Cutoffs

[sluggers]

As far as the pitcher taking cutoffs:

The cutoff is supposed do something other than simply catch the ball. The cutoff should know how to evaluate the runners, make quick decisions and make good, accurate throws. So, there is quite a bit of skill involved in doing a cutoff.

At the lower levels (14U and less), the pitcher will be one of your better fielders. Around 16U, the other infielders catch up. In college, the pitchers aren't nearly as good as the other regular infielders.

In college, the pitchers do not field bunts. They are responsible only for balls hit into the circle. So, there skills as fielders rapidly decline in comparison with the rest of the infield.

 

[Carsonsig]

love this site.

I never would have thought of that... having the P do cutoff work.. we generally have used 1b and SS.

Would the argument still hold in Left field though...? SS isnt covering a bag.... I could see it in Right... a lot more shifting if one 1b or 2b goes out to cut off.

 

[left-field]

I like using the 3B when a ball is hit between SS and 3B. (The SS covers 3rd base). The 1B takes cuts from CF and RF. The pitcher backs up throws home and to 3rd base. I've seen it where P is cut for all outfielders and 1B is backing up home. It takes skill and know-how to be the person cutting the throw.There are a lot of quick decisions to be made and you need a good glove person in case it is a throw in the dirt. You also need to know how to effectively decoy a cut to keep other runners from moving up a base.

 

[MountieSB]

I like the pitcher doing the cutoffs and the 1B backing up home. Here's why:

-With runners on base, who is the most concerned about runners scoring and runners advancing home (besides the coach)? The pitcher. She's got "the most to lose", so I like to have her reading the play and seeing where runners are - because she's already worried about those things.

-She's hovering around the circle on a ball hit to the outfield, so she can read it, and if the play is going to third from the CF/LF side, she's close enough to get to third base on the home-plate side of 3B to adjust to throws from those two fields to back up 3B. If she sees the play is going home, she can adjust to the cut position, with the problem spot being a throw from RF.

-On balls hit to RF, we coach our LF to be moving to 3B to back up throws from RF to 3B, because she's out of the play anyway, and moving to 3B on a ball hit to RF is automatic for her. Our pitchers know that and we coach them to stay to the right side of the infield on a ball hit to RF to be the cut to home.

-On any ball hit to the outfield, the 1B is out of the play. She's done. Batter-runner will achieve at least first. She knows on balls hit to the outfield with runners in scoring position, she needs to get home to back it up. We call her "the second catcher". Because she's truly out of the play, she can also help direct traffic.

-If a runner takes too big a turn around 1B and there is no play at home, the pitcher cuts and can either throw to 2B (being covered by either 2B or SS depending on where the ball is hit in the outfield) and then move to 1B, or chase the girl back to the unoccupied 1B. You can't get the out at 1B (no one there initially), but you've pushed her back to first.

 

[CycloneSoftball22]

There is no one set way to do it. It just depends on your personnel and what works best for your team. Practice it a few different ways and find out what is comfortable

 

[MountieSB]

Cutoffs in softball are strange to begin with; the field is compressed,* the balls are hit hard now they bounce off the wall. The arms today are exceptional. Often there are extra players in the 'cut off line' that are not needed. But never have the pitcher do it. The only reason that happened in college is the kids are not executing or were taught wrong or the pitcher was having a mental freeze "watching" a big hit in the gap. I have never once seen a college pitcher be the cut off, except at a really crappy JUCO.

The pitcher should be getting her butt out of the circle to back up third and home, and after that getting her behind and ball back in the circle after the play. The circle is the worst place to pick up a throw, and that is what they do, trip over themselves and the rubber (remember mental freeze).

*Keep in mind that other fields outside college/HS have larger ground to cover.

Some things to keep in mind for the OP: Cutoffs are necessary, regardless of arm strength, to limit baserunners taking extra bases if a run is going to score. As far as no college pitchers being a cutoff, you're right. However, if you aren't coaching college softball, you make due with the best athletes available. I've found at the high school level that the pitcher does just fine in this role. Our latest pitcher to go D1 made the adjustment to backing up 3B and home just fine once she got to college (she made it to college for her speed and location on her pitches, not where she was defensively for throws to home).

I like the idea of trying things out to see what works best for your personnel at the level you're at. Truly though, the most important thing is whatever you decide to go with as a coach, work it in practice until it becomes automatic. Otherwise, you have players standing in the way and runners running around the bases.

 

[02Crush]

As far as the pitcher taking cutoffs:

The cutoff is supposed do something other than simply catch the ball. The cutoff should know how to evaluate the runners, make quick decisions and make good, accurate throws. So, there is quite a bit of skill involved in doing a cutoff.

At the lower levels (14U and less), the pitcher will be one of your better fielders. Around 16U, the other infielders catch up. In college, the pitchers aren't nearly as good as the other regular infielders.

In college, the pitchers do not field bunts. They are responsible only for balls hit into the circle. So, there skills as fielders rapidly decline in comparison with the rest of the infield.

Ditto. And I would ask, What age group are you. We were in 10U for the past 2 years and my strategy was one thing. We are now moving into 12U and it will change. I have always told our players that all strategies of mine are subject to change based on our development as a group and level of increased competition we face. Lots of variations. I really like the ones that require the least amount of player shifting and keeping players who are comfortable on certain based on those bases because if the cutoff changes direction they will MOST likely be the ones on task and in position at said base to make the best play.

 

[Jackel2168]

3B takes the cut off on liners for us, if the ball is hit to the right of the 3b they become the cut. Any extra base hit the 1b becomes the cut and the pitcher clears to the 3b side. 2 reasons the pitcher clears that way, they can back up 3rd or home depending on the play and to help prevent them from injury. You do not want to risk a pitcher unless you absolutely have to, especially with people sliding spikes up with metals.

 

[Sliced Bread]

18U
We use the pitcher for cut plays (cut offs). This means we are cutting off a base runner from taking extra bases. If we are cutting 1, this means that we are trying to hold the runner at 1st from advancing to 2nd. In this case the 1st baseman must be at the bag at 1 and cannot be used as the cut by vacating the bag. This would allow the runner safe passage back to 1st.

If the runner is trying to score we will use a relay through on infielder, depending on the placement of the hit. This relay may be to ss if the ball is hit to left field, but doesn't become a cut off unless the ss is inside the base path between 2nd and 3rd.
shallow outfield hits are thrown from outfield, directly to advancing bases including home. A one hopper will beat a relayed throw.
Our catcher calls the play.
Relay 2-4 means the ball has been hit to RF and the relay goes through 2nd to home.
Cut 2 means the throw is to the pitcher to prevent the runner from advancing beyond 2nd.

 

[medicpelle]

Cutting balls to home...1B takes cuts from RF/CF, Pitcher backs up. Cut from LF Pitcher cuts 1B backs up