Calling up Flies - who's ball is it anyway?

[James Smith]

I mentioned it earlier that we are a younger Team but once a player calls a ball drop into a backup role and do not try to call her off and run her over. JMO.

The priority charts are great but the CF does not own the field, even though they kind of do.

If someone is camped out under the ball leave them alone.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

She is running over people, who are playing their position. That is unacceptable and has to look ridiculous.

 

[SBFAMILY]

You will find out that softball fields can vary greatly!

 

[James Smith]

She is running over people, who are playing their position. That is unacceptable and has to look ridiculous.

I feel like I am hick jacking obbay’s thread but I have the same Issue with a different player.

DD plays against this CF in League play and it is amusing, not so much when DD is on the same Team.

 

[JJsqueeze]

I find it funny that there are responses that say it is CFs ball regardless. There is a pretty clear RF and LF too and if you have a CF that is messing with the other fielders positions that is a problem. If CF has a good sense of position then yes, it is CFs ball, but if CF is running amok then she needs to learn to stay aggressive but within some boundaries. If she goes after every fly then I imaging she is not playing her backup role at all and that can be disastrous.

 

[guero_gordo]

Charts I've seen from highest to lowest priority are generally

CF
RF/LF
SS
2B
3B
1B
P
C

This always baffles me, someone has already done the work, yet I've never been on a team where they taught the system. It seems like a handout to memorize and maybe some verbal repetition would set this, and then they will know from the direction of the voice whether to pull up or go for the ball:
IF I'm in LF and I hear CF calling from my left, I get out of the way, if I'm an infielder and I hear a voice behind me I veer off, etc.

Good teams do cover this in situations, but generally you're one rotation away from no longer having a girl in a given position that knows the hierarchy.

 

[canyonjoe]

No one is saying that the CF should go after and call every ball, but when they call it, they must get priority. Many fly balls can be caught by several people so that's why there is a priority set up. If they are trying to showboat and causing problems it's up to the coaches to change, but the fielders have to be confident that whoever has the final call has the ability to catch the ball safely.

 

[MaverickAH]

No one is saying that the CF should go after and call every ball, but when they call it, they must get priority. Many fly balls can be caught by several people so that's why there is a priority set up. If they are trying to showboat and causing problems it's up to the coaches to change, but the fielders have to be confident that whoever has the final call has the ability to catch the ball safely.

If there's one thing that I've learned in all my years of baseball & softball is that there are no absolutes in this game. Do I want a CF who takes charge? Absolutely! But what I do not want is a CF who runs roughshod over her teammates thinking that every ball is automatically hers! More often than not, that kind of attitude just leads to confusion as well as being dangerous. First & foremost, I want my outfielders to WORK TOGETHER! All situations should have been practiced & practiced & practiced! Any issues should have been discussed & ironed out. There are always going to be situations where even if the CF can get to the ball, it is not her play. If the CF is moving away from a potential, "next play", & another outfielder, who is moving toward a potential next play, can also make the play, guess whose ball it is? These are things that all ballplayers need to learn & can make the difference between a W or L as you move up in competition.

Some of these issues go away as you go up in talent level & understanding of the game. Even with that there are always going to be those "tweener" plays where no one is sure until the last second as to whether they can make the play or not. All you can do is hope that the players involved have been drilled enough & know each other well enough to work it out on the fly.