How to hit a softball

Here is a good video of a coach teaching the "load, stride, and swing technique."

How do I throw a ball?

Baserunning - 2nd, 3rd, and HOME!

Remember how you were taught to run THROUGH the base at first base.

Well forget it. You are now running to second, or third base. You must not run through these bags or you will be tagged out. You must stop on the base, unless you think that you can keep going and make it to the next base without being tagged out.

See this guy up here? He thinks he can make it to third base so he is running as fast as he could around second without slowing down.

In the big leagues, ball players will SLIDE into the base if it looks like they are going to get tagged out. You are too young to slide, so you must be careful to stop on the bag if you are not running to the next base.

Remember. Listen to your base-coaches. They will tell you to "take two!" or "Take three!" Watch your first base coach when you run to first. Watch the third base coach when you are running to second and/or third base. They will tell you to stop or keep going.

Now you are running to home plate. Just like running to first base, you want to run straight through, do not slow down or stop.

Here is a great video. The batter hits a ball very hard and the runners start flying around the bases. Look at the third base coach telling the runners what to do. He waves his arms like a windmill telling the first runner to keep going to home plate. But uh, oh, the play at third base is going to be close for the next runner. See the coach hold up his hand telling the runner to stop. Then he throws his hands to the ground telling the runner to slide. Because this runner is not "forced" to run to third, the third baseman will have to catch the ball from the outfielder and TAG him out. Does he?

Baserunning--Running to First

The first rule of baserunning is listen to your coach.

There will be a coach at first base, and at third base, telling you what to do. But there are some general rules. What you decide to do as a baserunner depends on how and where the ball is hit.

Lets start with the batter. You are up, taking some mighty hacks. You hit the ball hard and take off running. Put your head down and steam towards first base as fast as you can. DO NOT SLOW DOWN to stop on the base. You will be running through the base as fast as you can. Step on the bag, and veer to your right, towards the fence.

If you slow down to stop on first base, that gives the other team more time to throw you out. Remember, it's a race to the base.

Sometimes, though you may hit the ball really hard, and it might get through the infield. Keep your eye on your first base coach. If he yells at you to "take two!" or "go to second!" then keep running, take a wide turn, step on the first base bag and race to second base before they tag you out.

Tagging a runner

A baserunner is always out when you tag her with the ball (or your glove, if the ball is in it.)

If a runner is not "forced" to run, then you must tag the runner out. As we discussed before, a runner is not forced to run unless the ball is hit on the ground and there are runners on all the bases behind her. A runner standing on first is also always forced to run on a ground ball.

So pretend a runner is standing on second base. There is no baserunner behind her on first base. She will not be forced to run if the batter hits the ball. She may WANT to run, but she doesn't HAVE to run, because there is no runner on first base behind her.

Pretend the batter hits the ball on the ground. If the runner standing on second decides she wants to try to get to third base, then you must tag her before she gets to the base.

"Forcing" a runner

What do I mean by "forcing" a runner?


When you step on the base (and the ball is in your hand or glove) before the runner gets there, the runner is out. This is called "forcing the runner" or a "force out" or a "force play" That is why you guys are trying so hard to throw it to first base before the runner gets there.

However, the force play only works when a runner is "forced" to run.

How do you know when a runner is "forced" to run?

Think about base runners like marbles in a tube. Each marble you put in the tube forces the other marbles to move forward, right? Same with base runners. As long as there is a baserunner on every base behind the runner, they will be forced to run to the next base.

I will give you examples of when a runner is "forced" to run. Pretend you are a baserunner.

1) a batter is ALWAYS forced to run to first base.

2) if you are on first base, and the batter hits a ground ball, then you are forced to run to second base

3) if you are on second base, and there is a another runner on first, and the batter hits a ground ball, then you must run to third base

4) if you are on third base, and there are runners on second and first base, then you must try to run home if the batter hits a ground ball.


Confused? don't be. It's easy. So as long as there are runners on all of the bases behind you, you will be forced to run on any ball hit on the ground.

If there is an empty base behind you on either first or second, then you are NOT forced to run. In this situation, you CAN run but you don't HAVE to. You are not "Forced"

Why do we keep talking about having to run on "ground balls?" Because, if a ball is hit in the air, and it is caught, then the baserunners can't advance to the next base. We'll cover that in "Base-running"

How do I get a batter out?

There are four ways to get a batter out,

1) Strike them out (three misses)
2) On a ground ball, throw the ball to first before they get there
3) Tag the batter out with the ball
4) Force them out at a base (see "forcing" a runner)

Outfield

Where do I stand, coach?

Depending on which outfield position you play, you stand in one of four spots in the outfield, positions 7, 8, 9, or 10 above.

My job is to field ground balls that get through the infield, and also to catch fly balls. At my beginner level, few batters are strong enough to hit the ball into the outfield on the fly, but I must be ready to catch them just in case.

What do I do when I get the ball? Field it as quickly as I can and throw it back into the infied.

Where do I throw it? Throw it back to the pitcher. When the ball is back to the pitcher, the runners can not advance to the next base, they have to stop.

Sometimes, if I see that a runner is trying to run from first to second base, and I think I can throw it to second base in time, I will try to throw that runner out at second.

