Baserunning
RULE # 1 – ALWAYS KNOW WHERE THE
BASEBALL IS AT ALL TIMES
Home to 1st
- First priority after contact is to find first
base.
- Second priority is to find the baseball as it is
being fielded.
- If ball is fielded in the infield, run straight
thru the bag.
- Touch front part of the base with front part of
foot.
- Remain at full speed two steps beyond the bag.
- Begin breaking down your steps and look to your
right at the angle an overthrow would be.
- If no overthrow, stop on the baseline, never in
foul territory.
- If no overthrow, promptly return to the base in
fair territory.
- When returning to 1st base, look for
middle infielders that have vacated second base.
- If no one is covering second base, walk toward
the bag before you attempt to advance.
- On a base hit that gets thru the infield, make a
gradual turn to 1st base.
- NEVER slow down when the ball gets thru the
infield.
- Touch the inside corner of first base.
- As soon as you hit the base, find the ball.
- Do not ever stop running full speed until
somebody stops you (not the 1st base coach).
- If a defensive player stops you, hustle back to
the bag.
- When you return to first base, turn and find the
baseball.
- There should never be a change of speed from home
plate until someone stops you.
- 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
1st Base
Primary
- Never leave the base without finding the
baseball.
- Never leave the base before getting a sign from
the coach.
- 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.
- Never take your eyes off of the guy with the
ball.
- Lead off the same way every time in order to judge
your distance.
- Lead off in a straight line from the back of
first base to the back of second base.
- When in leadoff position, do not do anything that
prevents you from getting a good jump.
- Always get a good leadoff; a small leadoff
relaxes a pitcher or invites a lhp with a good move to pick you off.
- The pitcher’s move should determine the size of
your primary leadoff.
- Never get picked off when you weren’t going
anywhere or on a bunt.
- Always return on a pickoff attempt straight to
the base.
- 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.
- NEVER set foot in foul territory.
- If there is any doubt, slide.
- When sliding back to first base, slide your hand
to the back of the bag.
- Never get picked off when the bunt sign is on.
Secondary
- The catcher’s arm determines the length of your
secondary lead.
- Time your secondary so you are landing on your
last shuffle as the ball is in the strike zone.
- When you land on your last shuffle, go 100% to
your right or 100% to your left.
- Keep your shoulders square to the catcher.
- Never cross your feet.
- Follow the ball out of the pitchers hand and
watch the flight of the ball to home plate.
- Always anticipate a ball in the dirt.
- Never get picked by the catcher after a missed
bunt attempt.
Stealing Second
Base (Straight Steal)
- Stealing second base is as much of a mentality
than anything.
- Your stance should be where you feel the quickest
in both directions.
- Do not look at a particular body part on a right
handed pitcher, look at the whole picture.
- You can pick out a point on a LHP to give away
his move.
- Your first step with your left foot must be in
line to second base.
- Square your shoulders to second base as soon as
possible.
- YOU MUST LOOK IN to home plate to see what
happens with the baseball.
- Always finish off a stolen base with an
aggressive slide.
- If you do not get a good jump, don’t go.
- If you are on your own and the pitcher slide
steps, don’t go.
- If you have the “must steal” sign and the pitcher
slide steps, go.
- 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)
- A delay is impossible if you do not get a good
secondary lead on the pitches prior to the delay.
- Your delay must look exactly like your secondary.
- You only have to fool the middle infielders OR
the catcher, not both.
- On your shuffles, you MUST keep your shoulders
square to the catcher.
- When you make your break for second base, break
like you are stealing second.
- If the pitch is fouled off on your delay, do not
give it away that you were delaying.
Hit and Run
- On a hit and run, TRY TO STEAL SECOND BASE.
- Do not look in the entire time, only look in when
the ball is in the zone.
- Don’t anticipate the ball being hit, anticipate
stealing second base.
- React to the ball being hit.
- If you look in too late and the ball has already
been hit, pick up the center fielder, he won’t deke you.
- If the ball is hit on a line and you’d have no
chance of getting back, keep going.
- If the ball is hit in the air, do not run back to
first, get to “as far as you can”.
- If there is a base hit to the outfield, it is
your decision whether to go to third or not.
- If the ball is fouled off, get a sign from the
coach on the way back to first.
- If you do not get a good jump, you still have to
go.
Runners on First
and Second
- 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.
