thick skin with regard to coaches yelling at her but this coach seems to take it to a new level. I do not believe in discussing on field matters with the coach at any expense but my boiling point was pushed to the maximum last night.
- Mar 31, 2014
- 144
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Our season will be over in three weeks, I will bite my tongue the rest of the season til it bleeds.
Yea, I was always taught in order to alleviate any confusion; the SS is the general of the infield. She calls it anywhere (infield) all others peel off. That saves from the 3rd baseman thinking the ball is closer to me than her so i'm fielding this no matter what. No, the SS calls it she has it. Now she better get it. If not then the berating goes the other way.
Just the way I was taught.
Just the way I was taught.
In order to be safe and make the plays priority must be established and a trust developed between players. When an OF calls a ball they have to be confident that the infielder will back away so they don't collide. It also means that you might be called off even it's an easy play for you. The goal is to make the out without anyone getting hurt. There is always a girl that wants to catch everything. Coaches sometimes ignore as they would rather have the aggressiveness especially at a young age. I remember when I was around 8 years old a pitcher and catcher collided on a popup in front of HP. The pitcher was knocked out, but the way their head hit, it split open the catchers forehead and when he turned to get the ball there was blood all over his face. It looked like something from a horror movie. While I don't have nightmares about it, it made me realize quickly how important it is calling the ball.
