Two Runners Score on a Walk 🤯 

I appreciate the umpire clearly knowing the rules and just standing there watching. Good job.

When I was a high school varsity player, coach would always make us hustle everywhere even to first base if we walked. He'd get pissed if we didn't run at least at a near sprint. Other teams got so used to us doing that, I was able to take 2nd base off a walk 4 times my senior year twice in the same game. It's so important to not be lazy, hustle & pay attetion playing head's up ball.

I think it helps that the team in the field has the first base dugout. The catcher may have been looking that way for instruction. If they had the third base dugout and the catcher looked over to one of the coaches there would be a better chance that the catcher would have noticed. In any event, it's smart baserunning.

"You've been hit by... a smooth criminal"

At 2:12 bottom right hand side…there is a fan who extends their hands in visual recognition of the stolen plate while everyone else is asleep at the wheel. Totally agree that this was a planned event that will likely further frustrate the defense currently “on the ropes”. The silver lining is that the pitcher won’t walk in another run (on the next batter) no matter what 😎

The smart defensive play is to have the catcher hold the ball after ball 4 with the bases loaded and make sure the runner from third steps on the plate. I’ve seen several times where the runner steps over the plate and is tagged out immediately.

I remember my coach in LL told me if I was walked to continue on to second as the ball is still alive. Worked, but that was 75 years or so ago...

Just reminds me of David Cone arguing while runners are running wild around the bases and scoring.

Back in 2017 Jose Bautista of the Jays was issued a walk in front of the, er, home crowd in Seattle. He took first as indicated, but as he was trotting up the first base line so he noticed the pitcher had the ball and was off in La-La Land; he sprinted to second and got there safely. It's the same principle here. The runner is entitled to their base, but if the next base is free and the fielders aren’t paying attention they can advance.

I didn’t even know you could advance during a walk. That’s awesome to know!

From other softball refs I've seen on YT. The ball is dead when the pitcher has the ball in the circle, and the runners are stopped on the basepaths. For this to work, the runner on second has to pass third base to be entitled to advance. A runner can go for the next base if past the previous one, but not after the runner claims a base (stands on, stopped). Otherwise it is an out, based on a thing called the lookback rule. The pitcher was out of the circle, both runners past third, the first one forced in because of the walk, the second one continuing the play as she was past third when the ball went in the circle. If she was between 2nd and 3rd, she could only have advanced to 3rd. Very heads-up play.

Really heads up play and I gotta think the coach gave her a sign to do it....which means it's something they'd thought about in the past. Pretty slick!

This is why I love watching softball so much. It’s very fast paced and they pull of sneaky things on a regular basis

Too bad the video is never played once all the way through with no pause. We be effective to see it that way before breaking it down.

That is brilliant!

It’s important that if you’re going to execute this, the runner from second cannot hesitate at third in trying to reach home. The ball is in the circle and under control. Any hesitation will result in a look back rule out. This was well executed.

Saw this type of action several times while umpiring at the Little League level. Coaches would tell their player to hussle on a walk, a lot of times the player could get two bases, or as shown in this vide, two players scoring on a walk when the defense was sleeping. I also saw several times where an alert catcher would toss to the lead base (or to first base if no one was on), trying to catch the runner stepping off the bag. The latter play worked several times as well as the runner would get to the bag then step off without calling time, runner would get tagged out.

I think it could be done in baseball if you wait for the right opportunity where the pitcher is staring at the outfield, but it probably won't work a second time :D It's definitely more risky with the larger distances though, you're probably not going to be able to casually walk home and would need to sprint from third and hope you catch the pitcher distracted.

I think this was a sudden move by the second base runner. Did you see the runner at third kinda jump as she heard the 2nd base runner come up behind and touch the first girl from behind? It was visible in the last replay.

If that was just all by the runner from second...... GREAT JOB! If it was a set play by the coaching staff....... well, GREAT JOB!

Neat video. Heads up plays by the base runners. Definately a lesson for pitchers and catchers to pay attention to the lead runner(s). I always told the players to run to first on a walk because if the opportunity presented itself they could steal second when the catcher missed the ball or if the pitcher/catcher weren't paying attention.

My collegiate team pulled this off twice, my sophomore year. It was amazing both times.