- On a ball in the dirt, check the lead runner
quickly, and if he goes, you go.
- If the lead runner is tagging up at 2nd
and the outfielder has an EASY play, you can also go back and tag and read
the outfielders throw.
- On a double steal or a bunt, the trail runner
MUST run 100% and prepare to slide.
- 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
- Lead off any way you like, you have time to look
back at the base.
- The length of your primary is dictated by the
pitcher’s move.
- If the priority is to get to third base, lead off
in the baseline, if the priority is to score, lead off deep.
- Get set early and do not take your eyes off the
pitcher once he’s on the rubber.
- Listen for the verbals from the 3rd
base coach and DO WHAT HE TELLS YOU.
- If you are getting a deep leadoff, stay deep on
your secondary.
- The length of your secondary is determined by the
catcher.
- Never get picked off by the pitcher or the catcher when the bunt sign is on.
Advancing From
Second to Third
- Advance on any ground ball hit to your left.
- Advance on a ground ball to your right if the
third baseman vacates the bag.
- Try to get to third with one out.
- Never make the first or third out at third base.
- 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.
- If there is a deep fly ball hit to the outfield
and it is an easy play for the outfielder, go back and tag.
- 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.
- If the outfielder does not catch it, you MUST
score.
- If the outfielder does catch it you CAN tag.
Stealing Third
Base
- If you are stealing third, you must get a good
jump.
- Keep your feet moving and try to time the
pitcher’s delivery
- The best time to steal third is the first pitch
after you get to second.
- You must look in to the catcher to see what
happens at home plate.
- Finish off the stolen base with an aggressive
slide.
- Be aware of an inside move, especially on a 3-2
count.
Leading off of
Third Base
- Never leave third base to look at the third base
coach giving signs.
- Lead off in foul territory as close to fair
territory as you can.
- When you know the pitcher is delivering to the
plate, get a walking lead.
- Be landing on your right foot as the ball is in
the strike zone.
- Follow the path of the ball out of the pitcher’s
hand to the plate.
- When going on contact, anticipate a ground ball
on every pitch.
Running from Third
to Home
- If you go
on contact, you must look over your shoulder to see if the infielder
fielded the baseball.
- 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.
- When not going on contact, anticipate a line
drive at the third baseman on every pitch.
- Do not freeze on a line drive, start going back
to 3rd. If the ball goes
through, you have plenty of time to score.
- After your secondary, return to third base
slightly in fair territory.
- On a suicide squeeze, break for home as soon as
you recognize the pitcher is not picking to third base.
- On a safety squeeze, be aggressive on your
secondary and go if the ball is bunted left or right of the pitcher.
Sliding
- Sliding improperly can cost you the rest of the
season immediately.
- You can only slide off of a full sprint.
- Sliding head first is faster than sliding feet
first.
- When sliding head first, keep your eyes open and
your fingers up.
- Slide on your belly and not your hands.
- Slide aggressively and hold on to the base.
- When sliding feet first, touch the base with your
extended leg.
- As soon as you hit the base, pop up and be ready
to advance.
- Be aware of the play that is happening around
you.
- On a close play, if you have the ball beat, slide
straight into the base.
- On a close play, if the ball has you beat, slide
around the tag.
- When sliding around a tag, get as far from the
base as you can and still be able to reach it….barely.
- Never
call time out after sliding into a base unless absolutely necessary.
Getting out of a rundown
- Try to create some sort of confusion on the
defense.
- Make the defense make as many throws as you can.
- Always look for a defender to be in the baseline
and make contact with him.
- 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.
- 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
- The only times you can run less than 100% on the
bases are a home run and a walk.
- Do not ever stop running 100% until the defense
stops you.
- When you go “as far as you can” on a fly ball,
that means you have to hustle to get back.
- When you go “as far as you can”, do not start
going back until the ball is caught.
- When a bunt is popped up, go “as far as you can”.
- When
tagging up on a fly ball, always face the baseball.
- Tag up on all foul balls. If you can’t tell from your angle, the
base coach will help you.
- Never rely on a base coach unless the ball is
behind you.
- Never slow down before crossing home plate with 2
outs and runners behind you.
- Never call time out unless you absolutely have
to.
- Always look for the ball when the defense is
playing with it.
- When helping a runner at home plate slide or
stand up, be visual not verbal.
- If you are being forced out for the third out at
second base, ALWAYS slide.