Well, it does take footwork... that's the art of it... and it seems to me that too many coaches don't work on it with the girls.
The question is.. do you want a girl to backhand everything thrown on the OF side of first base... because if she plants her right foot on the base as a routine set position... then she is backhanding everything. As an umpire , that is when I see most foot pulled and foot up off the bag calls... because the girl is reaching on a backhand.
I see it soooo much.
It's an art.. but one that will reflect if you put the work into it.
If I'm a coach, I'd rather have my girls catching a throw looking forward than backhanding anything and everything on the OF side of the bag. They lose the angle and I would have to say that many throws have a slight curve to them sometimes.
It's like dancing.
Let's take a bunt on the third base side. ( I see this all the time). The firstbaseman goes to the bag and plants her right foot on the bag and stretches toward the throw coming from the pitcher or third baseman.
Now, she has her right foot on the bag and the ball is thrown on the infield side of the bag. Now, she has to stretch across herself to get the throw. Ball over the head, the firstbaseman because of the early stretch.. can't get to it. Why? she is stretched out and can't jump.
I'm glad this subject came up.. I am.. as it is definately my pet peeve.
Like a ball hit to left for a single... and you see the firstbaseman on the bag with her right foot....LOL.. To me, it's like.. "What the heck are you doing on the bag?" There is no thrown coming there to you and she obstructs the runner. Most coaches (offensive) look at you.. you got your arm out for obstruction.. and then don't send the girl to second base for the free base... as second is now free to the runner. Then the coach comes to you and tells you about the firstbaseman obstructing the runner... and as an umpire you say yes, but you didn't send her to second so I can't give her second.
Be a base coach... Be a coach and teach your girls the run past a firstbaseman standing on the bag and bump her and go to second free. It's the art of teaching the game.
A ball hit to left field, the first baseman should circle in behind the runner... and if the ball is thrown to second on the inside part of the bag.. then get to the inside of first base and prepare yourself for a thrown back to you. If the throw from the outfield to second base is on the outfield side of the bag... then the first baseman should be setting up on the outfield side of first base for the angle of the throw. I see so many times, the perfect out not gotten on a throw back to first because the first baseman is standing on top of the bag, and the second baseman is throwing into the back of the runner.. because she is throwing at a mispositioned first baseman.
Let's take this for example. Runner on second base- one out. It's a bunt to third baseman. First baseman has right foot on the bag and is stretched out. High throw and ball goes into the outfield. First, the first baseman if she wasn't stretched early could jump and flag down the ball... even if she doesn't get the out.. at least it didn't go into right field and a runner scores from second. But lets say it did go into the outfield.. now we have the runner on second scoring and the batter standing on third with one out... all because the first baseman is stretched or taught to stretch early for a throw.
Now your one run lead is gone and it is tied with the winning run on third and one out. Bunt and it's over.... you lose.
And why did you lose... because you, as a coach, taught the girl to stretch early for the ball and she couldn't jump for a ball thrown to her that hit the top of her glove in an outstetched position or a throw that just went inches over her glove.
I just think it is the one position that nobody teaches anymore. Remember, the firstbaseman gets outs when she catches the ball.