9U/10U - SS/2B positioning

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Aug 23, 2016
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At 9U/10U 2B backing up a catcher's throw 9 out of 10 times ends up with them being about 5 feet in back of the bag in my experience (my kid plays on a 9U team..and no I don't coach :cool:)..they just aren't fast enough to get far enough away for the backup to be useful. Better off just having the CF come in 5 or 6 steps to backup the throw IMO. I would have the 2nd baseman move towards the bag such that they can retrieve any ball that is deflected back towards 2nd base. Agree with everything else.

This is how DD's coach does it, exactly for those reasons.
 
Nov 18, 2015
1,585
113
Wow - thanks for all the replies.

I like the idea of just SS covering, with CF as backup (Yes - only 3 OF - thanks for the reminder to clarify that). I was initially thinking the default should be 2B with a RHB, or SS with a LHB - but yeah - way too much for a 9YO that may be playing several different positions each game, nevermind the inherent difficulty of a 180, straddle, catch, and tag.

I have minimal experience as a MI - so for FP, where should the backup fielder be, if they make it there - edge of grass? 10 ft?

My 3rd grade rec team is getting better at backing up 1B (they can't advance yet on overthrows, but it helps when the 1B fields that dribbler up the line) - except that play Saturday on the ground ball to SS where the 1B was in the front corner of the bag, and the RF was standing on the rear corner of the bag, reaching up for the same throw. To her credit, if the 1B happened to completely whiff on the catch, there was a good chance she'd have made the catch!

Oh - point of that side-rant was to highlight the difficulty of even explaining what "backup" means. Stand behind? Don't move until the ball is past her, then back it up? Run to the EXACT same spot, regardless of where the throw is coming from? Sadly, even a term like "backup" is another example of how we (coaches) can use the simplest language, and have it interpreted 13 different ways. With only 11 on your roster.

At practice, I realized the pitchers circle could be a good reference point for the girls to position themselves - when I was standing at home, the "normal" MI positions looked to be about 1 foot to either side of the circle (so looking out from HP, about a one foot gap b/w the side of the circle and the MI - and to be clear, I'm talking about perspective from HP - not that the MI is physically standing 12 inches outside the circle). Anyone else use similar position cues? Again, this was our first set of games - there's no set positions. Trying to think ahead and minimize the confusion of shifting fielders around in-game.

I'm also going to suggest that the 2B circle behind the runner to the front of the bag - to not only get the deflections that don't make it to the OF, but just based on what I saw Sunday, there may be an even bigger need to backup the throws coming back IN from the CF. Which reminds me of another question I'll post separately regarding "getting the ball back to the pitcher".

Thanks again for the feedback!
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
Wow - thanks for all the replies.

I like the idea of just SS covering, with CF as backup (Yes - only 3 OF - thanks for the reminder to clarify that). I was initially thinking the default should be 2B with a RHB, or SS with a LHB - but yeah - way too much for a 9YO that may be playing several different positions each game, nevermind the inherent difficulty of a 180, straddle, catch, and tag.

I have minimal experience as a MI - so for FP, where should the backup fielder be, if they make it there - edge of grass? 10 ft?

My 3rd grade rec team is getting better at backing up 1B (they can't advance yet on overthrows, but it helps when the 1B fields that dribbler up the line) - except that play Saturday on the ground ball to SS where the 1B was in the front corner of the bag, and the RF was standing on the rear corner of the bag, reaching up for the same throw. To her credit, if the 1B happened to completely whiff on the catch, there was a good chance she'd have made the catch!

Oh - point of that side-rant was to highlight the difficulty of even explaining what "backup" means. Stand behind? Don't move until the ball is past her, then back it up? Run to the EXACT same spot, regardless of where the throw is coming from? Sadly, even a term like "backup" is another example of how we (coaches) can use the simplest language, and have it interpreted 13 different ways. With only 11 on your roster.

At practice, I realized the pitchers circle could be a good reference point for the girls to position themselves - when I was standing at home, the "normal" MI positions looked to be about 1 foot to either side of the circle (so looking out from HP, about a one foot gap b/w the side of the circle and the MI - and to be clear, I'm talking about perspective from HP - not that the MI is physically standing 12 inches outside the circle). Anyone else use similar position cues? Again, this was our first set of games - there's no set positions. Trying to think ahead and minimize the confusion of shifting fielders around in-game.

I'm also going to suggest that the 2B circle behind the runner to the front of the bag - to not only get the deflections that don't make it to the OF, but just based on what I saw Sunday, there may be an even bigger need to backup the throws coming back IN from the CF. Which reminds me of another question I'll post separately regarding "getting the ball back to the pitcher".

Thanks again for the feedback!

Regarding where to backup I would say 10 feet is ok, maybe a bit more. You have to have time to react to the ball. One thing to consider at this age, is that kids are typically much better at making a play gloveside vs. backhand so if you are going to cheat one way or another it would be towards the backhand side, if that makes sense. This coupled, with my comments regarding being able to get to the bag in time, is why it drives me nuts when I see youth HC having 2B playing so far from second base..(and people wonder why I watch games from 250 feet away :p )
 
Nov 18, 2015
1,585
113
(and people wonder why I watch games from 250 feet away :p )

Is the field that big (it's not just in TX where everything's bigger!), or did you realize that they could still hear you muttering when you sat only 200' away? :D
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
Is the field that big (it's not just in TX where everything's bigger!), or did you realize that they could still hear you muttering when you sat only 200' away? :D

The latter :cool: I am usually at the fence but sometimes I quarantine myself further away.
 

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