Throwing Rules for Outfielders

One of the most important goals for an outfielder is to control the base paths and preventing an extra 90 feet from occurring. Additionally, a basic rule of thumb for success for outfielders is to keep the double play in order. In this blog post I will go over basic rules for outfielders to follow to keep control of the base paths. 

Proper Grip and Target

All outfielders should understand what their target is when throwing the ball to their intended target. When fielding the ball either on the ground or in the air, the transition from the glove to the throwing hand is important. When transitioning the ball out of the glove, the outfielder should get a four seam fastball grip, because the four seam grip rotation is straight and doesn't cut to the left or right or sink downward. The target the outfielder should be looking at to throw through is the forehead of the cut/relay man. At worst, if the outfielder misses low it will be to the chest of the relay man. At best, it will be a throw that is on the line to the intended base, or a long hop to the intended base. Having the forehead of the cutoff/relay man allows a few things. It allows the throw to be straight and strong, while also being a throw that can be relayed, or can have a nice long hop too. 

Ball Hit at the Outfielder/Lead Base

Any ball that is hit at the outfielder he will throw to the lead base to try to get the lead runner out. Any ball that is hit in the direction to the lead base, the outfielder will also throw the ball to the lead base. The relay/cut man should be lined up to where the intended play is, but if not the outfielder will throw to the lead base. 

Away From the Play/Bobbled Ball

Any ball that has been put in play that takes the outfielder away from the infield, lead base, or positional area will be thrown to second base. Any ball that is bobbled by the outfielder will be thrown to second base too. The outfielder backing up the play needs to be communicating with the outfielder making the play where to throw the ball based on what he is seeing or heard.

The importance of understanding what to do if the ball is hit at you or away from you can really set up the outfielder and defense up for success. Outfielders must always strive to get the ball in as quickly as possible too. This will allow the opponent from getting extra bases. Lastly, outfielders need to get to the ball quickly, then line up with proper footwork, and fire the ball in accurately to make quality consistent plays.