Blog Archives
7 Fastpitch Softball Rules Myths BUSTED!
A few weeks ago one of my students and her dad came to me with a question about the pitching rules. She had been called for an illegal pitch because she stepped on the pitching rubber with her hands together.
I confirmed that that was a rule and we worked on making sure she broke that habit (she never really did it during lessons). But then they also said their team coach told them something else that, as Tom Cruise says in A Few Good Men, just ain’t true. Even though a lot of people seem to think it is
That got me to thinking about some of the other fastpitch softball “rules” myths people seem to believe and spout off about at every opportunity. And since rules posts are pretty popular here on Life in the Fastpitch Lane I thought it was time to address some of those myths. So…
Myth #1: You Have to Present the Ball
This was the question that sparked this post. My pitcher was told you have to show the ball to the hitter before bringing your hands together. In other words, hold it in your pitching hand when you step on the pitcher’s plate (rubber in common terms).
That is completely false. The rules state that you must have the hands separated when you step on the pitcher’s plate. But they also state the ball can be in EITHER hand.
Which means it can be in your glove when you step on, and you can then reach your pitching hand into the glove to grab the ball.
(I would quote the rule with the number but I don’t happen to have a current USA Softball rulebook. If any of you have it feel free to add it in the comments.)
It isn’t just coaches and parents who don’t understand or know this rule, by the way. I have witnessed and heard about umpires not understanding it either, and insisting the pitcher has to “present the ball.”
If you find yourself in that situation, you can decide whether it’s worth arguing. But it’s good to know the truth nonetheless.
Myth #2: The Hands Are Part of the Bat
This one comes up in a hit by pitch (HBP) situation when the ball comes inside and hits the batter’s hand while she is holding the bat.
The umpire will award the batter first base, and immediately the opposing coach will come out of the dugout claiming or screaming she shouldn’t get a base because the hands are considered part of the bat.
There is an easy test for this one. Have the batter hold the bat straight out in front of her with her hands, and then let go. If the hands hit the ground with the bat, they are part of the bat.
Otherwise they are not, and batter gets the base.
Myth #3: The Tie Goes to the Runner
This one is a baserunning situation related to a force out, although some try to apply it to tag plays too.
Basically, the ball and runner arrive at the base at what appears to be the same time (although rarely is that true). If the umpire calls the runner out, the offensive coach will claim she should be safe because the tie goes to the runner.
While that is a very common belief, again there is no such rule. It is entirely up to the umpire’s judgment as to whether the ball beat the runner to the base or runner beat the ball to the fielder’s glove.
In the rare case where both arrive at exactly the same time, which would be a statistical anomaly of the highest order, it is still up to the umpire’s judgment as to whether the runner is safe or out.
You can yell and scream all you want about it but the rules won’t help you out. The umpire’s call is the final word.
Myth #4: If a Fielder in Fair Territory Touches a Ball in Foul Territory It’s a Fair Ball
I actually heard this one being argued by a parent at a high school game about a line drive hit down the third base line.
The ball was over foul territory when it was touched, but the fielder was in fair territory. He was trying to argue that the ball should be fair.
The reality, however, is that fair or foul has nothing to do with the fielder’s position. It’s where the ball is when it hits the ground or is touched by a player. So even if the ball is deflected back into fair territory it is considered a foul ball because of where it was when it was deflected.
Myth #5: A Runner Tagging Up Can’t Leave the Base Until the Ball Is Caught
This is another one that is often misunderstood by the folks along the sidelines, and sometimes in the dugouts too.
A typical situation will have a runner on third with fewer than two outs. A fly ball is hit to the outfield and the runner on third will tag up, i.e., come back to the base and stand with her foot on it.
When the outfielder catches the ball cleanly the runner on third will take off for home. All good so far.
But what if the outfielder bobbles the ball instead of catching it cleanly? Some will argue that the runner can’t leave the base until the ball is secured. But they would be wrong.
The runner is free to leave the base as soon as the outfielder TOUCHES it. This rule is in place to prevent a skilled outfielder from juggling the ball all the way back to the infield before catching to hold the runner at third.
It makes sense when you think about it that way. So coaches, teach your outfielders to catch the ball cleanly if you want a shot at the runner on third.
Myth #6: No Hit By Pitch If the Ball Bounces First
This one may actually be true in some rec leagues, but overall it doesn’t matter if the ball hits the ground before it hits the batter. If a pitched ball hits the batter she is awarded first base.
Myth #7: A Pitcher Can Only Hit X Batters Before She Has to Come Out
Again, this may be true in some rec or other local leagues. But for high school, college, and travel ball the pitcher can hit as many batters as her coach will allow her to.
This one should be self-regulating. Every HBP is another baserunner who has a chance to score.
Hit four in an inning and that’s a free run for the opposition. And if you hit four, who’s to say you won’t hit six, or eight? That’s a lot of free runs to give up.
The smart move if a pitcher is having that much control trouble is to get her out of there and try someone else. But there’s nothing in the rules that requires it.
That’s a Wrap
So there you have it – seven fastpitch softball myths that some/many (depending on the myth) think are true but really aren’t.
So what did I miss? Are there others you’ve seen or heard that drive you nuts? Leave your thoughts like therapy in the comments.
Stonehenge photo by John Nail on Pexels.com
The basics of smart baserunning
Baserunning is probably one of the most under-coached elements of fastpitch softball. That’s a shame, because smart baserunning can turn the tide during a ballgame and generate more wins.
And bad baserunning can lose ballgames by not taking advantage of opportunities to advance when they’re there. Nothing sadder than a runner stranded at third who should’ve scored on the previous play but didn’t. Especially if the original mistake happened upstream.
