Bunt Coverage Options

runner on 2b or 1b and 2b... give me some ideas on what you think is the best way to cover this bunt situation

was planning on 3b, P, and 1b charging with SS covering 3b and CF coming in to get 2b - 2baseman covering 1b

any ideas would be helpful - 12u team i'm coaching

Here are a couple of basic bunt coverages I use...

This is from a playbook I made up.

Was told this at a clinic the other day. Have 3rd,P and C cover bunt and have 1st cover her bag, 2nd cover 2 and SS cover 3.

jd29 said:

runner on 2b or 1b and 2b... give me some ideas on what you think is the best way to cover this bunt situation

was planning on 3b, P, and 1b charging with SS covering 3b and CF coming in to get 2b - 2baseman covering 1b

any ideas would be helpful - 12u team i'm coaching

Click to expand...

If you have a runner on 1B and want to cover 2B with CF then as an offensive coach i am going to fake bunt and steal the runner 100% of the time. It's touygh getting a tag down with an outfielder sprinting in to the bag (plus a missed throw is probably a run because there is no back up)

Variants on the "one back" (i.e. 1B covers 1B) are used because either
A. 1B is not mobile so is an ineffective bunt defender anyway
B. Pitcher is a fantastic fielder (reality is many fantastic pitchers are mediocre fielders)
C. Runner is just so darn fast that your keeping 1B home because unless the bunt goes directly to another fielder and quick throw is made your never going to get her.

2 of our 3 pitchers are lefties so I'm not a big fan of "one back" defense personally because a bunt down the 1B line is difficult for a left handed pitcher to field and throw.

Keeping an athletic F3 more involved in the bunt opens many more possibilities. F3 is in the best position to field a bunt and make a tag negating the need for a throw. WIth a runner on 2, F3 has a good angle to make the throw to 3B to try to get the lead runner if that is there.

Personal preference (runner on 1B) F1, F2 , F3, F5 field the ball F6 covers 2B, F4 covers 1B, F7 Hustles towards 3B, F8 backing up throw to 2B, F9 backs up throw to 1B. If F5 fields the ball , F7 has 3B and F5 is backup, If F5 does not field the ball F5 has 3B F7 is backup.

Personal preference (runner on 2B) F1, F2 , F3, F5 field the ball F6 covers 3B, F4 covers 1B, F7 backs up throw to 3B, F8 covers 2B, F9 backs up throw to 1B.

i thought that a fake bunt steal would be a possibliity - the other option i thought of would be to have the SS cover 2b some and the LF come to get 3b as well as the third baseman or pitcher could scramble over if they did not field the bunt

thanks for your idea's

looking for more opinions - please post if you have one

my corner infielders are athletic, my pitchers are average at best.. one is below average as a bunt coverage fielder

snocatz dad - seems you are just wanting an out at 1b, rather than throwing to 2b to get the force.
a short bunt that the catcher could field or a hard bunt right at one of the other 3 defenders should produce a force at 2b wouldnt it?

after reading your preferences this is what i had in mind -

Coach Al - if you have an athletic pitcher that would be great - my problem is that my pitchers are avg to below avg as far as fielding a bunt is concerned

jd29 said:

Coach Al - if you have an athletic pitcher that would be great - my problem is that my pitchers are avg to below avg as far as fielding a bunt is concerned

Click to expand...

If your pitchers aren't good fielders I'd go with diagram #1 that I posted above. With runners on base I might have the SS cover 2nd while the LF comes in to cover 3rd to prevent an aggressive team from taking an extra base. Make sure your 3B and Pitcher understand that they need to back up 3rd if they don't field the ball.

jd29 said:

i thought that a fake bunt steal would be a possibliity - the other option i thought of would be to have the SS cover 2b some and the LF come to get 3b as well as the third baseman or pitcher could scramble over if they did not field the bunt

thanks for your idea's

looking for more opinions - please post if you have one

my corner infielders are athletic, my pitchers are average at best.. one is below average as a bunt coverage fielder

snocatz dad - seems you are just wanting an out at 1b, rather than throwing to 2b to get the force.
a short bunt that the catcher could field or a hard bunt right at one of the other 3 defenders should produce a force at 2b wouldnt it?

after reading your preferences this is what i had in mind -

Click to expand...

Going for the out at 2 is tough in this situation. If your catcher only can throw the runner out 50% of the time on a straight steal they don't have a chance to get a runner that left on the pitch on a bunt and steal after picking the ball up off the ground. If your catcher has an above average arm you can try for that lead out, but it's a long throw. I would probably take the bird in hand (1B force) then throw behind the runner at 2B hoping to catch them rounding. You'll also have an opportunity to throw out that lead runner if they make a break for 3B (as many teams will do if they see it unoccupied or expect it to be unoccupied).

If the bunt/slap/drag comes off hot enough to be in the pitcher or F5's glove right away, then yes I would want them to get the lead force out.

FYI My pet peeve is watching F6 clueless on what to do in bunt coverage with no runners on. They usually revert to a runner's on assignment as opposed to fielding the gap between F1 and F5.

With a runner on 1b and 2nd I keep F5 back to cover base and cover the bunt with F1, F2, F3. F4 covers 1b and F6 covers 2B, outfielders back up throws. I've seen too many fake bunts to pull F5 up and then steal from 2B. It's very hard for F6 to beat the runner to the bag, recieve a ball, and make a tag. If there is only a runner at 2B and I'm pretty sure its a bunt I'll still leave F5 back, also leave F3 back, F6 covers 2B, and F4 comes into a slapping defense type position or even closer and covers bunt with F1 and F2.

lelwell

My objective is to keep everything the same as much as possible to keep players from not being in position to get the out... I coached HS baseball for 15 years, we always play "when in doubt, get the out" philosophy... I am just learning softball so I want to get as much info as I can on how people play situations. i agree that it is tough for a SS to cover 3b and make a tag on a steal - how often do teams bunt with a runner on 2b? how about with runners on 1st and 2b? To me your in a pickle when your pitchers are just avg in bunt coverage - because if they are good athletes they can almost get everything except that bunt down each line... and that's what i have - avg bunt fielding pitchers - i do have good athletes at both corners

if you have a slapper up with runner on 2b would you have your SS over in the hole a little more? that's been my thinking so far... again i've only coached fastpitch for about 3 years