I don't know how to play 3B

[obbay]

DD plays 3B but I don't know the position well enough to coach her.
Last night, she's on 3B. Batter who is up has been hitting opposite field and straightaway. DD drifts toward short to close the 5/6 hole. Girl hits a screamer down 3B line that she can't get to.

My question- how far from the bag is it ok to drift?
Do you typically stay within one step of the foul line unless LH batter is up?

 

[NorthMS]

That's a coaches call. It will also depend on how shallow she is playing. Our 3B usually plays in front of the bag and one to two steps off the line.

 

[starsnuffer]

It really depends on the skill and range of the shortstop. I like 3B to play up and down the line and never have her cheat over to SS. I'd rather adjust SS to cover anything needed there. 3B I'll only move forward and back, and I never expect her to get anything out of diving range from where she starts. I've had way more outs ruined by 3B bouncing something off her glove and redirecting where SS was going then I have had plays saved by a 3B going wide to her left.

-W

 

[PA SB Dad]

It also depends on how you want your catcher to call the game for your pitcher. I like my pitchers to establish the inside quarter of the plate consistently, so I keep my 3B a step or two off the line against a RH batter. If you are in a situation of trying to stay away from a RH batter, then a bit more off the line is fine.

 

[James Smith]

IMO if a ball cannot be smashed down the line by the 3rd baseman she is playing too close to 3rd. I would rather have my 3rd basemen be close enough to 3rd to catch slightly hard hit balls down the line, I will give the batter their double if they smash one.

Good for your DD drifting a little bit, just because it didn’t work out doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good idea. You know if she stayed close to the bag the ball would have been hit in the 5/6 hole.

 

[TorontoCFE]

The farthest I ever went was a step and dive to reach the line.
Protecting against extra bases down the line was more import any than
Covering for short unless you were making hitter/ situational
Adjustments.

 

[flipper14]

The farthest I ever went was a step and dive to reach the line.
Protecting against extra bases down the line was more import any than
Covering for short unless you were making hitter/ situational
Adjustments.

It can depend situationally but my rule of thumb has always been crossover step with left foot and glove to the ground away. If you crossover step and put your glove to the ground with a backhand with normal effort (right knee to ground as a judge on how far you should reach backhand) you are usually too far away. There are a number of factors as others have suggested as well.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

Not sure why so many coaches like to hug the line. You should be diving distance away so you can get to those balls between short and third that the SS will have to backhand (and probably not throw the runner out).

It's a percentage play of balls hit down the line versus balls hit to between SS and Third. You do the math.

And as others have stated, pitch calling does play into it.

 

[starsnuffer]

Maybe geometry is not the strong suit of softball coaches. By moving the 3B closer to home, you cover far more "distance" or "range" by cutting off angles than you do by moving the 3B back and expecting the player to cover more distance laterally.

This is why you want your third baseman to be aggressive and fearless. The closer they can play to the batter, the more "territory" they cover. Aggressiveness and toughness playing closer is more effective than a timid player with great lateral speed.

-W

 

[riseball]

Maybe geometry is not the strong suit of softball coaches. By moving the 3B closer to home, you cover far more "distance" or "range" by cutting off angles than you do by moving the 3B back and expecting the player to cover more distance laterally.

This is why you want your third baseman to be aggressive and fearless. The closer they can play to the batter, the more "territory" they cover. Aggressiveness and toughness playing closer is more effective than a timid player with great lateral speed.

-W

Just like a goalie in hockey.