I am new to softball and need some help. I have coached baseball for 15 plus years and I just took on a select 12U girls team. I need information on how to set the field. from what I have watched infield positioning is a lot different from baseball, am I correct? is there somewhere I can go to get information on the infield positions and how they cover as the play proceeds? Any help would be great.
Questions
- Thread starter Hmiller
- Start date
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I don't think that the infield positions are different. 1st and 3rd play in front of the base line. Is that what you mean?
The pitcher doesn't cover 1st base.
You'll need to know about the pitching circle and the look back rule. We don't lead off.
You may see more short games. You will see slapping.
We swing a bat, exactly like in baseball - if you teach rotational.
In my opinion, the catcher doesn't take the mask off to field foul balls.
There are lots of text books and DVDs, but they are mostly for skills. Good luck and keep asking questions.
The pitcher doesn't cover 1st base.
You'll need to know about the pitching circle and the look back rule. We don't lead off.
You may see more short games. You will see slapping.
We swing a bat, exactly like in baseball - if you teach rotational.
In my opinion, the catcher doesn't take the mask off to field foul balls.
There are lots of text books and DVDs, but they are mostly for skills. Good luck and keep asking questions.
The corners play in much more than in baseball. In softball, if you play the corners back, they will bunt you to death.
VERY IMPORTANT CONCEPT: The bases are 60 feet apart in softball. It takes the average runner 3.2 seconds to go between bases, rather than 4.3 seconds in baseball. The really fast girls can go from home to 1st in less than 2.8 seconds.
Read this very carefully about 1,000,000 times:
Fielding in softball has to be perfectly and quickly executed. The degree of precision required in softball is about hundred times more than in baseball.
Against very good teams, if your fielders double pump or do not field with both hands, you will not get the out. If your fielders "stand up" to make the throw to 1B, the runner will be safe.
Agree with Goingdeep. Forget what you know about baseball.... at least 90% of it. I started in 6U and if I knew everything I thought I knew two years ago the girls I have coached would have been better off.
My advie, watch all of the softball you can find on TV and do a little research. If you get the chance sit through some practices for higher level teams grab the opportunity.
The other thing that I learned... as much as I enjoyed baseball, fastpitch is more exciting.
My advie, watch all of the softball you can find on TV and do a little research. If you get the chance sit through some practices for higher level teams grab the opportunity.
The other thing that I learned... as much as I enjoyed baseball, fastpitch is more exciting.
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Perfect example of what I was talking about. Note that the 3B fails to properly field the ball. The result is that the runner is safe. The runner eventually scored.
Perfect example of what I was talking about. Note that the 3B fails to properly field the ball. The result is that the runner is safe. The runner eventually scored.
There's just a little difference but Softball is faster and an error without backing up will get extra bases fast. It's the coach's prerogative on who will back up but you have have to know several game situations.
- steal from first
- runner's 1st and 3rd
- bunt plays
- Runner on 3rd
- steal from first
- runner's 1st and 3rd
- bunt plays
- Runner on 3rd
Coach-n-Dad
Crazy Daddy
- Oct 31, 2008
- 1,007
- 0
...also remember that girls need to be coached differently than boys.
My philosophy is:
*Boys need to play good to feel good
*Girls need to feel good to play good
Aggressive - yelling coaches are rarely successful with young softball players.
My philosophy is:
*Boys need to play good to feel good
*Girls need to feel good to play good
Aggressive - yelling coaches are rarely successful with young softball players.
Yelling to be heard is OK. Yelling when you are excited is OK. Yelling when you are angry or upset is not.
