At 8U, a lot of games are decided on the bases. Not by speed, but by who ran through first, who left too early and who heard her coach. The fix is a few simple games.
The best 8U softball baserunning drills teach four things: run hard through first base, stay on the base until your league says go, take a wide turn on extra-base hits, and listen for your coach. Practice them as quick games, about 10 minutes per practice.
Train it: Smart Baserunner (Level 2 Baserunning) → Free: Free Baserunning Intro Course →What should an 8U softball runner actually know?
- Put the bat down after contact, then run.
- Run hard through first base on a ground ball.
- Stay on the base until it's legal to go.
- Listen to the base coach instead of watching the ball.
- Run on any ball she hits with two outs.
That's the list. Leads, delayed steals and reading pitchers can wait a couple of years.
Coach BK puts it this way: "Two choices: A. Do everything in your control. B. Anything but A." For an 8-year-old, that means she can't control where the ball goes, but she can always run hard.
When can she leave the base at 8U?
It depends on your league, so ask before your first game. This is the rule that catches the most kids.
Some 8U leagues don't allow stealing at all. One local 8U coach-pitch rule sheet, for example, calls a runner out if she leaves before the ball reaches home plate. Older Little League Softball divisions use the pitcher's release as the moment, and a runner who leaves early is out.
So teach one habit: her foot stays on the base until the moment your league allows. Check your league's rules, then practice it exactly that way.
Four 8U softball baserunning drills
- Bat Down, Blast Off: she hits off a tee, sets the bat down, and sprints through first. A cone 10 feet past the bag is her finish line, so she doesn't slow down early. Then she peels off into foul ground. 4 reps each.
- Sticky Foot: runners stand on a base with one foot touching it. A coach goes through a pitching motion and calls the moment your league allows, like "Pitch!" or "Hit!" Anyone who moves early loses a point. Sometimes the coach fakes it, so stay sharp. 10 calls.
- Banana Turn: put a cone a few steps before first base and a few steps out into foul ground. She runs around the cone in a curve, touches the inside corner of the bag and heads for second. Walk through it, jog it, then run it. 3 reps each.
- Ears On: a runner goes from first to third while the coach calls "Go, go, go!" or "Stop!" Two arms straight up means hold and a windmill arm means go, the common signs Little League describes. Younger kids need the voice as well as the signal. 3 reps each.
Keep lines to 3 or 4 kids. Use two sets of bases if you can, because kids who are waiting are kids who aren't learning.
What does she do on a ground ball or a fly ball?
| What happens | What an 8U runner does |
|---|---|
| She hits a ground ball | Runs hard through first, doesn't look at the ball |
| She hits one to the outfield | Takes the banana turn, listens to her coach |
| Ground ball, and a runner is right behind her | She has to go. Run to the next base |
| Fly ball, under two outs | Stops a few steps off the base and listens to her coach |
| Two outs, any ball hit | Runs right away |
Don't quiz her on this in the car. Call the situation out at practice, then run it. Kids learn this with their feet, one play at a time.
How do I fit baserunning into an 8U practice?
Give it 10 minutes as one station, or finish every practice with it. It doubles as conditioning, and kids like it way more than laps.
Our free Baserunning Intro Course has more games to rotate in. When she's ready for a full plan, Smart Baserunner is part of the $25/month 46/60 Academy membership: 16 parent-guided sessions over four weeks for ages 7–12, baseball and softball. Lesson 1 is free.
Keep it safe. Helmets on for anything live, bases that are secured or flat rubber throw-downs, and no headfirst slides. Stop if anything hurts.
And cheer the effort, loudly. A kid who runs hard to first on every ball is doing it right, even when she's out.
One thing to remember
At 8U, the runner who goes hard through first and hears her coach is already ahead of most of the field.
What to do this week
In the yard or at the park, set out two cones and a base. Do 8 Bat Down, Blast Off runs and 10 Sticky Foot calls using your league's real rule. Time nothing, cheer everything.
Parent questions
Can 8U softball players steal bases?
It depends on the league. Many 8U leagues limit or ban stealing, so ask your coach or check your league's rules before the first game.
Should 8-year-olds learn to slide?
They can learn on soft grass in socks, with a coach walking them through it. Skip headfirst slides and check your league's rules on sliding.
Why does my daughter stop at first base?
Most kids slow down because they think the bag is the finish line. Put a cone 10 feet past the bag and make that the finish line instead.
SEE SMART BASERUNNER (LEVEL 2 BASERUNNING) →
Sources: Little League: Coaching the Bases · Little League: Is a runner out for leaving the base early in Little League Softball? · Foley Recreation: 8U Coach Pitch Softball Rules (example local rule sheet)