At my beginner level, however, I can't go wrong if I always throw it to the pitcher.

REMEMBER: THROW THE BALL, don't run with it. You can throw it back to the pitcher faster than you can run with it. As long as you are running, the baserunners are running too. Throw it back to the pitcher.

Third Base

I stand three or four steps away from third base, towards second base. Because most batters are right handed, most of the ground balls are going to be hit to my side of the infield (along with the shortstop position). Also, the balls that are going to be hit to me, are going to be hit the hardest, and that's why they sometimes call third base the "HOT CORNER!"

It is very important that I am always paying attention and watching the ball, because my base is close to home plate (the batter), and the balls are going to be hit very hard to me.

The third baseman has to be three things.

1) vigilant
2) fearless
3) GREEDY

I need to be a ball hog! Any ball hit to my side of the infield is MINE!!!! I must try my best to get EVERY ground ball hit to my side of the field.

Why. Isn't that RUDE? Won't I hurt the shortstop's feelings if I steal the ball away from her? NO!!! It's my JOB! Why.

1) Because I am closer to homeplate, it will take me less time to get to the ball than the shortstop who is playing a little further back.

2) By running to my left to field a ground ball, my momentum is carrying me towards first place, and I can make a throw easier than the shortstop who will be running to her right (away from first base).

shortstop fielding grounders

Shortstop

When I play shortstop, I stand just about half way between second and third base (a little bit closer to second). Most batters are right handed. This means that most of the balls hit on the ground are going to come towards my side of the infield. I have to be extremely quick on my feet to get into position to get the ball. I need to get it quickly and throw to first base as fast as I can, because I have a long throw from my side of the field. In baseball, shortstops are frequently the best athletes on the team because so much is asked of them.

Shortstops have many jobs. We talked about fielding balls hit to them. But sometimes they also need to be ready to take a throw at second base if the ball is hit to the first or second base side of the field. We'll cover that in "forcing runners."

Sometimes, shortstops will also need to be ready to take a throw at third base. For example, if the batter hits a slow roller that the third-baseman has to get, the shortstop needs to run to the third base bag to take a throw if needed to get a runner out. (again, see "forcing runners")

second base

When I play second base. I stand three or four steps away from second base towards first base. I am in charge of any ball hit to my side of the infield. My job is to field the ball as fast as I can and throw it to first base before the runner gets there.

Sometimes I can get runners out at second base too.

1) If there is a runner on first base and the batter hits a ground ball to me, I can throw the ball to second base (the shortstop should be covering the base) and get the runner out at second.

2) If there is a runner on first base, and the batter hits a ground ball to third base side of the infield, I will want to run to second and put my foot on the base and recieve the throw from the shortstop or third baseman. If I catch the ball and put my foot on the bag before the runner gets to second, she will be out. If I have time, I can then quickly turn and throw the ball to first base. If I get the ball to first base in time, that will be another out. We call that a double play.

Here is a coach showing his players how to do this. Watch how the second baseman covers her bag to get the throw from the third baseman. Then see how she is able to quickly throw to first to try to get two outs.




Watch this great double play: the batter hits a ground ball to the shortstop, he throws to the second baseman who steps on second and throws the ball to first

First base streeeeeeetch!

See how this first baseman is stretching to try to catch the ball before the runner gets to the base?

Look also at how the runner runs as fast as he can, through the bag, and then veers to the right, towards the fence. We'll talk about this in "base running" later

First Base

When I play first base, I have a lot to think about.

1) Before the pitcher pitches to the batter, I should be standing a few steps away from my base towards second base. Why? Because most of the time, if the ball is hit towards me, it will be between first and second base, and I will be better able to get to a ground ball hit my way.


2.) When the batter hits the ball, I need to think REALLY FAST.

a) Is the ball hit right at me? If so, I get it and run straight to my base and touch it with my foot. The batter will then be out.

b) Is the ball hit to someone else? If so, I need to run straight to my bag, step on the corner with my left foot, and get ready to catch the ball that another infielder is going to throw to me

c) I need to catch the throw with my foot on the bag. What if it is a bad throw? Now I really need to think fast. My first job is to catch the ball. If I have to leave my base to catch the ball or stop if from rolling past me, then I will leave my base to try to get the ball. Then I will try to get back to the base before the runner.

If the ball is thrown poorly, but it is still within reach, I should try to stretch with my foot still on the base and catch the ball.

Catcher

The catcher wears the protective gear to keep her from getting hurt by a bat or a wild pitch. She plays behind the batter, far enough to avoid getting hit by the bat, but close enough to catch the pitch.

Pitcher

The pitcher stands in the pitcher's circle (or on the pitcher's mound in baseball)

Playing Defense

There are six infield positions. They are pitcher(1); catcher (2); first base (3); second base (4), third base (5); and shortstop (called "interbase" in this picture)(6).

There are three outfield positions in baseball, but in softball, there are four. Left field (7); Center-left field (8); center-right field (9); and right field (10).

Rules of tbe game

The three most important rules of baseball are these:

1. Have fun
2. Support your teammates
3. Score more runs than the other team