12 Most Common Base Running Mistakes Of Youth Baseball Players
Base running for youth baseball players is a skill that is attained over time and is often learned through trial and error. Players will make simple mistakes no matter how many times you cover base running during your practices.
Here is a list of the most common base running blunders that I see youth baseball players make all too often.
1. Not Running Bases Hard
Many times players will not run as hard as they should. This happens most often when a player hits what they assume is a routine play in which they will be thrown out.
After contact the player will usually drop their head and just jog to first base. Only to find out that the defensive player bobbled the ball and still had time to throw them out. This would not have been the case if they were to run hard for the entire play.
2. Watching The Ball After Contact
Every baseball player likes to see just how far or how hard they hit the ball. Watching the direction of the baseball off the bat can be helpful to know if the baseball leaves the infield or not.
For example, a baseball hit just over the third baseman’s head may be able to be stretched into a double, instead of a single.
However, young players will often watch the ball for far too long. Many times you will see a young player watching the ball over halfway down the first base line.
This tends to cause young players to run slower or not in a straight line to first base.
3. Stopping On First Base
A hard concept to teach young baseball players is how they are able to run through first base and still be safe.
To understand why this is confusing for some players goes back to the T ball level. In T ball, players just want to hit the ball, run and get to first base.
Often times coaches will have a player just stop right when they get to first and not run through the bag. They are taught this so they don’t overrun other bases and get tagged out before returning.
However some players have a hard time transitioning from stopping to running through first base.
4. Stepping On The Wrong Part Of The Base
Youth baseball players will often step directly on top of the base while running the bases. This may not seem like a big deal, but it can be for several reasons.
For starters, baseball can often be described as game of inches. For instance a play at first base on an infield ground ball can be so close it looks like a tie. Leaving the call up to the umpire. And if a player steps on the top of the base versus the front of the bag could be the difference between being out or safe.
Secondly, stepping on the top of the base can be a major safety concern. I have seen many players who step on the top of or towards the back of the base. This can cause a players foot to slip or roll their ankle.
5. Not Finding The Baseball
Being aware of the location of the baseball on the field is one of the most important aspects of being a base runner. But, there will be times when you have to remove your eyes from the ball to get where you need to go.
Many times a player will have to remove their eyes to run to next base while a defender tries to throw out a different runner. Taking the ball away from where the original runner was heading.
Being able to find the ball again quickly can mean the difference between you staying on the base you currently occupy or advancing.
Most young players will not be able to anticipate where the throw will be going. This makes finding the ball again very important.
6. Not Breaking Down And Looking Right
“Breaking down” is a technique taught to players that is executed when running through first base. This method can be described as sort of leaning back as you slow down with choppy steps.
If performed properly the base runner can slow down much quicker after running through first base using this technique. This technique paired with looking to the right after running through first base can allow the runner to pick up a past ball much quicker.
Many times youth base runners will just gradually slow down and end up to far down the foul line to advance on a past ball. Thus missing out on an easy opportunity to advance to second base.
7. Leading Off The Base Incorrectly
Leading off a base can be quite an uncomfortable feeling for a youth baseball player. Players feel vulnerable when they leave the place they feel the safest. Especially if they haven’t done it very much. Here is a few leading off mistakes:
- Getting off the base before the pitcher takes the rubber
- Crossing their legs getting off the base
- Going to fast or to slow
- Too small or too big of a lead
- Taking their eyes off the pitcher to check their distance
- Leaning towards first base expecting a pic
8. Not Picking Up Base Coaches
Players often times will be able to advance multiple bases on a hit or an overthrow. Here are a few times not picking up or listening to the base coaches can cause a runner to be thrown out.
- An overthrown ball in a direction the player cannot see
- Ball hit in a direction they cannot see while running
- Not seeing a coach telling them to slide
- Not picking up a coach early enough telling them to hold up at the base they are currently occupying
- Stop on the base, don’t overrun because there is a throwing coming
9. Taking The Wrong Path
One quality that takes times to learn as a young base runner is base path efficiency. Here are a few ways players deviate from the most efficient way around the bases.
- Running directly to a base when they should start to turn anticipating an advance to another base
- Turning to wide causing their time between bases to increase
10. Not Knowing When To Advance
Sometimes players can get confused on when they should or shouldn’t run to the next base. Here are a few examples of this happening.
- Not running when being forced to run. example: not running from first on a ground ball hit to second baseman
- Not understanding they don’t have to move on a infield fly rule
- Running into an out at third on a ground ball when first was unoccupied
11. Not Tagging up
Inexperience youth players will often forget to tag up on fly balls. Even though this is covered in practice, many times they just forget. Do this once or twice and they will be sure not to ever let it happen again.
12. Infield Fly Rule
The infield fly rule and can be confusing, even for some adults that haven’t been around the game of baseball for a little while. The infield fly rule is in place when you have less than two outs and runners on first and second base.
If the batter pops a ball up, within the infield, the umpire will rule it an infield fly. The batter is automatically ruled out and the runner will stay on their bases.
The purpose of this rule is to take away an easy opportunity for an infielder to drop the ball on purpose and turn an easy double play.
Most players don’t realize though that if the ball does drop because a player misjudges the ball, they aren’t forced to run to the next base.
Final Thoughts!
Just remember running the bases for a young player can be confusing at first. When should they go, or shouldn’t go, to the next base.
Learn to recognize these simple base running mistakes and incorporate drills during practices to avoid those costly errors.