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Team Offense & Base Coaching

SLVLL AA · SLVLL draft placement; not a fixed national AA age band · 46-foot pitching distance · 60-foot bases

Make the sign clear

The batter and runner both look for the coach's signal before play resumes. A player who missed it uses the agreed reset request.

What is better than guessing?

Coaching Points

Rehearse the reset request as part of the signs, not as a failure.

Common Mistakes

A missed sign can create a safety and coordination problem.

Alternative Considerations

Keep early-season sign sets small; add complexity only when understood.

Coaching exercise: not a national rule requirement.

Wait for legal departure

The pitcher is on the plate with the ball and the catcher is ready in the box. You coach a Minor runner at first.

What should the runner do?

Coaching Points

Rehearse the actual timing with a slow demonstration.

Common Mistakes

A delivery beginning is not the same as the pitch reaching the batter.

Alternative Considerations

AA adds its later local stealing conditions; satisfying the national timing alone does not permit every advance.

Rules/safety: leads (national-rule) local-steal (local-adopted-option)

Give a runner one decision

A third-base coach sees the ball, relay and runner approaching. The coach uses the team's agreed stop or send signal clearly and early.

What is the coaching priority?

Coaching Points

Practice communication with a jogging runner before adding a live relay.

Common Mistakes

Conflicting voice and hand signals make the decision harder.

Alternative Considerations

Aggressiveness depends on score, outs and player readiness; it is not a universal send rule.

Coaching exercise: not a national rule requirement.

Name the contact-play plan

Before a situational rep, the coach tells the runner whether to read the ball first or act on a specific contact cue. Everyone repeats the instruction.

Which version is teachable?

Coaching Points

Walk the scenario and then ask what changes on a line drive or a missed sign.

Common Mistakes

A slogan is not a complete base-running decision.

Alternative Considerations

Do not run a high-risk team play until the simpler read is reliable.

Coaching exercise: not a national rule requirement.

Handle four balls

An AA player pitcher throws ball four with one strike already on the batter.

Which result fits the local instruction?

Coaching Points

AA uses the coach-pitch transition instead of a walk. The adult maintains the count.

Common Mistakes

Do not apply another division's familiar result without checking this one.

Alternative Considerations

The coach-pitch delivery and unhittable-pitch redo provisions also matter; read the source notes.

Rules/safety: coach-pitch (local-adopted-option)

Name the authority accurately

A coach explains a restriction printed in SLVLL's local batting instructions.

How should the instruction be labeled?

Coaching Points

AA forbids bunting; AAA must not practice a fake bunt followed by a full swing.

Common Mistakes

Do not invent a national rule number for a local restriction.

Alternative Considerations

Recheck the governing packet before an interleague or tournament event.

Rules/safety: local-bunt (local-adopted-option) competition (district-rule)