Baserunning Fundamentals for Young Players
A coaching-style guide to baserunning for young players: running out a hit, rounding bases, leads, steals, tagging up and reading the ball, with simple drills and the safety points that matter.
Baserunning is the part of baseball that every player can improve without a stronger arm or a better bat. A young player who runs the bases well scores runs that the scorebook never credits to anyone but himself, and a team that runs well turns a single into a run more often than a team that does not. Most of it is not speed. It is knowing what to do, where to look and when to go, and those things can be taught on a field of any size in a few practices.
This guide is for players, parents and volunteer coaches. It covers running to first base, rounding bases, taking leads, stealing, tagging up and reading the ball, along with the base-coach signals and a short practice plan. It gives general guidance only. Leagues set their own rules for leading off, stealing and sliding, and a qualified coach on the spot is a better judge of an individual child's readiness than any article. For safety guidance, the governing bodies publish their own material, such as Little League's site.
Why baserunning is worth practising
A baseball game is made of short bursts of action, and many of the decisive ones involve a runner. A runner who advances an extra base on a ball in the dirt, scores from second on a single or avoids an out on a close play changes the result without a swing. A runner who makes an out at the wrong time can erase a rally.
The cost of a mistake is high. An out on the bases takes away a base runner as well as an out, and a runner thrown out at third with one out has done more harm than one who simply held at second. That is the idea behind the old coaching rule that you should not make the first or third out of an inning at third base. The reasoning is that with fewer than two outs, a runner on third can score in several ways, so the risk of losing him outweighs the small gain from reaching third.
Speed helps, but it is not the main thing. In the major leagues, Rickey Henderson stole 1,406 bases in his career according to the historical record, a total no one else has reached, and 130 in 1982 alone. He also reached base a great deal, with a career on-base percentage of .401. Lou Brock stole 938. Those are the extremes, and they show a pattern: the best base stealers were also good at getting on base, and they chose their moments. A young player can learn the same habits: get on base, learn the pitcher, and go when the odds are good.
Running out a batted ball
The first baserunning skill is the one players do most often: running to first base. The rule for the batter is simple. Drop the bat, do not throw it, and run hard every time. A batter who jogs after a ground ball that looks routine loses the chance to profit from a bad throw or a bobbled ball. Habits form early, so the rule should be to sprint through the base on every ball put in play, including pop-ups.
At first base, the runner is allowed to run through the base. Unlike every other base, a runner may overrun first base and return, and he is safe as long as he does not make a move toward second. That is why coaches teach players to run through first base and not to slow down or slide. The goal is to touch the base at full speed, usually with the front of the bag, and then slow gradually in foul territory. Sliding into first is slower than running, and it adds an injury risk for no benefit.
Some leagues use a double first base, with one bag in fair territory for the fielder and one in foul territory for the runner, to reduce collisions at the bag. If your league uses one, teach the runner to use the foul-territory bag, as the rules direct. The point is to make the play safer for both players.
After the ball is in play, the runner should keep his eyes on the ball and the first-base coach until he is past the base. If the ball goes into the outfield or is misplayed, he should look to the coach and continue toward second if the coach waves him on.
Rounding the bases
When a batter hits a ball that could be a double, he does not run straight at the bag at first. He takes a slight outward arc as he approaches, then cuts back so that he touches the inside corner of the base as he turns, often described as running a rounded path. The arc lets him keep speed through the turn, and touching the inside corner sends him toward the next base. The practice for a young player is to start the turn a few strides before the bag, aim for the inside corner and keep going toward second without stopping if the coach signals.
A good drill places a cone or a mark about ten feet to the right of the baseline halfway to first base. Players run to the cone, curve in and touch the inside of the bag, then sprint toward second. Repeat with a coach standing near the bag giving a stop or go signal, so the player practises looking up.
The same applies at second and third base, where runners take the corner on a hit to the outfield and look to the coach for the signal to continue or stop. A runner who rounds a base too widely loses time, and one who takes the turn too tightly loses speed at the bag.
Leads and the first step
A lead is the distance a runner takes from the base before the pitch. Not every league allows one. Many youth leagues, including the younger divisions of Little League, do not allow runners to leave the base until the pitch reaches the batter, and the rules for stealing and leading off change as players move up in age. Check your own league's rules, and teach what is allowed, not what you see on television.
