A trip round the team & the special definsive aspects of each position... (as quoted from http://www.dwareham.freeserve.co.uk/softball/fieldrsp.htm)p>
The pitcher should be ready to field mi-hits and pop-ups within the diamond as well as any hits straight back at him. The pitcher should be ready to cover first base when the ball is hit to the right of the first baseman. When the ball is hit into the outfield the pitcher should back up the infielders as the ball comes back in. The pitcher is usually well placed to call the play as the ball is returned from the outfield, telling the cut off man where (and if) to throw the ball after he receives it.
Catcher is a common hiding place for a weak fielder but a good catcher is a plus for a team. The catcher should be ready to catch pop ups behind or immediately in front of the plate and to gather and throw mis-hits that come to rest just in front of the plate. The catcher should be ready for both forced and tag plays at the plate. A common play is when the play is on first but there is a runner on third who will look to come home on a ground ball to the infield. The catcher should be ready for the throw home from first after the out at first on an infield hit. Just catching pitches cleanly and returning the ball efficiently to the pitcher will help the pace of the game and help the pitcher maintain good rhythym.
First base needs to field the ball when it is hit towards them but the biggest part of their job is catching throws from other infielders to get the force outs at first. The fielder myst realise that catching the ball is more important than staying on the bag. If pulled off the base towards home the baseman can often still get the out on a wild throw by tagging the base runner. When the ball is hit onto the outfield and there is no play on first the first base should move into the diamond, watch the batter to make sure they do touch first on their way past, and be ready to back up play on the other bases. When the play is on first but there are other base runners first base must anticipate the need to throw to home or third to prevent the runner(s) advancing after the out is made at first.
Relaying throws from outfield to infield is an important part of both these roles. If the ball is hit to right field the second baseman goes out to act as the cut off and the short stop covers second base. If the ball is hit to left field or center the short stop acts as the cut off and the baseman covers second. The 'middle infielders' should work as a team. Both these 'middle' infielders should be ready to back up the corner infielder when a ball is hit up the line to first or third. The middle infielders are better placed to move across behind first or third to take pop-ups, it is usually and easier catch for them than for a back-pedaling first or third base man.
Right handed batters tend to hit the ball hard through 'hot corner' so the fielder should have quick reactions. The longest throw in the infield is from third to first so a strong arm is an asset. If the third baseman does have a good arm then with runners on first and second and less than two outs the 'third then first' double play can be easier than 'third then second' as the third baseman doesn't have to spin round as far to throw to first and the batter is usually slower to set off running than the runner on first. When a weaker batter comes to the plate the third baseman should field inside the diamond. This can intimidate a nervous batter and it also makes fielding weak infield hits a lot easier.
Outfielders should play deeper with runners on base than when the bases are empty. With empty bases look for the catch, with base runners look to keep the runners from scoring. Outfielders should back each other up and call loud and early when they intend to field the ball. It is easier to judge the flight of the ball when off to one side so the outfielders on either side of the fielder to whom the ball has been hit can tell them whether to move in or out to field the ball. When the ball is hit to the opposite side of the diamond or within the infield the outfielders should move in towards the infield so they are in a position to retrieve any wild throws. When returning a fielded ball the outfielder should always throw the ball to a team mate, not just lob the ball back in the general direction of the diamond. In pro-ball the best outfielders play in right field because the throws to thrid and home are longer than from left field but in softball the strongest outfielders usually lay left field because the ball is hit there more often than to right.
