Up Your IQ: One Out Rule (Contact Play) - Part 2

How to Run the Contact Play

In Part 1 we explored what "the one out rule" or "contact play" is and why we run it. In this part we want to explore the mechanics of running it and some exceptions to following our rule.

Refresh of Scenario

There is one out and a runner on 3rd. Assume for now there isn't a runner on any other base. The infield is positioned IN across all positions (1B, 2B, 3B, SS).

In part one, we explained you are trying to score on ANY groundball.

Mechanics

Get a Good Primary and Secondary Lead

You're going to be running on any groundball and we're anticipating a close play at home plate. Therefore, every step you can get down the line before contact matters. Now it's important to understand how big of a lead is too big. A couple factors you need to check when deciding this -

1. How close is the 3rd baseman playing to the bag? Depending on the scouting report on the hitter he could be closer or farther from the line, making a back pick from the catcher or a pick to 3rd from the pitcher easier or harder.
2. Is your hitter left handed or right handed? If he's left handed, the catcher has a clear throwing lane, so you've got to be a little more cautious with your lead. If he's right handed you have a little more protection.

If you don't take these kind of notes prior to getting out there, this is what will happen -

Do NOT be the guy who gets picked off at 3rd and doesn't give your hitter a chance to get the RBI. This is a great play by the Twins here, but also a great example of why you come back to the bag in FAIR TERRITORY at 3rd base.

Run on Down Angle, Roll Your Head

As soon as you know that ball is a groundball, you run like you're going to score. As you're running toward the plate, you roll your head to the baseball being fielded and check for three things -

1. How hard is this ball hit? Is it getting on the fielder quickly?
2. Did the player field the ball cleanly?
3. Is the throw a good height?

These are the three questions you use to make your decision on what to do next.

Decision Time

There are two decisions you can make -

1. Continue to try and score (if the play is going to be close).
2. Breakdown and get in the rundown for as long as you can (if you're going to be out by a lot).

This is such a feel for the game play and can separate great baserunners from bad ones. You're making this decision based on those three questions above and based on your own speed. Let's go through the decision tree assuming we're an average runner:

1. How hard is the ball hit? Is it getting on the fielder quickly? Soft/No - continue to score, Hard/Yes - proceed to question 2.
2. Did the player field the ball cleanly? No - continue to score, Yes - proceed to question 3.
3. Is the throw a good height? No - continue to score, Yes - BREAK DOWN AND GET IN THE RUNDOWN.

Obviously, this is all happening waaaaay too fast to actually go through this in your head step by step. These kinds of plays are about putting yourself in that position in practice and games enough to make the decision making process natural. The only way you get a good feel for the game is by playing it a lot. This is a read that you should work on in your baserunning station in on-field batting practice EVERY TIME YOU TAKE IT. At the high school level, you might not take on-field BP every day, so you need to make sure you fully utilize it when you do.

Exceptions

Every rule has its exceptions. The one out rule is no different.

Hard Hit Ball

Sometimes a groundball is hit so hard that before you can even react to try and score, the ball is in an infielder's glove. If this happens, it plays just like a line out and you probably don't run on that. Here's an example of this happening -

Matt Chapman HAMMERS this ball off the bat at 109 mph. The Giants have Jung Hoo Lee at 1st base, who runs better than most players in the league. The contact play is definitely on with him at 3rd base, but you see he has NO CHANCE to run on this because of how hard hit it is. When this happens you'll probably stay put.

You are... Not Fleet of Foot

The kind way of saying, "you're slow". There are players in the big leagues that don't run well either, so you can still make it 😄. Sometimes there is no pressure on the play at home plate because of the runner's speed.

Joc Pederson is slow by Major League standards. This ball isn't hard hit (67 mph), but it's not going to be a pressure play at home plate because of his speed and the Rangers do not have the contact play on.

Final Notes

The last note I have on this is to be anticipating a groundball in this scenario. Good hitters sniff those RBI's and should put the ball in play at all costs. Learn what to be thinking as the hitter here - Situational Hitting, Runner on 3rd, less than two outs.

There are also two alternate scenarios (runners on 2nd and 3rd, and runners on 1st and 3rd), that we explore here - Contact Play, Alternate Scenarios.

Can't wait to see some videos of you all scoring on close plays at home plate and staying in rundowns!