A runner gets caught between bases. Your kids start throwing the ball back and forth like a game of hot potato. Five throws later, the ball is in left field and the runner is safe. Rundowns look messy at 9U to 12U, but a few simple rules turn them into easy outs.
To win a rundown, the player with the ball sprints at the runner with the ball held high, chasing them back toward the base they came from. Make two throws or less: throw only when the runner commits, step to one side of the base path so the throw has a clear lane, and tag the runner.
Train it: Game IQ Playmaker (Level 2 Baseball IQ, $49) → Free: Free Baseball IQ Intro Course →What is a rundown (a pickle), in kid words?
A rundown happens when a runner is stuck between two bases and the defense has the ball. Kids often call it a pickle. The runner tries to get to a base, and two fielders try to tag them out.
Here is the secret parents can share at home: in a rundown, the defense should win. They have the ball and two players. The runner only wins when the defense throws too much, throws wild or waits too long.
Young teams lose rundowns for the same few reasons. Too many throws. Throws nobody can see coming. A fielder standing in the base path with no throwing lane. Fix those, and most pickles end in an out.
The four rules of a good rundown
- Run them back: chase the runner back toward the base they came from. If something goes wrong, they end up where they started instead of one base closer to home.
- Ball up and sprint: the player with the ball holds it high, by the ear, and runs hard at the runner. A teammate needs to see the ball, and the runner needs to feel the pressure.
- Two throws or less: every extra throw is another chance to drop it. Throw only when the runner commits and runs hard one way, then the catcher steps up and tags.
- Make a throwing lane: step a little to one side of the base path, inside or outside, so you aren't throwing right over the runner's head.
One more rule: no fake throws. A pump fake fools your own teammate more often than it fools the runner. Just run hard and throw for real.
What does the player without the ball do?
The fielder waiting for the throw has a big job too. They stand on their side of the base, glove up as a target, and slowly move closer to the play. Closing the gap means a shorter throw and a quicker tag.
- Glove up, call it: show a big target and yell "Now!" when the runner is close enough to throw.
- Catch and tag: after catching the throw, move toward the runner and tag with the ball in the glove, two hands if you can.
- Stay out of the way: a fielder without the ball shouldn't stand in the runner's path. Rules on blocking runners vary, so check your league's rules.
After you throw, don't stand there. Many teams teach kids to follow the throw and get in line behind the teammate they threw to, so there is always a backup if the play keeps going.
Three rundown drills kids actually like
Use two bases about as far apart as your league's bases, and keep groups small so everybody gets turns. Warm up arms first, use soft balls with younger players, and stop any player whose arm hurts.
- Walk-through pickle (5 minutes): three fielders on each base and one runner in the middle. Everyone walks at half speed. Coaches say the rules out loud: run them back, ball up, throw, tag. Slow is fine. They're learning the dance.
- Two-throw challenge (10 minutes): now go full speed with a runner wearing a helmet. The defense gets a point for an out in two throws or less. The runner gets a point for reaching a base. Kids love trying to beat the coach's count.
- Surprise pickle (5 minutes): a coach starts with the ball and tosses it to a fielder at a random moment. That fielder has to sprint at the runner right away. It builds the habit of attacking instead of holding the ball.
Run one of these every practice for two or three weeks. Kids learn rundowns by doing them a lot, not by watching a chalk talk.
Does it work the same in softball?
Yes. The rules are the same in fastpitch softball: run them back, ball up, two throws or less, clear lane. The bases are closer, so everything happens faster and short, firm throws matter even more.
Rundowns are also a great confidence play. A team that practices them starts to want the ball in a pickle. Coach BK puts it this way: "Belief is the most powerful human force." For a 10-year-old, that means believing you will get the out comes from all those practice reps, not from hoping.
Our free Baseball IQ Intro Course has more parent-led lessons on where to go and what to think. When you're ready for more, Game IQ Playmaker ($49) is our four-week, 16-session Level 2 program that builds smart defensive habits for baseball and softball players ages 7–12.
One thing to remember
In a pickle, the defense should win: run them back, show the ball and make two throws or less.
What to do this week
At your next practice or in the backyard, run the walk-through pickle for five minutes with the four rules said out loud. Then play the two-throw challenge and keep score.
Parent questions
What age should kids learn rundowns?
Most teams start around 9 or 10, once kids can catch a firm throw and tag. Younger players can play the slow walk-through version just to learn which way to chase the runner.
Why do you chase the runner back to the base they came from?
If the defense drops the ball or makes a bad throw, the runner ends up back where they started instead of a base closer to scoring. It's the safe way to play the pickle.
What should a runner do when caught in a rundown?
Stay alive as long as possible so other runners can move up, and don't give up. Runners should stay in the base path, because running too far out of it can be an out. Check your league's rules.
SEE GAME IQ PLAYMAKER (LEVEL 2 BASEBALL IQ, $49) →
Sources: Keys to an effective run down · The Ole Ball Game: Rundown or pickle play · Coaches Insider: Rundowns (softball)