12u question about holding/checking runner

[chrispots]

You can't let the offense scare you into not getting outs. You might make some mistakes on defense but that is how you learn and get better.

There is one other variable that needs consideration...these are 12U players...and in that mindset...make sure your 12U players are aware of all these other variables:

Was the ground ball hit hit hard\soft? Was there a big bounce? Is the batter lefty? Top of the order or bottom? 1st inning or last? Score? Pitcher strong or struggling?

At 12U I think some are making too many assumptions as to their level of game awareness...I'm not saying there are not 12U players who have this heightened level of game awareness, I just think it's few and far between...

Take the out at 1st...EVERY TIME...IMO...Buckeye's stats back that up...

Try to get too too fancy and you'll end up with no outs and runners on 2nd and 3rd...CP

 

[JAD]

In a perfect world 3B fields the ball, looks the runner back to 2B and fires to 1B for the out, effectively holding the runner. If the runner does break for 3B, the first base fires to SS covering 3B for a double play. I am a fan of getting outs whenever possible. I have seen too many innings "snowball" into a disaster because a team did not take an out when they had the opportunity.

 

[leftyscoach]

agree..that would be perfect case

 

[PA SB Dad]

At 12U I never taught the girls to look at the runner and always get the out at first. Run the situation in practice. How often does an average base runner on 2B make it to 3rd on a ball hit to the left side? 9 out of 10 at 12U? It is not worth the extra second you waste to get the batter runner out.

 

[BuckeyeGuy]

At 12U I never taught the girls to look at the runner and always get the out at first. Run the situation in practice. How often does an average base runner on 2B make it to 3rd on a ball hit to the left side? 9 out of 10 at 12U? It is not worth the extra second you waste to get the batter runner out.

Flip side - I've seen many of those 12U girls either run straight back to 2B or straight to 3B without waiting to see the throw, so getting the out at 3B could be a real possibility. That said, I still agree with getting the out at 1B.

 

[Rocketech1]

At 12U I never taught the girls to look at the runner and always get the out at first. Run the situation in practice. How often does an average base runner on 2B make it to 3rd on a ball hit to the left side? 9 out of 10 at 12U? It is not worth the extra second you waste to get the batter runner out.

If you don't teach them the correct way to play the game at 12u, then when do you teach it? 14u, 16u, 18u? Heck I coached both 10u girls and boys and with a little practice you can have them checking runners and throwing to bases. You guys make this sound like you are teaching them quantum physics.

We coaches are not just here to win games, but also to teach these young players how to play the game the correct way.

 

[PA SB Dad]

If you don't teach them the correct way to play the game at 12u, then when do you teach it? 14u, 16u, 18u? Heck I coached both 10u girls and boys and with a little practice you can have them checking runners and throwing to bases. You guys make this sound like you are teaching them quantum physics.

We coaches are not just here to win games, but also to teach these young players how to play the game the correct way.

You can teach the girls to check the runners at any age, but you have to look at what you are trying to accomplish. If you are trying to hold the runner at 2nd by checking them, I am telling you that 9 times out of 10 an average base runner will get to third at 12U. You are teaching a wasted move at that point and at risk of not getting the out.

 

[riseball]

Better teams/players do not check or hold runners. You need to get the runner moving back toward the base and then get the out at 1st.

 

[djcarter1966]

It depends on several factors but the vast majority of the time and I can't think of complaining if in any situation my player tell me they were not 100% sure so they took the out. Why because they have heard me say hundreds of times...GET THE OUT!!! Outs are a precious thing in softball they are what get you from playing defense to playing offense. Even if everything goes south and it turns into a big inning for the other team they have scored 3 runs and now have bases loaded with 2 outs and you finally get that 3rd out what if you still had one more out to get because you missed this opportunity?

Those late game situations where you just don't want a runner on 3B are about it, but even then as others have point out if you strictly play the odds even then you still want the out. It's just us coaches can't help ourselves if that runner is the winning run we want to keep him as far away from home plate as long as possible.

 

[canyonjoe]

Our motto is "If in doubt get an out".

I would rather have runner on 3rd with 1 out versus 1st and 2nd with no outs.

A bunt gives them 2nd and 3rd with 1 out or worse a WP makes it 2nd and 3rd with no outs.

Actually from the original description of the play, I would have just had my 3B catch the ball.