Where leads are allowed, the primary lead is the distance a runner takes before the pitch, and the secondary lead is the extra shuffle he takes as the pitcher throws, which positions him to advance on a ball in the dirt or a hit. Three principles apply.
- Stay balanced. The runner stands with his feet apart and his weight on the balls of his feet, ready to go forward or back.
- Watch the pitcher. He looks at the pitcher, not at the ball in the dirt or the batter, and learns the pitcher's habits.
- Know the way back. The lead must be short enough that the runner can get back to the base if the pitcher throws over, which means the lead depends on the age of the pitcher and the arm of the catcher.
At the youngest levels, the lead should be modest and the focus should be on safe return. Pickoff throws are a bigger part of the game at older levels, and young runners should learn to return to the base by diving or sliding back, hand first, only if the league allows, and by keeping the head up. A runner who gets picked off in a youth game is usually a runner who took too big a lead for his ability, which is a teaching point and not a failure.
Stealing bases
A steal is a play in which a runner advances while the pitcher is throwing to the plate. Whether it is a good idea depends on the success rate, and a commonly cited rule of thumb is that a runner needs to succeed roughly three times in four to help the team. The exact break-even point varies with the game's run scoring and the number of outs, and it is usually estimated in the range of 70 to 75 percent in recent decades. Below that, a steal attempt costs more than it earns.
At the youth level, stealing is mostly about reading and timing. The runner learns three things.
- The pitcher's first move. Right-handed pitchers in the stretch stand with their backs toward first base, and left-handers face it. Every pitcher has movements that mean a pitch is coming and movements that mean a throw to first, and a runner learns the difference by watching. A coach can help by pointing out the tell for each pitcher the team faces.
- The catcher's arm. Catchers at the youngest levels often cannot throw to second, so a steal may be nearly automatic and a coach should not use it to run up the score.
- The score and the inning. A steal in a close game late in an inning can change the result. A steal when the team is behind by many runs does little.
A good steal begins with a crossover first step toward the next base and a low, driving run. The runner slides only if the play at the base will be close, and he does not turn to watch the throw while running.
One point of etiquette: running freely at a level where the catcher cannot make a throw can be unsporting, because it embarrasses the other team without testing anyone. Many leagues have rules to prevent it, such as limiting steals or ending the play when the ball is returned to the pitcher.
Sliding safely
Sliding is a skill that must be taught and practised, not improvised. The standard method is the feet-first slide, in which the runner starts the slide several feet before the base, tucks one leg under the other and keeps his hands up and away from the ground so they do not catch. Sliding is a way to stop at the base without overrunning it and to avoid a tag by sliding away from the fielder. How to slide safely covers feet-first and head-first slides in detail, including why many leagues restrict head-first slides at young ages.
The safest approach is to teach on grass or on a slip-and-slide mat, with no bases that are bolted down, and to practise at slow speeds before a game. Do not slide when there is no play, and do not slide into first base. Wearing sliding shorts or pants can reduce scrapes. For any concern about injury, ask a doctor or a qualified coach; this article is general guidance, not medical advice.
Tagging up and reading fly balls
On a fly ball that is caught, a runner must touch his base after the fielder first touches the ball before he can advance. This is called tagging up. If he leaves too early, the defence can appeal and he can be called out. For a young runner, the basic technique is to stand with one foot on the base, facing the outfielder who is making the catch, and push off as the ball touches the glove.
A runner on third base with fewer than two outs can score on a fly ball deep enough to the outfield, which is why coaches teach the sacrifice fly. The runner watches the fielder, not the ball, to see whether he is moving toward home, and leaves when the ball is caught. The runner on second can tag and go to third on a long fly ball to right field. The decision depends on the depth of the ball, the arm of the fielder and the number of outs.
With two outs, the rule changes: runners go on contact. The third out ends the inning no matter what, so a runner who waits for a catch gains nothing, and one who runs from the start may score from second on a hit that falls. Teach it as a simple rule and repeat it until it is automatic.
