Coach Candrea and Team USA work with SportSkool to reviews the softball fundamentals of playing infield and outfield positions. Position by field position he describes proper positioning, responsibility, specific key skills that a position player needs to know.
Key Points:
Outfield: Normal positioning and responsibility of the outfielders:
- Left Field: Normal position is behind the shortstop about half way between the bag and the fence. Their responsibility is to back up third base or second base on throws from right field, the second baseman or the first baseman.
- Center Field: Normal position is behind second base about half way between the bag and the fence. Their responsibility is to back up second base. The center fielder is the field general and has priority over the other outfielders on balls hit into the outfield gaps.
- Right Field: Normal position is behind the second baseman about half way between the infielder and the fence. Their responsibility is to back up first base or second base on throws from left field, shortstop, or the third baseman.
In softball, unlike baseball, the outfield does not shift their positioning for pull hitters or opposite field hitters. The desire is to have equal spacing between the fielders and the sidelines so the fielders can cover the maximum amount of ground.
The key to keeping balls from falling into the gaps between fielders is communication. If two players are calling for the ball, one player has priority over the other. On balls hit into the outfield gaps, the center fielder has priority over the other outfielders. On balls hit between the infielder and outfielder, the outfielder has priority over the infielder because it is easier to catch a ball coming in than running out.
When backing up a play, the primary responsibility is to back up the infielder fielding the ball and then back up the throw.
Shortstop: The three basic positions are deep, mid-way, and playing in. When the shortstop is playing deep, they are back at the grass. The advantage of this positioning is the player has more range to field balls, but the disadvantage is on slow hit balls the fielder has farther to run to get to the ball. The shortstop plays mid-way when the player is undecided if the batter will hit the ball or play the short game (ie., slap). When the shortstop is playing in, they start just behind the baseline between second and third. A shortstop will typically play in when a runner is a third and the defense wants to keep the runner from scoring on a ground ball in a close game.
The shortstop's responsibilities are: field the ball off the bat and then cover a base. The primary responsibility of the shortstop is to field the batted ball. When the ball is not hit to the shortstop, their second priority is to cover a base. When the ball is hit to the right side of the infield, the shortstops responsibility is to cover second. With a runner at second it a steal situation, the shortstop must cover third base.
With the 60 foot base paths in softball, a double play requires a slow batter/runner and a hard hit ball. When the shortstop fields a double play ball that is hit at them or toward third base, they want to fielder the ball off their throwing side, take a jab step to open their hips, and then make a firm throw to the second baseman. When the shortstop fields a double play ball toward second base, they want to move through the ball as they field it, underhand flip the ball to the second baseman, and then follow through with an extra step. When the ball takes the shortstop to second base, the player will step on the back of the base with their left foot and then throw to the first baseman.
When the shortstop receives a throw from an infielder, their footwork and foot positioning is key. When the shortstop receives a throw from inside the baselines, they step on the third base side of the bag with their left foot. When the ball is hit to the right side of the infield behind the base path (like the second baseman), the shortstop would touch the backside of the bag with their right foot.
When the shortstop receives a throw on a tag play, the key is to always keep the glove as close to the tag as possible. On a throw from left field, the shortstop wants to straddle the backside of the bag with their body open to third base. On a throw from right field, the shortstop wants to straddle the backside of the bag with their body open to first base. On the throw from center field, the shortstop straddles the bag on the third base side with their hips open toward the right fielder. The actual tag occurs with the back of the glove and then moves quickly away from the runner so the runner cannot knock the ball out of the glove. The fielders throwing the ball should throw the ball to the shortstop's thigh to waist area to allow for a short and quick tag.
The shortstop is responsible to cover second on a steal. Before the shortstop breaks to the base, the ball must get by the hitter first then break to the base. On a throw from the catcher in a steal situation, the shortstop ideally wants to have their left foot touching the third base side of the bag and their glove close to the ground to make the tag. If the shortstop has a hard time finding the bag, then straddling the back of the bag with their hips open to first can provide a reference point because the last thing you want is for the shortstop to get to the bag late.
Second base: The three basic positions (deep, mid-way, and playing in) are the same as shortstop, just on the opposite side of second base.
The second baseman's responsibilities are: field the ball off the bat, cover first base on a bunt, and cover second base on a ball hit to the left side of the infield or a slap. It is very difficult to be in a position to either cover first or second. To make this easier, the second baseman will play mid-way or play in to cut down on the distance to either base.
On a ball the second baseman fields, the difference between a force play at second and double play (second to first) is not how the second baseman fields the ball but how hard the ball is hit. On a ball that is hit at the second baseman or toward first base, the second baseman wants to over play the ball to the first base side with their left foot slightly forward. To make the throw, they pivot to open up the hips to second base and make the throw. On a ball hit toward second base, the second baseman uses a backhand throw if the player is stationary when fielding the ball or under throw if their momentum is toward second. The key in both throws is to move through the fielding of the ball and continue their momentum toward second after the throw. If the second baseman stops after throwing to second, the player will have a tendency to throw high because of poor follow through mechanics.
On balls hit to the left side of the infield, the second baseman is responsible for covering second base. The second baseman should quickly find the backside of the base with their left foot. As the player receives the ball, they can step toward the ball with their right foot, plant and throw, and clear of the base path.
On bunted balls, the second baseman must cover first. The second baseman wants to touch the second base side of first with their left foot to provide a good throwing lane to the fielder.
Third base: Like the shortstop or second baseman, a third baseman adjusts their distance from home and also adjust their distance from the third base line. The type of hitter dictates where you play. For a power hitter that is definitely swinging away, the third baseman will play deep, which is in the baseline between second and third. The regular position is a few steps in front of third and one crossover step to the foul line. If the batter is a slapper, the percentages are for the hitter to target the shortstop / third baseman hole. In this case, the third baseman can take another one or two steps off the foul line to field balls hit towards that hole. In a guaranteed bunt situation, the third baseman will play a few more steps closer toward home.
A key responsibility for a third baseman is bunt coverage. When fielding a bunt with a runner on first, the third baseman should get around the ball with their feet lined up toward second base ready for a quick throw to get the lead runner. If you cannot get the runner at second, the third baseman readjusts their feet and throws to first.
In the case of a drag bunt where the third baseman has to field the ball on the run, there are two keys to success: field with your glove foot down, and slightly round the ball. Field the ball off the glove foot. As the throwing foot comes forward, the third baseman can open up their shoulders and make the throw to first. Second, slightly round the ball to get some momentum toward first and not away from first.
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