I am so glad I saw this. I Coach a Softball team and we are always the WORST team in our area (19 Wins in 17 Seasons) and I am looking for everything I can find to increase our ODDS. This is GREAT. The 1 thing we have is SPEED. And YES this is legal and could work in Baseball too during a Walk because it is a Live Ball. But this is harder to do in Baseball because the Bases are 90 feet - Softball is 60 feet.

That is just a brilliant bit of base runner awareness and execution. Hats off to that player for displaying a 1000 softball IQ! Cheers....

Plays like this or attempted plays like this are fairly common in Faspitch. That being said, our Baseball team occasionally would run a similar type of play with a runner on 2b and a 3-2 count with 1 out. If ball 4 occurred, the runner from 2b would start jogging towards 3b as if it was 1st & 2nd and they were forced. The majority of time the defense would be confused enough that the runner from 2b got far enough towards 3b or all the way before realizing. If a team was sharp enough to be on it, they often still threw behind the runner to 2b allowing the runner to then outright steal 3b. I ran this play successfully both ways myself.

1000 IQ baserunning

The purpose of the two runners being close in proximity may have been a ploy for the lead runner to create a screen for the back runner. IF the pitcher had the presence of mind to throw home, the catcher would have had to maneuver around the lead runner to try and tag the back runner, as there is no play to be had on the lead runner. What's more, the throw from the pitcher to the catcher might be impeded by the lead runner if the throw takes the catcher in front of the plate. It is as if the front runner has become a blocking fullback for the trail runner and cleared the way.

You know the old saying about learning something new everyday, well I just learned something new! I had NO idea that was even legal. Thanks for teaching me.

This is brilliant they are in fact trying to blend.

I've coached little league baseball for 22 seasons. I was always pressing the defense with aggressive base running. This includes taking 2 bases on walks particularly in high leverage situations. 1st to 3rd was common, but 2nd to home happened quite a few times too. Most of the time, it was my lead runner taking 2 with following runners taking advantage if the defense becomes aware and focused on what the lead runner was doing. We would do it maybe twice a game as the opposing team would start becoming hyper vigilant after. Our success rate was around 80%. Again, I was an aggressive base running coach and other teams knew that about me. It's all about picking your time to do it.

This is sheer genius.

That's a really heads-up play by the runner on 2nd base. The most heads-up play I ever saw in hundreds of MLB games I attended, and I saw it happen twice, was this. Davey Lopes was on 1st base, and Bill Russel lays down a sacrifice bunt, and Lopes goes all the way to 3rd on the play.

I was the manager/player on the great Mad Dogs team. In the bottom of the 9th we were down 4-5. We had the bases loaded with two outs. Mike went up to bat. I told him to take everything the pitcher threw. Ball one, then ball two. I remind Mike to take. Ball three. The count was 3-0. I reminded Mike again to take. The entire team was yelling “Take!” The next ball was thrown obviously up & out away from the batter. An obvious ball four. But Mike swung the bat and the end of the bat barely touched the ball. The ball trickled toward first. The pitcher ran in, scooped the ball and underhanded the ball to first base. Inning over. Game over. Thanks Mike…

This is definitely a set play. We did this play in high school. We also did a play where if you walked a runner on 3b, take your walk and take off for second when you were about 15 feet away.

The on deck batter is in on it too. She's just another player in the same uniform to add to the mix and confuse the pitcher

*Beautiful* play.

Been a while but I believe I had a dvd put out by the Florida coach that only covered running the bases. I wasn’t shocked when I seen them pull this one off.

Great heads up by that baserunner, when you realize no one is paying attention, you have to take advantage of that. It's just good old fashioned softball/baseball.

I’ve seen similar stuff in softball… with the shorter distances, this stuff can happen easily… with Baseball and the 90ft bases… this is much more difficult to pull off… and I agree, almost appears possibly as a set play… though the catcher could have foiled it by simply holding the ball… the pitcher went to sleep probably thinking the ball in the circle will kill things… but because R2 never stopped… that won’t apply.

Not a set play. The runner from third was shocked to see her after they scored and bumped into one another.

Cool! I agree that this is more possible in softball due to the closer bases.

