Softball Infield Drills – Bases Loaded Force-out At Home

Purpose: To develop defensive tactics for making the force-out at home plate with two outs and the bases loaded. This is the kind of drill that helps players think and decide differently on the field giving some mental training as well.

Procedure: Equipment needed would be one softball, a bat and gloves. Set up a complete infield, including the pitcher and 3 catchers, and place runners at each base, including home plate. The coach stands in the batter's box and hits a slow ground ball to the pitcher. The player on home runs out of the batter's box toward first base.

Where and how the pitcher fields the ball determines whether she should make the force -out at home or not.

There is a force out at every base when the bases are loaded. On a bases-loaded situation with two outs, players are usually taught to make the throw to first base however, in some situations, that may not be the easiest throw to make.

The Pitcher should throw the ball to the catcher underhanded fcr the force-out at home if Ihey have fielded the ball cleanly and their momentum takes Chsm toward home plate. The pitcher should aim for the catcher's chest.

If a pitcher's momentum takes her all the way to home plate after fielding the ball, she should continue to run home and step on the plate fcr the out. A pitcher should only run all the way to home plate if she knows he can make the out.