Running Off Third Base ~ Teach Your Base Runners When To Go, And When To Stay!

The running off third base drill provides a high repetition activity for teaching players when to go and when to hold, in all the various situations that can come up.

In addition, it creates the opportunity to work all infielders on the positioning options needed to defense this situation.

There are 3 positioning options that consistently come into play in this situation. Which one is used gets determined by the inning and the score.

Working on this in practice will pay big dividends during games. Infielders learn to check the runner and make the play according to what they see.

Runners learn to read the speed and location of the ball that is hit, the position of each fielder and to compute the score and inning into making their decision to run or stay.

Running off of third base can be somewhat harder for players than first or second, as they generally spend less time on this base than the other two.

Situation specific practice from third base takes some of the game time stress out of this scenario, which transfers into minimizing mistakes and creating a sense of player confidence.

Equipment Needed

1. Infield with bases.



2. Infield in their positions.



3. Base runners, with helmets, at third base and home plate.



4. Basket of balls at home plate.



5. Coach with fungo at home plate.



6. If available, a coach at third base to work with base runners. If a second coach is available, assign to infield.

Diagram One ~ Infield On Grass

• Diagrams Of The Three Situations

  Running Off Third Base ~ Tips From the Dugout

  
  
  
  • Base runner always needs to know how many outs, score, and inning.
  
  
  
  • Base runner is holding on all balls directly back to the pitcher, with less than two outs.
  
  
  
  • Base runner determines which infielders he can run on by their position, either up or back.
  
  
  
  • Fielders on the grass, or up at the corners need to check the runner at third base first to keep him from running.
  
  
  
  • If fielders are back, the run is being traded for an out, so be sure to get that out at first base.
  

  There Are No Secrets To Success. It Is The Result Of Preparation, Hard Work And Learning From Failure.(Colin Powell)

  
  
  
  return from running off third base to the ole ballgame.com