Outfielding tips?

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May 17, 2012
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I could be misunderstanding what you mean here, but this seems wrong to me.

If you have a runner on first, base hit, and you have no shot to get the runner at third (but that runner scoring is unlikely), the correct throw is to second to keep the batter from advancing an extra base. In this case, you threw behind the lead runner.

In a game situation this would be a "soft cut". You would still be throwing "home" but the cut would be far enough in front of the plate (30 feet lets say) that the batter/runner would have to hold at 1B.

OF should ALWAYS throw to a base. At high levels of softball if you throw behind the lead runner teams will run on you.

Scenario: Runner on 1B and hard single to RF (but no play on the batter/runner at 1B). If you throw behind the lead runner to 2B to prevent the batter/runner from going to 2B the runner on 3B has an excellent chance of scoring from 3B (as a proper 3B coach has already identified your weakness in relays and cuts).

OF should always throw to a base. It's amazing how many teams at all levels fail to do proper cuts and relays. You can always tell how well a team is coached but how they execute cuts and relays.
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
4) If there are no runners advancing hit your cutoff. There is NO reason to throw the ball to a bag if runners are not advancing.

All excellent tips but I will disagree with #4. The only time you would throw to a cutoff is if you are trying to split the runners (and in that case you are still technically throwing to a base but not at 100%). Always throw to a base. Always.

A lot of cuts from softball are leftovers from baseball where the fields are bigger. We have identified this as an area where we will take advantage of other teams with our base running (and we do at the highest level).
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
All excellent tips but I will disagree with #4. The only time you would throw to a cutoff is if you are trying to split the runners (and in that case you are still technically throwing to a base but not at 100%). Always throw to a base. Always.

A lot of cuts from softball are leftovers from baseball where the fields are bigger. We have identified this as an area where we will take advantage of other teams with our base running (and we do at the highest level).

I have no problem with an outfielder coming up firing the ball to a bag trying to get an advancing runner, but if I had a $1 for every time I have seen an outfielder field a routine single, and make a low percentage throw to a bag, when there is NO THREAT of a runner advancing and they short hop or air mail the throw and it becomes an ERROR and the runner ends up on 2B or sometimes 3B. If F9 is not backing up the plate it could become a 3 base error with the run scoring! And for what?

I was watching Auburn play Wallace State (JUCO) a couple of weeks ago. Score tied 2-2 in the 6th inning. Runners on 1st and 2nd, one out. Batter hits a looping single to LF. Runner on 2nd has to hold temporarily to make sure the ball is not caught on the fly. When she sees the ball drop base runner jogs to 3B and is standing on the bag. F7 fields the ball and decides to throw home as if the runner is trying to score. She airmails the throw 8' over the catchers head. Runner on 3B scores standing up. Pitcher strikes out the next two batters and Wallace State loses 2-3 on that error. If the outfielder had found the runner at 3B and realized she was not going, and gotten the ball to her cutoff, the run would not have scored.
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
A lot of cuts from softball are leftovers from baseball where the fields are bigger. We have identified this as an area where we will take advantage of other teams with our base running (and we do at the highest level).

Would love for you to explain how your team takes advantage of teams playing with sound fundamentals and not making unnecessary throws...
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
I have no problem with an outfielder coming up firing the ball to a bag trying to get an advancing runner, but if I had a $1 for every time I have seen an outfielder field a routine single, and make a low percentage throw to a bag, when there is NO THREAT of a runner advancing and they short hop or air mail the throw and it becomes an ERROR and the runner ends up on 2B or sometimes 3B. If F9 is not backing up the plate it could become a 3 base error with the run scoring! And for what?

I was watching Auburn play Wallace State (JUCO) a couple of weeks ago. Score tied 2-2 in the 6th inning. Runners on 1st and 2nd, one out. Batter hits a looping single to LF. Runner on 2nd has to hold temporarily to make sure the ball is not caught on the fly. When she sees the ball drop base runner jogs to 3B and is standing on the bag. F7 fields the ball and decides to throw home as if the runner is trying to score. She airmails the throw 8' over the catchers head. Runner on 3B scores standing up. Pitcher strikes out the next two batters and Wallace State loses 2-3 on that error. If the outfielder had found the runner at 3B and realized she was not going, and gotten the ball to her cutoff, the run would not have scored.

All excellent points and here is where we differ.

1. If we can't throw and catch to the bases we have bigger problems than cuts and relays.
2. Our position is that OF should always throw to a base. This forces the other fielders to move to backup positions on EVERY throw from the outfield. So even when no one is on base (pop fly to LF) or there is a foul ball (no runners on base) the OF always throws to a base. The fielders just get used to the routine of ALWAYS moving to backup positions.

This way when an important play comes along in crunch time I don't have to worry about my RF backing up a throw to 2B from the LF on a bang bang play at 2B. It's ingrained in their DNA.

