Coaching Baseball – One Man on Base

This [tag]coaching baseball[/tag] [tag]drill[/tag] will help players develop an understanding of a force out.

What you need – You can start off doing this [tag]baseball[/tag] drill with no fielders or runners, but just explaining to your players what it means to be “˜forced’ to run to the next base.  

How this drill works – Put a man on first base, and explain what happens when the ball is put into play – the man on first is “˜forced’ to go to second.   If you start a man on second, explain that the man is not forced to go to the next base, and therefore he must be tagged out.  

Once the players understand that, then  the [tag]coach[/tag]  can move them into a basic play recognition drill when they get the ball and are able to make the play to second when there is a force play on.   You can also put in a situation where there are two men on base (1st and 2nd base) and you can make the fielder decide where they have to throw the ball.

Result – With repetition, the players will learn to understand when there is a force out, and when it isn’t.   The  instruction should continue to happen while the players are learning.