Base Running & Base Stealing

Stay within this runner rule

You are on first in AAA with the pitcher on the plate holding the ball and the catcher ready.

Which statement is correct?Steal before deliveryUse the Bronco lead ruleNo pre-pitch lead; wait until the pitch reaches the batterEvery early departure is an automatic out

My practice notes (no personal details)

Coaching Points

Repeat the national timing and the applicable local conditions separately.

Common Mistakes

The AA midseason condition does not change Rule 7.13 into permission for an early lead.

Alternative Considerations

The umpire handles an actual early-departure play under the rule; a quiz does not replace that decision.

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

Read a permitted advance

In AAA, you read the ball after the pitch reaches the batter and listen to the coach's agreed cue.

What is the correct training decision?Read the ball after legal departure timing, then choose advance or returnLeave before the pitch reaches the batterAlways run on a pitcher's first motionClose your eyes and follow the crowd

My practice notes (no personal details)

Coaching Points

Legal timing and a sound read are both needed; permission is not an instruction to run every time.

Common Mistakes

Do not convert an unrestricted-lead drill into a Minor first-move cue.

Alternative Considerations

Practice at a jog with clear stop and return signals.

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

Check the next movement

An AAA runner waits until the pitch reaches the batter, then takes a controlled secondary lead.

Which response is correct?Run before the legal departure timeKeep balance for a legal advance or returnTreat every overthrow as a home runUse a PONY pre-pitch lead

My practice notes (no personal details)

Coaching Points

A secondary lead is not permission to leave early on the next pitch.

Common Mistakes

Similar words can describe different play conditions.

Alternative Considerations

Have the runner name the original play before discussing an overthrow.

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

Read an actual catch

An AAA infield fly is declared and then caught.

What still matters to a runner?Every runner must advanceEvery fly is automatically deadAll retouch duties disappearThe catch still creates retouch responsibilities

My practice notes (no personal details)

Coaching Points

Watch the catch and use the base coach's agreed signal.

Common Mistakes

The local AA infield-fly exception does not erase the effect of a caught ball.

Alternative Considerations

Walk through the dropped version separately instead of treating it as the caught version.

Rules/safety: fly (national-rule)

Read the coach on a batted ball

On a batted-ball base-running rehearsal, find the coach early, touch the base and stay aware of the ball.

What should the rep include?A clear stop or continue signal and a controlled turnMissing the base for speedWatching only your feetClosing your eyes

My practice notes (no personal details)

Coaching Points

Start at a jog and add speed only after the signal is understood.

Common Mistakes

A fast turn without a read may create a bad decision.

Alternative Considerations

The coach adjusts the drill to field conditions and player readiness.

Coaching exercise: not a national rule requirement.

Return under control

After a legally timed movement, you need to return to your base. The coach teaches a controlled return without contact.

What should the practice prioritize?A collisionThe biggest possible movementA controlled return with safe spacingA compulsory head-first dive

My practice notes (no personal details)

Coaching Points

Local instructions distinguish advancing from returning for head-first sliding; permission does not require a dive.

Common Mistakes

There is no universal must-slide rule.

Alternative Considerations

Begin without a live tag and follow the adult's conservative technique.

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

Rules and source notes

Little League International · SLVLL AAA · regular-season pilot. Sources reviewed 2026-09-06. Minor League Baseball; San Lorenzo Valley Little League local program. National rules, SLVLL published local instructions and coaching choices are distinct. AAA is the local Minor program. Placement is a draft/player-agent decision; historical page dates and exceptions do not establish a fixed 2026 age band. Amendment summary is not the full rulebook or proof that unmentioned rules are unchanged. Minor League section establishes 60/46 geometry, not a fixed SLVLL AA or AAA roster age band. Ordinary effort is umpire judgment, not a fixed part of the field. Published SLVLL intraleague instructions refer to the current-year Little League rulebook but retain older revision annotations. Applied only to AAA; Majors-only paragraphs are excluded. No separate 2026 board-adoption instrument or waiver was supplied. The AA uncaught-third-strike exercise deliberately uses occupied first and fewer than two outs. This FAQ is not evidence for every Minor third-strike situation. User-attested app origin; no edition/build metadata shown. Capture consistent with supplied 2026 material, not an independently acquired app session. This is not a complete rulebook or a tournament eligibility guide. Coaching suggestions are labeled teaching choices, not national rules.

eligibility: SLVLL AA and AAA are draft-placement programs within Minor League Baseball, not national fixed age bands. The player agent must verify roster placement and any exception; division placement alone does not establish pitching eligibility. (local-intraleague; local-adopted-option) SLVLL Draft Policies
amendments: The 2026 national changes were checked separately from older local annotations. A national courtesy-runner permission does not itself prove local adoption. Do not import the Majors-only local paragraph into AAA or assume an intraleague option applies to district or tournament play. (regular-season; national-rule) 2026 Rule Changes and Clarifications
infield-fly: With fewer than two outs and first and second occupied, or bases loaded, a fair fly other than a bunt or liner may qualify if an infielder could catch it with ordinary effort. An infield-fly call retires the batter but does not kill the ball or erase catch/retouch duties. Ordinary effort depends on the level of play. (all-play; national-rule) Explanation of the Infield Fly Rule
geometry: The Minor League field uses 60-foot bases and a 46-foot pitching distance. Local AA coach pitching has its separately stated delivery location. (all-play; national-rule) Little League Baseball Divisions
leadoffs: Under Rule 7.13, when the pitcher has the ball on the plate and the catcher is ready in the box, runners stay on base until the delivered pitch reaches the batter. Early departure is not a universal automatic out; the actual play controls the remedy. (all-play; national-rule) Little League Baseball Rulebook app: Rule 7.13
leadoffs: AAA runners must satisfy Rule 7.13 departure timing. The AA midseason, third-base ceiling and one-base stealing limits are not AAA provisions. (local-intraleague; local-adopted-option) SLVLL AAA and Majors Local Rules
safety: The local instructions do not require sliding on every play. No head-first slide when advancing; returning to a base has the stated exception. Teach avoiding contact and a controlled return, not a mandatory dive. (local-intraleague; local-adopted-option) SLVLL AAA and Majors Local Rules Rule 6.00: The Batter FAQs

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