Conversely if your team throws to a cut on a routine single to LF (even better when the SS just wanders to the middle of the field, not lined up with 2B) we will turn a single into a double. We obviously can't do it every time but we will do it a few.

As a coach there are very few places I can give my team an advantage at the upper levels. All of the teams are talented and the margin of error is small. This is one area that we can expose other teams. Sometimes that extra base is the difference in the game!
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
This way when an important play comes along in crunch time I don't have to worry about my RF backing up a throw to 2B from the LF on a bang bang play at 2B. It's ingrained in their DNA.

Players moving to backup positions is part of the softball IQ and should be done regardless of where the throws are going.
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
All excellent points and here is where we differ.

1. If we can't throw and catch to the bases we have bigger problems than cuts and relays.
2. Our position is that OF should always throw to a base. This forces the other fielders to move to backup positions on EVERY throw from the outfield. So even when no one is on base (pop fly to LF) or there is a foul ball (no runners on base) the OF always throws to a base. The fielders just get used to the routine of ALWAYS moving to backup positions.

This way when an important play comes along in crunch time I don't have to worry about my RF backing up a throw to 2B from the LF on a bang bang play at 2B. It's ingrained in their DNA.

Conversely if your team throws to a cut on a routine single to LF (even better when the SS just wanders to the middle of the field, not lined up with 2B) we will turn a single into a double. We obviously can't do it every time but we will do it a few.

As a coach there are very few places I can give my team an advantage at the upper levels. All of the teams are talented and the margin of error is small. This is one area that we can expose other teams. Sometimes that extra base is the difference in the game!

So if a batter hits a slow roller to SS and F6 realizes she has no chance to get the batter should she throw it to F3 anyway since that is where the throw should go and players should be backing it up? Even backups can go wrong if a ball takes a bad bounce, tips off a glove, hits a batter...

It is a lot easier to pitch around a leadoff single vs. a leadoff double, so we will stick to fundamental softball. I would also like to point out that not all OF arms are created equal. I have seen a lot more weak arms than cannons in the OF...especially on teams that prefer smaller slappers in the OF who run a 2.6 home to first.
 
Jun 11, 2013
2,619
113
I think the best players make the fundamental play most of the times, but will occasionally go off script to make a play when the opportunity presents itself.

Example, R1 clean single to CF with no chance of getting force at second. In general we want to fire to third, but once is a while if the other team is lazy throw behind the runner rounding the bag. There are other times it makes sense to take a shot. You see it more with IF where the 3B will fake a throw to 1st with a runner on 3rd ,etc, but sometimes not going by the "book" can lead to some free outs.

To add to what gunner said, you have to be able to make good throws. In all of my games I've seem more bad things happen by doing the right thing badly versus making the wrong play and executing it. OF's simply can't throw it 10 feet over the fielders heads. It's likely another subject, but one thing I notice is how poorly many teams are at tagging runners.
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
So if a batter hits a slow roller to SS and F6 realizes she has no chance to get the batter should she throw it to F3 anyway since that is where the throw should go and players should be backing it up? Even backups can go wrong if a ball takes a bad bounce, tips off a glove, hits a batter...

It is a lot easier to pitch around a leadoff single vs. a leadoff double, so we will stick to fundamental softball. I would also like to point out that not all OF arms are created equal. I have seen a lot more weak arms than cannons in the OF...especially on teams that prefer smaller slappers in the OF who run a 2.6 home to first.

Lets take a routine single to LF. Does the SS really need to come out and cut a ball thrown from the LF to 2B. The cut (SS) is 30 feet out and in turn is throwing it 30 more feet to 2B. Your LF couldn't throw it 60 feet to 2B to begin with?

Cuts/relays are lazy for the most part and it doesn't strike me as fundamental softball. Just have your LF throw it to 2B and the RF backup the throw. It's basic pitch and catch. You do it the other way and we are going to take an extra base on you because it is slow. We track this stat and it's our goal to be positive (in this stat) after the game. How many extra bases did we take from you (vs any we give up) because you are lazy with your cuts and relays. These aren't extra bases per say but extra extra bases. To me a lot of softball teams have cuts and relays from baseball where the diamond and base paths are bigger.

The only time you need a cut or relay is when you can't throw it all the way to the base (or you are splitting runners or the throw is off line). Obviously at the younger ages your millage may vary. By 2nd year 14u you should have adapted.

Why does our RF throw it to 2B on a routine fly ball with no runners on base? So the LF can backup the SS on the throw to 2B. Every game we are getting multiple reps whether the situation requires it or not. We are better than most teams that only throw to bases when they HAVE to. The RF is practicing her throw (and footwork) to 2B. SS is practicing receiving the throw. LF is moving on the backup. Pitcher is moving to a fallback position to backup 3B in case of a bad throw. Everybody is moving. We do this multiple times a game, multiple games a day...we are pretty damn good at it.

I realize that most people don't see it this way. I hope those coaches never change.
 

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