Coaches really need to make a point of working on and teaching smart baserunning. But it’s not all up to the coaches. Players can do themselves a lot of good – and increase their value to the team – if they take it upon themselves to learn all they can about how to gain every little advantage.
Here are a few tips to help you teach better skills (if you’re a coach) or acquire better skills (if you’re a player).
You don’t have to be fast, just smart.
It certainly helps to have 2.7 speed from home to first. But some of the best baserunners I’ve coached and seen had average speed. But what they were was smart. When they were on first, they would look to see whether the shortstop was covering second after each pitch, or even paying attention if the ball wasn’t put in play. They knew they didn’t have the speed to steal the base outright, but they knew they could pull off a delayed steal pretty easily. Knowing what to do and when is a huge advantage on the bases.
Have an aggressive mindset
The other night I was watching a high school game when one of my students got jammed on a ball and hit a little duck snort out behind first base. Instead of doing what most players would do, which is to trot it out and hope it falls in, she took off like she’d hit a ball to the fence. Sure enough, no one got to it and she ended up on second base instead of first.
You see that in the college game a lot. They go hard on every hit, and they keep going until someone tells them to stop.
Always remember that the goal isn’t to get to the next base. It’s to get home. That’s the only way to score. The faster you do that the better off your team is. That goes double when you’re facing a great pitcher where you don’t expect many hits, by the way. Find a way to get home.
Tagging at third
Okay, now for some specific situations. Each of the next three has to do with whether you can gain advantage through your actions. For example, if you’re on third with less than two outs and there is a ball hit to the outfield that might be caught, don’t stand a few feet off the base to wait and see if it is. Tag up immediately and automatically so you’re ready to go home immediately as soon as the ball is touched.
(You don’t have to wait for a catch, by the way. As soon as it touches the fielder you’re good to go, a rule in place to prevent the outfielder from juggling the ball all the way to the infield to hold the runners.)
Here’s where you want to look at the advantage versus disadvantage. If you’re off the bag and there is a catch you have to go back. That may be just enough time to get the ball in and hold you.
If you’re off the bag and there’s no catch, the extra few feet you gained by being off don’t matter. You would have scored anyway.
But if you’re on the bag, you can go immediately when it’s touched, full steam toward home. It’s your best chance of scoring.
Tag or not at second
Here again you have to look at the possibilities. On a softball field with a 200 foot fence, and assuming the players can throw far enough to get the ball in, on a fly ball you want to go as far off the bag as you can and still get back. That may or may not be halfway, incidentally.
The “halfway” rule is myth. Players have different speeds, and outfielders have different arms. Get as far as you can in case the ball is dropped so you can advance. But be sure you can get back if it’s caught.
There’s no need to tag on a ball to left because the throw is short enough that you’ll likely be thrown out if you make the attempt. Again, unless the players are really young or the left fielder has an exceptionally poor arm.
For a ball hit to deep center or right, however, you do want to tag. If you’re off the base and the ball is caught you’ll have to come back, which will probably prevent you from advancing. If you’re tagging, however, you can take off right away and will at least get to third, putting you 60 feet closer to scoring.
Now, if you are off the bag and the ball is hit toward the right field line there is a chance you could score from second if the ball isn’t caught. But the odds are low on a routine fly with even average outfielders. The smarter play is to tag and ensure you’ll get at least one base.
Of course, on an obvious gapper you won’t tag – you’ll probably just go. But be careful. I’ve seen some pretty spectacular catches result in double plays!
Leading off first
This one is really under-coached. If you’re on first and there’s a fly ball to the outfield, you again want to go as far as you can and still get back. If the hit is to left field, especially if there’s a runner on ahead of you, that may mean getting pretty close to second.
If the ball is caught you’re probably not going anywhere so no need to tag. Also with runners ahead of you the opponent is not likely to pay much attention to you. And if it’s not caught you already have a head start on one base, and maybe too.
The same concept applies to center and right, but you won’t be going as far. Get as far as you can and still get back, even if that’s just a few feet away. If the ball isn’t caught you’ll need to advance to the next base so every little bit helps.
Pop-ups
This one is pretty easy. The closer you are to where the pop-up is hit, the closer you should be to the base. If it’s behind second and you’re on second, for example, you pretty much want to stand right on the base. There’s no advantage to being a few feet off, but there’s a huge risk if you get doubled off.
Ground balls
Whenever there’s a ground ball it’s critical to avoid contact with any player making a play. If you’re not sure where the ball is, run behind where the nearest fielder is. If you’re hit by the ball when you’re behind the fielder you’re safe (as long as no one else had a play). If you’re hit by the ground ball when you’re in front of the fielders you’re automatically out.
Never, ever run into a tag
Ok, so things didn’t quite go as planned and the ball got to the base ahead of you. The worst thing you can do is just slide in and let the fielder tag you, especially if there isn’t another runner behind you.
Stop and reverse fields to get into a rundown. Maybe they’ll make a mistake and you’ll be safe. Or try a slide-by, where you go well to the side of the fielder and then catch the base with your hand. I once saw an opposing runner stop dead right before our catcher was going to tag her and then completely leap over the catcher. She was safe. It was a spectacularly athletic play that not everyone can do. But if you can do it, go for it.
One last point. If you’re running between first and second and the second baseman fields a ground ball, don’t just let her tag you and make the double play. Run behind her and try to get her to chase you – even if that means running toward the outfield. Sure, you’ll be out, but you were going to be out anyway. What you’re trying to do is protect the batter so she can reach first safely.
Ok, now it’s your turn. What did I miss? What are some of your favorite baserunning strategies? And have you ever seen any moves that made you just shake your head and say “cool?”
Life in the Fastpitch Lane 