Could this be the biggest Bush play ever?

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Jay Miller the new USA coach would love it. He is probably one the most creative offensive coaches I know of. If you get a chance to watch his Mississippi State University team play you might see something like that at the DI level. I am telling you the truth. He would do something like an intentional trip and fall to draw a throw and allow a runner to advance or score. I have heard him talk about it before.

 

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As EagleOne, and others, have mentioned, the Look Back rule should take care of this. However, are most umps schooled enough in the rule to actually call it?

(And I don't mean this as an insult. It's just that the Look Back rule is so seldom needed that may officials may have forgotten it.)

 

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The other one I used to see at 14U was the "Go back!!!!" play. Runners at 2nd and 3rd, after the pitch runner at 2b heads for 3B, coach at 3B starts yelling go back! GO BACK!!!

Hoping to cause confusion and create a rundown to score runner from 3. Key to defending this one is to reverse your normal hotbox attack and trap runner between SS and 3B. If you throw to push the runner back to 2B that is what they want, the ball as far from home as possible. Pushing the runner towards 3B can cause confusion the other way and you can end up getting two outs.

 

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Similar to picking the lead runner at third with a hard fake to first (which I saw a few inexperienced runners fall for at Stingrays this weekend), this play will fall apart without LOTS of practice. Fakes and decoys work both ways, so be prepared to execute.

I actually had a coach tell me this was bush league. He was the 3rd base coach, he called a bunt to the batter. Our fielder (3rd base) fielded it, faked the throw to first and tagged the runner going home because HE sent her. He actually told me that was a bush league play.....

I thought..... WTF?? I guess it is easier to blame the defense or opposing coaches for your bonehead move.....

 

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never heard of this, but interesting.

 

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I actually had a coach tell me this was bush league. He was the 3rd base coach, he called a bunt to the batter. Our fielder (3rd base) fielded it, faked the throw to first and tagged the runner going home because HE sent her. He actually told me that was a bush league play.....

I thought..... WTF?? I guess it is easier to blame the defense or opposing coaches for your bonehead move.....

He called that a Bush League Play??? That's an idiot that shouldn't coaching. Hit the stands coach and just cheer, let someone who knows what their doing coach. LOL

 

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I actually had a coach tell me this was bush league. He was the 3rd base coach, he called a bunt to the batter. Our fielder (3rd base) fielded it, faked the throw to first and tagged the runner going home because HE sent her. He actually told me that was a bush league play.....

I thought..... WTF?? I guess it is easier to blame the defense or opposing coaches for your bonehead move.....

That calls for a good suicide squeeze when you change sides.

 

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strategy is all. Not saying I agree with it...

 

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I actually had a coach tell me this was bush league. He was the 3rd base coach, he called a bunt to the batter. Our fielder (3rd base) fielded it, faked the throw to first and tagged the runner going home because HE sent her. He actually told me that was a bush league play.....

I thought..... WTF?? I guess it is easier to blame the defense or opposing coaches for your bonehead move.....

not Bush... great execution in my mind. Poor coaching on the 3rd base coach. He should have shook his head and said "my bad"...

 

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SDS...So NOT bush it's not funny. We have a verbal call for this play. It takes a 3rd baseman that can really "sell" the fake throw. It's a great play and can really pump up the girls if we can execute it.

As for the original post...I've heard of the laying down thing for years. While I don't get all that, I wouldn't call it bush. We have gone to having the girl on first just slowly jog down to first while always looking back to the catcher. If the throw comes anywhere near her, her job is to keep the rundown in progress as long as possible to get the runner on third home.
DD plays college ball now and the college teams defense it well by keeping an eye on runner at third while executing the rundown...usually peels off the rundown when other runner commits to home. More often than not will get another rundown going between 3rd and home. A better out to get....right?

 

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Totally right. Jeez guys get this right. It is called a "wheel play" in MLB. If this throws you off then you better observe some games. It is not BUSH... it is simply not smart if you bit on this hook.

The entire point of the play is to get the ball thrown to second base. In this situation, th runner has been taught to get into a run-down or distract the defense long enough to get the runner from third base across the plate.

If an 18U player has not been taught this yet (Offense or defense), shame on the coaches. Many, many teams have defensive plays set-up for this scenario.

Not bush.

 

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Alot of teams try this play. most of the time it doesn't work because no one falls for it. As someone said before that runner can't score before the runner on 3rd. Keep the runner at 3rd and don't worrie about the runner at 1st. As far as laying down in the base line,I have seen them moon walk to 2nd or stop and scream and clap there hands. Anything to make you look at them and forget about the girl at 3rd. In a close game you see some funny gadget plays or crazy tricks.

 

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if you allowed the run to score in a game higher than 12U, shame on you.

 

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In a close game you see some funny gadget plays or crazy tricks.

When I use to coach pee wee football we had a special play to distract the defense. We would have a particular kid run the motion and he start doing back flips and round offs. When the defensive line would look up at him, the center would snap the ball. It would only work 1 time in a game but when we did it, it was about 85% effective.

I had never thought about it before in softball but I think I might have one of my girls try this on the field...LMAO. How about doing 4-5 backflips down the baseline while in route to 2nd base.... :lmao: :lmao:. Kinda the same thing... it would only once but when pulled off it may be effective. Would that be bush league???? :lmao:

 

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And then there is the old "Bee Play"...

(Video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyf3gjn1UlM

 

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- Runners on first and third. On release of the pitch, have the runner on first take her lead off about 20 feet down the right field line, out into right field! This is legal- the rules don't specify which direction the runner has to lead off. It's not "leaving the baseline", because the runner isn't doing it to avoid a tag by a fielder.

Just thinking here.... if the catcher did happen to throw the ball to first in an attempt to pick the runner off, wouldn't the runner THEN be out for being out of the baseline to advoid a tag?

 

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Just thinking here.... if the catcher did happen to throw the ball to first in an attempt to pick the runner off, wouldn't the runner THEN be out for being out of the baseline to advoid a tag?

No. The runner is not required to follow the base line (i.e. imaginary line directly between bases) which was the point of Bretman's post about leading off down the right field line.

The runner is only required to stay within 3 feet of their base path (i.e. line directly between a base and the runner's position at the time a defensive player is attempting to tag that runner) while avoiding a tag.

On the pick off play, the runner would establish a base path from their position down the right field line to either 1B or 2B. They would only be out if they deviated more than 3 feet from it to avoid a tag.

 

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I call it GREAT COACHING!!!

 

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We have a play similar to that. Putting the girl going to second in a "pickle", not one has took the hook this year, but we tried it. The runner did not lay down but did not run her fastest to second. Softball is a "mind game" too. Is it any different than running down to first on drop strike three (when rule does not apply) to draw a throw down first to advance the runners or score runner from third? These are plays and defensively you need to be on your game not to get drawn in to it.

Another example: So if a runner is "stealing" from first to second with a runner on third and the catcher throws to SS or Second to trick the runner at third coming home, to hopefully get them out. Is that a bush play? I say no, but a similar scenior for the defense end of the field.

These are Plays in every sport, just need to stay a step ahead of them.

 

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Seen it done many times over the years. I call it getting out coached. Won a tournment using the old wheel play , but it was designed to get the girl at third to bite and get her out.