Baserunning

RULE # 1 – ALWAYS KNOW WHERE THE BASEBALL IS AT ALL TIMES

Home to 1^st

1. First priority after contact is to find first base.
2. Second priority is to find the baseball as it is being fielded.
3. If ball is fielded in the infield, run straight thru the bag.
4. Touch front part of the base with front part of foot.
5. Remain at full speed two steps beyond the bag.
6. Begin breaking down your steps and look to your right at the angle an overthrow would be.
7. If no overthrow, stop on the baseline, never in foul territory.
8. If no overthrow, promptly return to the base in fair territory.
9. When returning to 1^st base, look for middle infielders that have vacated second base.
10. If no one is covering second base, walk toward the bag before you attempt to advance.
11. On a base hit that gets thru the infield, make a gradual turn to 1^st base.
12. NEVER slow down when the ball gets thru the infield.
13. Touch the inside corner of first base.
14. As soon as you hit the base, find the ball.
15. Do not ever stop running full speed until somebody stops you (not the 1^st base coach).
16. If a defensive player stops you, hustle back to the bag.
17. When you return to first base, turn and find the baseball.
18. There should never be a change of speed from home plate until someone stops you.
19. If you round the base on a base hit and the outfielder is making a throw to a base for another runner, read the throw out of his hand to determine if he is overthrowing the cutoff man.

Leadoffs

1^st Base

Primary

1. Never leave the base without finding the baseball.
2. Never leave the base before getting a sign from the coach.
3. Do not ever get off the base if you are not sure of the sign that was given.  Alert the coach to go through them again.
4. Never take your eyes off of the guy with the ball.
5. Lead off the same way every time in order to judge your distance.
6. Lead off in a straight line from the back of first base to the back of second base.
7. When in leadoff position, do not do anything that prevents you from getting a good jump.
8. Always get a good leadoff; a small leadoff relaxes a pitcher or invites a lhp with a good move to pick you off.
9. The pitcher’s move should determine the size of your primary leadoff.
10. Never get picked off when you weren’t going anywhere or on a bunt.
11. Always return on a pickoff attempt straight to the base.
12. If you return standing up, have your back to the pitcher, hit the base with your right foot, look for an overthrow, and be ready to push off for second.
13. NEVER set foot in foul territory.
14. If there is any doubt, slide.
15. When sliding back to first base, slide your hand to the back of the bag.
16. Never get picked off when the bunt sign is on.

Secondary

1. The catcher’s arm determines the length of your secondary lead.
2. Time your secondary so you are landing on your last shuffle as the ball is in the strike zone.
3. When you land on your last shuffle, go 100% to your right or 100% to your left.
4. Keep your shoulders square to the catcher.
5. Never cross your feet.
6. Follow the ball out of the pitchers hand and watch the flight of the ball to home plate.
7. Always anticipate a ball in the dirt.
8. Never get picked by the catcher after a missed bunt attempt.

Stealing Second Base (Straight Steal)

1. Stealing second base is as much of a mentality than anything.
2. Your stance should be where you feel the quickest in both directions.
3. Do not look at a particular body part on a right handed pitcher, look at the whole picture.
4. You can pick out a point on a LHP to give away his move.
5. Your first step with your left foot must be in line to second base.
6. Square your shoulders to second base as soon as possible.
7. YOU MUST LOOK IN to home plate to see what happens with the baseball.
8. Always finish off a stolen base with an aggressive slide.
9. If you do not get a good jump, don’t go.
10. If you are on your own and the pitcher slide steps, don’t go.
11. If you have the “must steal” sign and the pitcher slide steps, go.
12. If you are attempting to steal and the ball gets fouled off, get the sign from the coach on the way back to first base.

Stealing Second Base (Delayed Steal)

1. A delay is impossible if you do not get a good secondary lead on the pitches prior to the delay.
2. Your delay must look exactly like your secondary.
3. You only have to fool the middle infielders OR the catcher, not both.
4. On your shuffles, you MUST keep your shoulders square to the catcher.
5. When you make your break for second base, break like you are stealing second.
6. If the pitch is fouled off on your delay, do not give it away that you were delaying.

Hit and Run

1. On a hit and run, TRY TO STEAL SECOND BASE.
2. Do not look in the entire time, only look in when the ball is in the zone.
3. Don’t anticipate the ball being hit, anticipate stealing second base.
4. React to the ball being hit.
5. If you look in too late and the ball has already been hit, pick up the center fielder, he won’t deke you.
6. If the ball is hit on a line and you’d have no chance of getting back, keep going.
7. If the ball is hit in the air, do not run back to first, get to “as far as you can”.
8. If there is a base hit to the outfield, it is your decision whether to go to third or not.
9. If the ball is fouled off, get a sign from the coach on the way back to first.
10. If you do not get a good jump, you still have to go.