All the credit belongs to the runner on 2nd. The player on third didn’t have the view that the runner on 2nd had of the pitch. She had to wait for the call of the pitch and therefore hesitated rather than running like the other runner who had a clear view of the obvious ball call. Also she picks up the pace as she rounds third when the pitcher has turned her back. Heads up play!

In the film Little Big League a team runs a play similar to this. With R3 the batter walks and runs full board to 2nd base. On a walk, the ball is live

If they have signals for this specific scenario then kudos to them.

A friend of mine coaches and when a kid hit a ground ball to second, she beat the throw and didn’t stop. By the time she got halfway between second and third, only then the other team’s coaches started yelling “pitcher! Pitcher!” It was hilarious and I had never seen anyone so brazen on the paths. They won the game because of this. The first baseman was dumbfounded standing there holding the ball and didn't know what to do.

Makes sense as everyone let's up or let's their guard down, plus like you mentioned, most everyone is turned in the opposite direction or looking the wrong way. Great time to steal a run.

I saw one last summer when there were runners on 2nd and third. A walk occurred, and the runner from third came home like she was entitled to it. Nobody realized that with no runner on first that she wasn’t until it was all over.

Thats so heads up. And yes… this has been done in the MLB.

It's very common in high school girls softball. It happens if the baserunner or third-base coach is alert and sees that the pitcher isn't paying attention.

I saw this in a little league game a month or so back. They were taking advantage of the pitcher not paying attention and regularly not being on the pitchers mound, so the runner on third just went home. That pitcher has been a lot more conscious of watching third as they get back to the mound.

In fastpitch softball, the rule where the pitcher receives a throwback from the catcher after a walk, and the ball remains live, is often referred to as the "Look Back" rule. This term originates from the action of the pitcher looking back to the catcher for the throwback. The term "Look Back" is used to emphasize the importance of the pitcher being aware of the play and the position of the ball, even after a walk has been issued. It underscores the responsibility of the pitcher to promptly return to the pitching circle after receiving the ball from the catcher. The rule ensures that play can resume swiftly and prevents the pitcher from gaining an unfair advantage by delaying the game. In order for this to work, she needs to leave third before the pitcher is back in the circle. That's why she's running so fast to third. To prevent this, the pitcher should've taken the throw back while inside the circle. The catcher needs to get the ball back to the pitcher right away. We teach our 10U runners to round every base and watch the ball. We also teach our 10U catchers and first base players to "bounce" that runner on third back to their base. If a runner takes a lead and you turn your back to throw to the pitcher, expect that runner to go home.

In our 8th grade fast-pitch softball league we used to do this stuff in basically every game. If the pitcher, catcher, or whoever with the ball wasn't paying attention looking away from us we would start the old walking slowly towards the next base trick and the opposing infielders would freeze for 4 or 5 seconds in confusion, then we would run like hell to second or home. I don't remember us ever getting thrown out because the thrower would either be too late or miss out of panic. Always hilarious.

Having coached travel softball for a decade, that's a great play. The pitcher needs to be constantly aware of what's going on at all times. We ran a similar play to win a league championship in extra innings, which has its own interesting rules; start with runner on 2nd base + one out.

The key to this play is that the runner from 2nd does not stop at third. If she had stopped at third, she is out on this play because of the look back rule. Further, it's probably also significant that she had reached third by the time the pitcher had the ball in the circle.

Never saw two runners score but did see this play one time. This was in a Little League game. It was a 11/12 year old kids, so most understood the game. Batter was walked and hustled to 1st base. The catcher had missed the ball and was not really watching and the Batter/Runner noticed so he took off for 2nd base. Catcher saw (with his coach yelling at him) what was happening. Attempted a throw to 2nd that got by the Short Stop covering 2nd base. With the ball going into the outfield the Batter/Runner starts to advance to 3rd. Center fielder makes a bad throw to 3rd and this allows the Batter/Runner to attempt to advance to Home. He beats the throw/tag and scores the run. Granted this was Little League and 11/12 year old players, but the Batter/Runner, the Catcher, the Short Stop all made the league All-Star team that year (about 30 years ago). That group of kids in a field of 16 teams advanced to the Quarter Finals, which was one of the best showings for the league in a very long time.

I would imagine it has worked in baseball, but it would be very legal. Something kind of similar happened in a Blue Jays vs Mariners game a few years ago. Jose Bautista walked, when he got to first base he saw that nobody was paying attention so he ran to second. The ball is live and players can advance until the umpire calls time and they do not call time on a walk.

