Pitcher covering home plate

[CM Swarm]

Looking for any opinions or techniques/drills to practice a safe appropriate way for our U12 pitchers to cover the plate on a passed ball with 3rd base runner stealing home?

 

[InsidePitch]

Don't know about appropriate but we tell them..." you throw it back there you own Home plate and you need to be there first because the catcher is throwing it to you."

Now we play with rules requiring a slide if there is a play. Out if you don't and maybe ejected if you plow into someone.

 

[abbygale]

I think it starts with where exactly the passed ball is in relation to the plate and whether it is a left or right handed pitcher. I have no desire to see a girl (or her ankles) facing backwards with a runner coming in.

 

[2bucketdad]

The only way to get it engrained is to enforce it in pitching practice, if there is a wild pitch or the catcher misses the ball the pitcher sprints home, and if I'm catching the pitcher sprrints and retrieves the ball...as to where they need to set up that is a whole different story, both my DD's catch and pitch so they are pretty good at setting up for the runner comming from third, sometimes too good and the younger dd has actally been hurt by blocking the plate just as she would in catchers gear...and it depends on where the throw is comming from...

 

[SoCalSoftballdad]

To be more specific as to where exactly the pitcher sets up, is the following appropriate. On passed ball, catcher retrieves it, pitcher runs to home plate strandling the plate but about one foot or so on the first base side, ready to apply the tag on the runner who presumedly is running from 3B to home in foul territory or directly down the line. This would seem to be the safest way for the pitcher not to collide with the runner but still able to apply the tag?

 

[SoCalDad]

...pitcher runs to home plate strandling the plate but about one foot or so on the first base side...?

I teach a similar technique but do not let the pitchers straddle home plate. On a passed ball the pitcher positions her right foot near the third base corner of home plate but in fair territory. The left foot is positioned near the first base corner of home plate in foul territory. This allows the pitcher the space to perform a proper sweep tag and yet reduces the risk of the runner sliding into her ankles. I know coaches that will teach their base runners to slide into a pitchers ankles on purpose given the opportunity. In fact about 10 years ago I had a 16U pitcher on my travel team at the time break her ankle when a runner slide into her left ankle. She was straddling the plate and the runner made an effort to slide into the ankle (I know this because her lead sliding foot was a foot to the right of the plate). The break never heal properly and ended her pitching career. Now this is just my opinion on technique and as I always like to say, "What do you get when two coaches discuss technique Three different opinions".

 

[Carty]

I don't have the pitchers straddling the plate at all. Typically if they are running in and straddle I see them with their stride knee (RH pitchers) perpendicular to the runner. This is the weakest position for the knee to be in. I prefer they stay just isde the diamond and sweep or wrap the tag, setting up with knee and foot as parallel with the runners as possible.