Runners on First and Second

1. If you are the trail runner, be aware that the lead runner may steal third and if he goes you must get a good jump and go.
2. On a ball in the dirt, check the lead runner quickly, and if he goes, you go.
3. If the lead runner is tagging up at 2^nd and the outfielder has an EASY play, you can also go back and tag and read the outfielders throw.
4. On a double steal or a bunt, the trail runner MUST run 100% and prepare to slide.
5. On a base hit to the outfield, the third base coach may not be in a position to help the trail runner.  In that case, advance to third on you own.

Leading off of second base

1. Lead off any way you like, you have time to look back at the base.
2. The length of your primary is dictated by the pitcher’s move.
3. If the priority is to get to third base, lead off in the baseline, if the priority is to score, lead off deep.
4. Get set early and do not take your eyes off the pitcher once he’s on the rubber.
5. Listen for the verbals from the 3^rd base coach and DO WHAT HE TELLS YOU.
6. If you are getting a deep leadoff, stay deep on your secondary.
7. The length of your secondary is determined by the catcher.
8. Never get picked off by the pitcher or the catcher when the bunt sign is on.

Advancing From Second to Third

1. Advance on any ground ball hit to your left.
2. Advance on a ground ball to your right if the third baseman vacates the bag.
3. Try to get to third with one out.
4. Never make the first or third out at third base.
5. If a fly ball is hit to the outfield and it is not deep enough to tag and advance on, go as far as you can.
6. If there is a deep fly ball hit to the outfield and it is an easy play for the outfielder, go back and tag.
7. If there is a deep fly ball hit to the outfield and it is a tough play for the outfielder, hang out 15 feet from third base until you see if he is going to catch it or not.
8. If the outfielder does not catch it, you MUST score.
9. If the outfielder does catch it you CAN tag.

Stealing Third Base

1. If you are stealing third, you must get a good jump.
2. Keep your feet moving and try to time the pitcher’s delivery
3. The best time to steal third is the first pitch after you get to second.
4. You must look in to the catcher to see what happens at home plate.
5. Finish off the stolen base with an aggressive slide.
6. Be aware of an inside move, especially on a 3-2 count.

Leading off of Third Base

1. Never leave third base to look at the third base coach giving signs.
2. Lead off in foul territory as close to fair territory as you can.
3. When you know the pitcher is delivering to the plate, get a walking lead.
4. Be landing on your right foot as the ball is in the strike zone.
5. Follow the path of the ball out of the pitcher’s hand to the plate.
6. When going on contact, anticipate a ground ball on every pitch.

Running from Third to Home

1.  If you go on contact, you must look over your shoulder to see if the infielder fielded the baseball.
2. If the infielder fielded the baseball and you are definitely going to be out, stop and get in a rundown to let the batter make it to second base.
3. When not going on contact, anticipate a line drive at the third baseman on every pitch.
4. Do not freeze on a line drive, start going back to 3^rd.  If the ball goes through, you have plenty of time to score.
5. After your secondary, return to third base slightly in fair territory.
6. On a suicide squeeze, break for home as soon as you recognize the pitcher is not picking to third base.
7. On a safety squeeze, be aggressive on your secondary and go if the ball is bunted left or right of the pitcher.

Sliding

1. Sliding improperly can cost you the rest of the season immediately.
2. You can only slide off of a full sprint.
3. Sliding head first is faster than sliding feet first.
4. When sliding head first, keep your eyes open and your fingers up.
5. Slide on your belly and not your hands.
6. Slide aggressively and hold on to the base.
7. When sliding feet first, touch the base with your extended leg.
8. As soon as you hit the base, pop up and be ready to advance.
9. Be aware of the play that is happening around you.
10. On a close play, if you have the ball beat, slide straight into the base.
11. On a close play, if the ball has you beat, slide around the tag.
12. When sliding around a tag, get as far from the base as you can and still be able to reach it….barely.
13.   Never call time out after sliding into a base unless absolutely necessary.

Getting out of a rundown

1. Try to create some sort of confusion on the defense.
2. Make the defense make as many throws as you can.
3. Always look for a defender to be in the baseline and make contact with him.
4. If someone is running directly at you from across the infield (especially a pitcher), let him run right at you until he gets right beside you, fake toward a base, get him to give up the ball, and make contact with him as his momentum goes across the baseline.
5. If you are going to be tagged out in a rundown, go down to the outfield side and make the infielder reach to tag you.

General Baserunning Rules

1. The only times you can run less than 100% on the bases are a home run and a walk.
2. Do not ever stop running 100% until the defense stops you.
3. When you go “as far as you can” on a fly ball, that means you have to hustle to get back.
4. When you go “as far as you can”, do not start going back until the ball is caught.
5. When a bunt is popped up, go “as far as you can”.
6.  When tagging up on a fly ball, always face the baseball.
7. Tag up on all foul balls.  If you can’t tell from your angle, the base coach will help you.
8. Never rely on a base coach unless the ball is behind you.
9. Never slow down before crossing home plate with 2 outs and runners behind you.
10. Never call time out unless you absolutely have to.
11. Always look for the ball when the defense is playing with it.
12. When helping a runner at home plate slide or stand up, be visual not verbal.
13. If you are being forced out for the third out at second base, ALWAYS slide.