Good 3rd base coaching.

Pretty darn cool. Dang! Darn pretty smooth. I remember getting into the batter box just getting ready and the pitcher threw a strike on me. I was a kid. But that never happened again. 😂

I have never seen anything like this ever. I have watched a lot of baseball over the years. If I had seen this in real time, I would have been like "is that allowed."

This reminds me of the Chinese speed skater who kinda did the same thing. That's a cool video. She laps the field then hangs at the back of the pack.

I've seen this in softball. Good scouting IMO. Probably the pitcher regularly turns away after a frustrating walk and the opposition was aware and expecting the opportunity, Second base runner was watching for the throw back to the pitcher and her response. Maintaining control of your emotions is such a useful skill in so many sports.

That kid is playing a very head's up game.

I've seen players take second on a walk because the defense wasn't paying attention, so it would make sense that a baserunner at second could take home on a walk. Still, it's a bold move and might only work if the other team is distracted and you have a fast runner on second. Kudos to the team that pulled this off though. Very impressive!

It is the perfect time to steal home from second. The pitcher is frustrated by walking in a run, so she's trying to clear her head. The catcher, who has everything in front of her, is looking at the coach for the next pitch. It's good heads up softball.

I saw even worse than this in a high school game, 40 ish years ago. 2nd base tried to steal home after a bases loaded walk, catcher missed it, tried to throw out the runner going to second, he missed it, center fielder tried to throw out walked batter going to 3rd, went way over their head, walked batter trotted into home. A walk led to 4 runs. Never seen anything even close ever since. It was my high school and I played baseball but was out due to a shoulder injury. We still won that game 11-7 and was only 1 of 3 wins we had that year. ( we stunk compared to all the other teams ) I forgot to mention, the guy on second was our fastest player and he had done it before.

I have also seen that done with a runner taking 2nd after a walk, especially if the SS or 2nd baseman doesn't pay attention and stay close to the bag. The way it was explained is that IN SOFTBALL, it can be done but only if the runner does not stop when reaching first base. If the runner stops at first base then tries to go to 2nd, she is out for leaving the base early. (In softball, runners cannot leave the bag until the pitch leaves the pitchers hand.) I assume that the runner in this video could do it because she did not stop at 3rd, she just hit the bag and kept going. Also, realize that in softball, the basepaths are only 60 feet where they are 90 feet in baseball.

Believe it or not, runners advancing on walks in women's/girl's softball is not all that uncommon. But usually not at this high level of college ball. I had this play happen a week ago in a lower level college event I've been working but there were runners on 2nd & 3rd only. Batter walked and trotted towards 1st, pitcher watched her and both runners advanced. Catcher finally yelled to throw home and when she did the BR went towards 2nd. Catcher got the ball late and threw to 2nd so the runner now on 3rd came home. SS threw home and BR who had advanced to 2nd not ran to 3rd. In the end 2 runs scored and batter who walked wound up on 3rd. Crazy stuff.

Another interesting point is with a late throw home, the lead runner is blocking the catcher.

very simple. in baseball and softball. base on balls, it's a live play. in college you would expect them to pay more attention, but the base runner took full advantage of the defense not paying attention, and it cost them an extra run.

That was great. So looking forward to Opening Day.

Closest I've seen was a little league all-star game in Virginia where a kid on 2B scored on a walk. He jogged to 3B and saw the opposing coach approach the mound to talk to his pitcher -- and catcher,. However, the coach forgot to call for time. Runner saw the catcher vacate the plate and jogged all the way home. The only person who realized what happened was the umpire at home -- both sets of fans looked around like "what just happened? "

The circle around the pitures mound is there for a reason. The rule is that once the pitcher controls the ball in that circle, the play is dead. If a runner hesitates and then goes or doesn't immediately return to the base, then she would be out if the pitcher has the ball in the circle. I think because the runner keeps running, she is allowed to go. The pitcher and her team just assumes dead ball, and that is why they're not paying attention to the runner. It's not like baseball where you can advance whenever you want.

Never seen this but I love it!

