- Jun 8, 2016
- 16,118
- 113
So more kids can pick dandelions...
Difference in 10u softball and 10u baseball?
- Thread starter CaCO3Girl
- Start date
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So more kids can pick dandelions...
of course! Should have thought of that, LOL!
My league rules are:
1. No more than 4 runs an inning
2. No dropped third strike
3. No infield fly rule
4. 10 play, 10 bat
Do they realize they only gave me 10 kids??????? This should be interesting. I can't wait to tell the parents, "The good news is, since we only have 10 all your kids will play every innings....the bad news is, since we only have 10, ALL your kids will HAVE to play every inning."
- Jun 8, 2016
- 16,118
- 113
My guess is that you are allowed to play with 8 if that is all that shows up that day but you might get an automatic out if you only bat 8.
In rec I would put every kid in every position they could safely handle - I am not out to get anyone hurt by playing them somewhere where they can't handle. Sometimes that meant they needed to play a little deeper than you would like but so be it. It also means that you have to move your best fielders to the outfield for an inning or two each game as well.
Our league mandated that no player could spend more than 2 consecutive innings on the bench or outfield which was sometimes complex to handle logistically as a coach. As a league, we did everything we could to stop coaches playing the same players in the same position every inning so they could optimize their win % at the expense of players hating being there. Sure OF is important in travel or in 14U but in 10U rec where it truly can be REALLY boring, having some poor new kid stand out there for the entire season is not a recipe for getting that kid to sign up again next year.
Your league will vary in what they do or allow - some will let you play it straight - some will do things like mandate playing time - and so on. Our goal in rec was always retention for the next season and they continue to be very successful when many rec leagues around the area have collapsed or had major issues.
We also mandated that you bat the lineup. Only in the playoffs would I put together my best lineup. No one EVER should live at the back of the lineup for an entire season in rec. You can work it out.
We also had pitching rules - a pitcher was only allowed to pitch 3 innings (and only 2 in a row) in a game so that no one rode one pitcher.
I assume your league is putting 4 in the outfield. That is just there to keep more people on the field playing and less people on the bench
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Yes, they know that. They purposefully want the teams lean. And they're right.
You know what's worse than dealing with parents who want their kid to play SS? Dealing with parents who pay to play and then have their kid on the bench. These games last 3 innings, 4 tops. And if any of these girls/parents have been in this league, they're used to all this. It's you who is new to it.
And 4 OFs will result in better defense than 3 outfielders. In Rec it's very common to field 10.
As far as rotating your defense, again -- get the local rules ASAP and learn them. Most rec leagues I've been in have rules that prevent you from playing the same girl at 1B all game, etc. Some are minimum innings for IF and OF, others prevent a player from staying at one position the entire game. But the bigger point is to let girls try and develop at different positions.
If you know you're down to 7 or 8 (or even 9) for a particular game, there are dozens of girls on other teams who can fill in for you. Again, your league rules will say how this works. But it's usually a quick email to the board/league/other coaches and you'll get plenty of volunteers to fill in. You probably have to bat them last in the order. It's a good way to get to know other coaches, girls, etc. It's usually a tight community and your daughter might already be friends with them or will be on their team next year.
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So in baseball, when the kids are in the field and the ball is about to be pitched the coach yells to all the children "baseball ready"....meaning get into your athletic positions to field the ball. Is it just "softball ready" in softball, or is there a different phrase?
In rec I would put every kid in every position they could safely handle - I am not out to get anyone hurt by playing them somewhere where they can't handle. Sometimes that meant they needed to play a little deeper than you would like but so be it. It also means that you have to move your best fielders to the outfield for an inning or two each game as well.
Our league mandated that no player could spend more than 2 consecutive innings on the bench or outfield which was sometimes complex to handle logistically as a coach. As a league, we did everything we could to stop coaches playing the same players in the same position every inning so they could optimize their win % at the expense of players hating being there. Sure OF is important in travel or in 14U but in 10U rec where it truly can be REALLY boring, having some poor new kid stand out there for the entire season is not a recipe for getting that kid to sign up again next year.
Your league will vary in what they do or allow - some will let you play it straight - some will do things like mandate playing time - and so on. Our goal in rec was always retention for the next season and they continue to be very successful when many rec leagues around the area have collapsed or had major issues.
We also mandated that you bat the lineup. Only in the playoffs would I put together my best lineup. No one EVER should live at the back of the lineup for an entire season is rec. You can work it out.
We also had pitching rules - a pitcher was only allowed to pitch 3 innings (and only 2 in a row) in a game so that no one rode one pitcher.
I assume your league is putting 4 in the outfield. That is just there to keep more people on the field playing and less people on the bench
One easy method is to always move your lead off batter from the last game to the bottom of the line up the next game. The batting order shifts up one spot every game.
- Dec 5, 2017
- 514
- 63
Fortunately and unfortunately, my 8u rec team last year had girls damn near fist fighting over who got to sit out an inning. One girl would beg to never sit and then 3 minutes into an inning she would ask to go back to the dugout because she was hot
, every. single. inning.
I would assume 4 outfielders need to start with their feet on OF grass.
It is an easy rule to take advantage of and dislike when coaches do.
Easy example is having 4th outfielder as close to 2nd as possible and have her cover the base. I had to re teach DD how to play SS after 1 year of 10u doing this.
(I do not recall our actual rule with starting with 8 players but neither team was charged with an automatic out. I do remember once a player is in lineup cannot bat for some reason coach had choice off pulling player out for rest of game or take an out to save her position in limeup)
It is an easy rule to take advantage of and dislike when coaches do.
Easy example is having 4th outfielder as close to 2nd as possible and have her cover the base. I had to re teach DD how to play SS after 1 year of 10u doing this.
(I do not recall our actual rule with starting with 8 players but neither team was charged with an automatic out. I do remember once a player is in lineup cannot bat for some reason coach had choice off pulling player out for rest of game or take an out to save her position in limeup)
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