Difference in 10u softball and 10u baseball?

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Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
Here's a good read for you on position strategy. It worked well for me in my first rec 10U coaching experience:

Winning 10U Defensive Strategy


Also, ask the people running your league for the rules. They'll have them. You need to know them well.

You'll need to figure out bunts yourself, with your team and coaches. We've resorted to having P and 3B crash and leaving 1B at home to get the throw. Not ideal, but it is how our team maximizes the probability of getting an out. You need to find the best for your players.

As someone said above, learn quickly what stops a play. Some leagues have the umps call time when the ball is controlled by the pitcher and the pitcher is inside the circle. We call it "circle ball" and we hate it. Teams just run and run until we get the ball to the pitcher. Seems more like a race or cricket or something. Now that we're in Travel, the play stops when the lead runner stops advancing. So you tend to throw ahead of the lead runner, much more like you're used to. But you gotta know when and why the umps call time after a hit ball or you'll go insane with frustration. :)
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
We never had pitcher cover 1st, 1st stayed back or 2nd covered. Seemed to work OK.

Lot to be said for a ball being hit to 2nd being an easy out. 10u our best fielder was actually the 1st baseman. I do not think there is a hard and fast rule, work with what you have.
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
Oh, and share what you know with the parents, best you can. Having them not understanding the rules is frustrating for everyone, including the girls.

Better yet is to ask the parents to simply cheer and support, and not to get angry, irate and never talk to umps. Ideally they don't talk to you or the girls during games, but that's tough to control. Most of us will comment that the parents are the key to how much you'll enjoy this. Bad parents, and it'll suck the joy out of everything related to the team. Good parents, and this might be the most fun you've had since you were playing ball as a boy.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
I highly recommend having your best catching player at 1st and your best fielder at 2nd. Get all those easy outs and it will go a long way.

This is a bigger thing than many people realize at the 10U rec level. Traditionally, the better fielders get put on the left side, and a weaker player gets put at 2B. A good glove with decent arm at 2B will get you a lot of outs. A strong arm will give the player a chance to still make an out even if they don't field it cleanly.

Another consideration....More often than not, any ball hit to 3B is going to be a base hit. You're often better off just having 3B stop the ball and get it back to the pitcher - giving up just 1 base - than trying to make a throw across the diamond which has a high likelihood of becoming a throwing or catching error that leads to multiple bases.
 
Aug 29, 2011
2,581
83
NorCal
Sorry if I'm in the wrong spot on this board. My 9 year old daughter wanted to try REC softball, an email went out that unless they found another coach they wouldn't be able to hold the draft. Okay then, I volunteered.

My qualifications are watching youth baseball for the last 10 years (6u-17u), and a LOT of patience....so, can someone please tell me the rule differences in softball and baseball so I can look LESS like an idiot. :rolleyes:

Some random things that happen in baseball would be:
1. Dropped third strike, batter can advance to first if the catcher/player doesn't get them out
2. Infield fly rule
3. Catcher's interference
4. If the runner on 1st passes the runner on second they are automatically out
5. catching a foul tip = out
6. Must slide when coming into home if the catcher has the ball
7. Balk?

Are things like that relevant to softball too?
Unless there are special "house or league" rules then 1 to 5 are the same for both BB and SB

There is no "must slide rule" in BB or SB but it is often a "house or league" rule for safety.

7 There are no balks in SB but there are Illegal pitches

SB has a think called the "look back rule" that baseball does not.

In base running leads are not permitted in SB, the runner can not leave the base until ball leaves the pitchers hand.
 
Feb 5, 2019
13
0
Here's a good read for you on position strategy. It worked well for me in my first rec 10U coaching experience:

Winning 10U Defensive Strategy


Also, ask the people running your league for the rules. They'll have them. You need to know them well.

You'll need to figure out bunts yourself, with your team and coaches. We've resorted to having P and 3B crash and leaving 1B at home to get the throw. Not ideal, but it is how our team maximizes the probability of getting an out. You need to find the best for your players.

As someone said above, learn quickly what stops a play. Some leagues have the umps call time when the ball is controlled by the pitcher and the pitcher is inside the circle. We call it "circle ball" and we hate it. Teams just run and run until we get the ball to the pitcher. Seems more like a race or cricket or something. Now that we're in Travel, the play stops when the lead runner stops advancing. So you tend to throw ahead of the lead runner, much more like you're used to. But you gotta know when and why the umps call time after a hit ball or you'll go insane with frustration. :)

The link didn't work :- (

Great news though, I've already had one assistant coach volunteer, and three parent volunteers.....TOTALLY AWESOME!
 
Nov 18, 2015
1,585
113
Why my best fielder at 2B? In baseball it's SS...that's a big difference.

Why doesn't the pitcher cover 1B on a bunt....or what if 1B is fielding the ball....does the pitcher ever go over to 1B?

It's rare for a ball to be pulled @ 10U Rec. If it is, chances are there's already a runner on 1B anyway, so having a good 2B means the throw or underhand toss from the SS won't be treated like a live grenade.

In 10U, you're pitching from 35', not 45', which I believe is the standard LL baseball distance. Add in the bigger stride (well, maybe not right away - but probably by 12U), the pitcher is going to end up even closer to the plate. That's just too much distance to cover to make it to 1B in time to a) beat the runner and b)reach the bag, stop, turn around, and await the throw.

You're starting the same way I did - "No coach, no team". Here I am 5 years, and a combined 14 seasons of Rec/All-Stars/Travel later, and I'm still only at the 10U level with SOOOOO much more to learn. Really - thanks for volunteering, and welcome to the addiction known as DFP.

Lastly - coming from the "baseball world", and I'm surprised no one's mentioned this yet - don't let anyone tell you there's a difference b/w the baseball swing and the softball swing. A good swing is a good swing. Round ball, round bat. Same plate. Same strike zone. If they don't believe you, tell them "That's what Sue Enquist says". If they need to ask who she is, take two steps back, just in case their ignorance is contagious. :)

Good Luck!

Gags
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Why doesn't the pitcher cover 1B on a bunt....or what if 1B is fielding the ball....does the pitcher ever go over to 1B?

F1(P) covering 1B doesn't work in softball.

The most typical bunt situation is a runner at 1B. On the bunt, F5, F1, F3, and F2 should all be crashing to the ball and expecting to make a quick throw to 1B. F4 rotates to cover 1B, and F6 covers 2B. At this level, get the out at 1B rather than trying to rush and get the lead runner.

That said, a variation may be necessary depending on the agility of your players. If F3 is slow on her feet, it might be better to leave her at 1B and tell F1 to cover everything on the 1B side of the field.

Bunt defense needs to be practiced a lot. Start with slow-speed walk-throughs of plays with the ball in different spots, and fielded by different players.

Also...watch lots of college softball.


EDIT: One more things...Don't leave your OF out of bunt work. They need to be moving to back up at the base in front of them, and get there as fast as possible.
 
Last edited:
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
Kids should be playing multiple positions..that said if I thought my kid had a future at SS at the higher levels and was placed at 2B because that was going to be
the best way to win in 10U rec I am not sure I would be pleased.
 

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