I had this happen to me as a catcher in little league. Passed ball or wild pitch, don't remember. I was PISSED, "They can't do that!" Ump calmly told me I need to call time to stop it from happening. I called time after every passed ball for the rest of the game.

We always taught our kids to hustle to first on a walk, if they weren’t paying attention we’d send them to second. Did this until they stopped us/ got them out

That is something Elly De La Cruz would do on the Reds. Solid heads up running!

😂😂 Slick play!! the next step to the delayed steal! The player w the ball needs to stay in the game!!

I just did it this weekend with my travel girls

I love this

Wow! I've never seen that before. That was outstanding coaching by the hitting team. The person on third walked in, but the person who had been second moved to third and then just stole home. Awesome! No rules broken here. Awesome job of preparing the team to take advantage of a good situation. Well done.

We did that once in high school and it worked.., but not that easy.., they caught on, but we made it.

The ball is not dead during a walk in baseball or fastpitch so after reaching their awarded base, the base runners are freed to advance at their own risk. I umpired thousands of baseball and fastpitch games. I never saw anything like this in baseball but often the batter would bolt for second on a walk.

I always thought ( in softball) when the pitcher had the ball and in the circle that play was dead.

This happens on our team quite often. Look up Arkansas Thunder Softball.

It might be argued by the coach that it was a dead ball, since the next batter was not only approaching the plate (out of the on deck area) but almost in the batter's box. She was at least close enough to interfere. I don't think she'd win, but i think she'd have a valid argument. And i HAVE seen that happen in baseball, although it's more difficult because of the distance from 3rd to home.

I worked a game yesterday and the catcher missed the ball on a bases empty walk. He just stood there at the plate. The on deck batter looks at me and I telepathically tell him, "yeah, I know, just leave the ball alone" The batter is half way to 2nd before the catcher realized he still has to get the ball. 😂

I would totally try it.

The closet thing I have seen to this is when I played slow pitch soft ball. I was pitch running on 2nd base with 1 out, but I was supposed to be on deck. I knew as a runner that I needed to score or I would be out at bat. Unfortunately, the batter popped out in short center field. As soon as I heard the ball hit the glove I took off sprinting and rounded 3rd. No play was made and I stepped on home base, grabbed that bat and prepared for my at bat. Tat was when I heard the left fielder yelling at their team. I got really lucky.

we did that in little league.. if we noticed the pitcher losing focus and a catcher isnt talking, we stole the next base on a walk.. we even had a sign for it..

No - I've never seen that before - heads up play - wow.

I've seen some heads up base running where a batter was walked and casually ran to 1st then sprinted to 2nd, but that was quite a play 2b to home on a walk; especially at that level of competition.

Also, concerning the play in the video, the only note for the runner from second is to run just a little slower. If the runner trots towards home like it's a normal play, the defense might not notice the trickery. She didn't sprint, which was a good idea. Whether it was a designed play, or heads up base running, it was well executed. It never would have occurred to me, because I thought the ball was dead after ball four, so what the Hell do I know.

I saw it one time in select ball. The catcher put the ball down during the walk, and the second scorer thought he wasn’t paying attention, and he was picked off at home.

The runner did that on her own. You can see the surprise of the runner that was on third after she scored,....and her teamate was running down her asz.

yup this work no time out that play is live good awareness for them girls and got two runs!

In softball there's something often referred to as the "look back" rule. You can look it up. The risk undertaken by R2 is that when the pitcher enters the circle with the ball in hand and R2 touches third and advances toward home, there's no turning back. She has to continue toward home until, and if, the pitcher attempts or feigns to throw to a fielder for a tag out. If she returns to third otherwise, she'll be called out. With R3 just a few steps in front of R2, the distance for a rundown is shortened considerably.

Even the next batter walking up to the plate added to the visual distraction. Beautiful play!

Now that is heads up ball...

Elly De La Cruz of the Reds stole home on a throw back to the pitcher against the Brewers (after a stolen base, not a walk) last year. No throw to third, the pitcher turned his back after receiving the ball back from the catcher.

What's the count? If it's 3 1 and pitch is a strike 2nd base runner being so far off may induce pick off. Howany outs? If 2 outs runner at 2nd may induce pick off chaos and someone may get tagged out end inning and kill rally Gotta pick good time to try this. Also consider whose coming up in the batting order