First Baseman Receiving A Throw
When the first baseman is going to receive the ball from another fielder he needs to get into proper position as quickly as possible. His goal should be to get ready and present the other fielder with a target, before the fielder is ready to throw.
When the ball is hit away from the first baseman he should quickly move towards first base and face the direction that the ball will be thrown from. The throwing hand foot should be placed against the inside edge of the bag, taking care not to impede the runner's path. The first baseman should be in an athletic position, ready to move in the event of an errant throw.
When the ball is thrown the first baseman should step with his glove side foot in the direction where the ball will be caught, leaving his throwing side foot touching the inside edge of the bag. The first baseman should not stretch to receive the throw until the ball is in flight and he knows where it will be caught. A very common mistake made by first basemen, especially at youth levels, is stretching too early, leaving themself in a poor position to make the catch and record an out.
Receiving Offline Throws
Many times the ball will not be thrown directly to the first baseman. Sometimes the throw will be so far offline that you are just happy the first baseman could catch it or knock it down and not let it get by. In these cases the first baseman should be encouraged to leave the bag and get the ball in order to prevent the base runners from advancing.
When the throw is offline, but not severe enough to force the first baseman to stray too far away from the bag the first baseman should be encouraged to get the out.
When the ball is thrown on the second base side the first baseman may be able to step towards right field with his glove hand and catch the ball without removing his foot from the base. For a right handed first baseman this will require a crossover step and a backhanded catch.
If the throw is headed towards the home plate side of the base the first baseman has two options to record the out. First, he can try to step towards home plate, leaving his throwing side foot against the bag and make the catch. This is an easier play for a right handed fielder, as the lefty would now be required to make a crossover step and backhanded catch. The second alternative is to make the catch and tag the runner. To do this the first baseman should ensure that he is not interfering with the base path, complete the catch and protect the ball with his throwing hand, then apply the tag to the runner between the thigh and waist region. When tagging the runner at first base remember that the runner is probably moving quickly, with a great deal of force. Holding the ball in the mitt with the throwing hand is vitally important.
Go To: Receiving Throws in the Dirt.