Reading the ball and the situation
The best baserunners do their thinking before the pitch. They know the number of outs, the score and what the defence is likely to do. A short table helps young players remember.
| Situation | Usual runner action |
|---|---|
| Two outs, any runner | Go on contact; run hard on every ball put in play |
| Fewer than two outs, runner on first, ground ball | Run to the next base; the force play is on |
| Fewer than two outs, runner on third, ground ball | Follow the coach; usually hold unless the ball gets through the infield |
| Fewer than two outs, fly ball deep enough | Tag up and go if the ball is deep and the fielder's momentum is away from the base |
| Line drive hit hard at an infielder | Freeze, then return; do not get doubled off |
Two additional rules are worth teaching. A runner who is forced to advance, because a batter has become a runner and the base behind him is occupied, can be put out by a throw to the base ahead of him, so he must run. A runner who is not forced can be put out only by a tag. And a runner must not interfere with a fielder who is trying to field a batted ball; running into a fielder is an out in the rules, so teach players to give the fielder room and run behind or around him. A runner who runs more than three feet from the base path to avoid a tag can also be called out. These are the rules in the official code; local youth rules may vary, so a coach should check the league's version.
Base coaches and signals
Most levels of the game use a first-base coach and a third-base coach, who stand in boxes near the bases. They help runners by telling them what to do when the runner's eyes are on the ball. A common signal is a windmill arm for go, two hands up for stop and a drop-down motion for slide. Some leagues use the same few simple signals for all runners, and teams make them clear before the game.
The coach also helps with decisions beyond the runner's view. The third-base coach can see the throw and the outfielder, while the runner coming around the base cannot. A runner's habit should be to run to the base, find the coach with his eyes and follow the signal. At first and second base the runner should read the coach as he rounds the base and the ball.
If a coach asks a player to hold up, the player stops without arguing. The coach sees more than the runner does and may have saved the team an out.
A short practice plan
A baserunning session can fit into twenty minutes of a normal practice. A warm-up comes first, with light jogging and dynamic stretching, because baserunning drills involve sprints. Then run in this order.
- Run through first. Players hit or toss a ball and sprint through the bag. Each learns to touch the front of the bag and slow down in foul territory.
- Round first. Using the cone drill described above, players practise the arc, the inside-corner touch and the look at the coach.
- Leads and returns. Where leading off is allowed, players take a short lead and return on a signal from the coach, with a pitcher or a coach simulating a throw.
- Tag-up and go. A coach hits a fly ball and runners tag and advance on the catch.
- Situations. Place runners on base and call out the number of outs and the situation. Players say what they will do before each pitch.
Keep the sessions brief and positive. The goal is to build habits, not to catch players making mistakes. Running a youth baseball practice explains how to fit this into a full session.
Common mistakes
- Looking at the ball instead of the base or coach. Runners should run first and look second.
- Slowing down before the base. Run through first and round the other bases at full speed.
- Leaving early on a fly ball. The runner must wait for the catch.
- Taking too big a lead. A safe return matters more than the extra feet.
- Sliding at first or when there is no play. It slows the runner and creates risk.
- Arguing with the coach. Runners follow the signal and talk about it afterward.
- Making the first or third out at third base. The risk outweighs the gain.
Common questions
How fast does a young player need to be? Not very. Good habits and good reads outweigh speed at every level. A runner who knows the situation and gets a good jump beats a faster runner who does not.
Should young players practise head-first slides? Many leagues restrict them at younger ages, so follow your league's rules, and ask a qualified coach for instruction. How to slide safely explains the options.
What does the first-base coach do? He tells the runner whether to continue to second, watches for the throw and reminds the runner of the number of outs.
What about the outfield? Runners are always reading the outfielders. How to play the outfield explains the throws and routes that runners need to understand, and how to play first base and third base shows what the defenders are trying to do at the bases.
How can I follow baserunning in a game? Read the box score for stolen bases and caught stealing; how to read a baseball box score shows where they appear.
Where to go next
Start with the sliding article, then a practice plan, and use a few minutes of every practice for baserunning. The youth baseball section of this site collects resources for players and parents, and the youth and Little League topic page gathers current coverage. For the rules of your own league, always rely on the league's published rulebook.